Use Calm Neutral Tone
Use Calm Neutral Tone
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Using a calm neutral tone...
Avoids escalation due to tone and volume
Limits opportunity for a power struggle to ensue
Prevents misunderstanding of expectations
Maintains control of the environment
Implementation
Implementation
Overview
A calm neutral tone has no inflection or defining non-verbal body language.
It is used when a student is known to be argumentative or verbally aggressive towards member of staff who is giving them a demand or consequence.
A calm neutral tone maintains expectations and decreases opportunity for a power struggle.
The teacher must maintain this tone with repeating expectations and staying firm with limiting engagement.
If student attempts to argue, combine this strategy with planned ignoring.
Core Components
Body language must match calm tone
Do not use sarcasm or any forms of irony
Seek to understand or to reinforce clear expectations
Proactive Implementation
Establishing a classroom culture of calm neutral tones will ease the escalation responses of the students within the classroom. Teaching student about tone and the impact it has on communication may support this as well.
Responsive Implementation
When a student, group, or class are starting to bubble (escalate) then the use of calm neutral tone may be used in combination with a clear and consistent directive. This may take the form of a If/Then statement, secret signal, break pass, etc.
Bucket Fits
Bucket Fits
Connection
If the need is connection then students may practice using a calm neutral tone with each other and express their feelings based on the different responses of different tones.
Skills Training
If the need is skill building then teaching about different forms of communication such as tone, expression, and words may benefit students for recognition.
Awareness
If the need is awareness then the student may focus on their own tones. Being asked to identify or prompted to record their tone. Always when regulated.
Emotional Regulation
If the need is regulation then acknowledgement of dysregulation may be necessary and the neutral tone should be combined with a strategy such as errand, break, teaching assistant, etc.
Considerations & adaptations
Considerations & adaptations
Consider Factors Prior to Start
Intensifying or Fading During
Student factors-
Gender, race, function, topography, family dynamics, interpersonal relationships
Contextual factors -
Resource availability, classroom instruction, physical space, time, technology
Duration
Frequency
Feedback
Reinforcement
Goals
REMINDER
Make a note to document when you're starting this intervention.
After 10 consecutive school days of implementation, use collected data to determine the intervention's effectiveness.
Resource
Resource
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