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- Why use positive support techniques?
Research shows that students like and will work with teachers and SLSO who:
are empathetic
they can trust
have a sense of humour
encourage and promote interesting discussions and set limits
give them positive acknowledgements when they are deserved
show they like and understand students
are warm, enthusiastic and show they enjoy their job
are consistent and fair
treat them with respect
listen to their student's views and act accordingly.
2. What are some positive support techniques you will use?
2. What are some positive support techniques you will use?
Effective Management
Effective Management
Effective behaviour management is based on the teacher‘s ability to successfully create a well-managed, structured classroom environment so that learning can occur. Teaching a number of students with different needs, behaviours and attention spans can be challenging. However, when a positive learning culture is created, the children will learn better because they will know what is expected of them.
It will your role as an SLSO to collaborate with the teacher/s and implement classroom rules and expectations to support positive behaviour. You will be involved in the effective management of groups and individual students, in particular, but at times might also be involved in classroom management.
Well-managed classrooms have the following:
Well-managed classrooms have the following:
2a. Have a set of rules and routines which are understood by all
2a. Have a set of rules and routines which are understood by all
clear expectations - define what is acceptable behaviour. These must be
reinforced regularly
placed in a visible place
students included in developing and wording the expectations
routines minimise behavioural challenges, are easy to understand and follow, flexible enough to alter if circumstances change.
Research shows that most behavioural problems result from a lack of consistent classroom routines.
This is an AITSL video - https://www.aitsl.edu.au/
At the beginning of the year, the teacher establishes a consistent behaviour management approach, linked to the shared school values. These values are explored and given meaning via creative group activities in the pastoral care program she facilitates at the school. The teacher works with the philosophy that when students are engaged in their learning, behavioural problems are less likely to arise.
Class and school expectation examples are shown in the document on the right. You will notice:
they are worded very simply
they use positive language - we do not use the words don't and do not and no when creating expectations
have student involvement
for a classroom, usually the teacher and students will choose a maximum of 5 critical expectations under which most others can sit
Activity: Classroom or home expectations
Activity: Classroom or home expectations
Choose 5 expectations that you think cover the most important elements that we should be addressing in the classroom.
Share.
PBL_school_expectation_example.pdf
2b. Develop positive relationships
2b. Develop positive relationships
connect with students - strong foundation from which behavioural change can take place.
get to know each student on an individual basis - likes, dislikes, interests etc.
See sections 1 and 2 on Safe and supportive environments and Communication for more on this
2c. Focus on the positives
2c. Focus on the positives
focus on positives rather than the negative statements when interacting with students
guide them towards positive outcomes rather than highlighting mistakes.
review the language in the classroom expectations examples - always positive
read, discuss and practice some examples of each of these strategies below:
Make simple statements, worded positively rather than asking questions:
“Please sit down with your homework,” as opposed to “Are you ready to get out your homework?”
'Move to the withdrawal room for reading please" rather than "Can you follow me please?",
"Tom, please use your 5 Ls whilst waiting" rather than "Tom, will you please stop wriggling around".
"Hands up please" rather than "Will you put your hand up please Jane?" or "Don't call out"
Positive narration is when you comment on what students are doing well as they are doing it.
For example: "I can see J and T are packing away their books - great job." "E you are doing a great job in straightening up the room." "Its great to see everyone putting up their hands to show me they want to answer the question!"Effective or descriptive feedback is feedback given to students about what they are doing that is very specific and which might focus on students' efforts as much as on what is actually accomplished.
For example: “You chose to keep your hands to yourself when J was annoying you. Well done!” instead of "Good job!" "You did such a great job using your 5 Ls of listening today - your hands, head and body all showed me you were listening." "You helped T so well in Maths today, you must be very proud of yourself!"Constructive feedback is usually given with effective feedback and gives the student guidance on how to improve at what they are doing.
For example: "You did a great job in putting up your hand to answer the question but try to keep the answer quiet until I say your name."
When you offer genuine praise that is specific, spontaneous and well deserved, it encourages continuous learning and motivates new learning.
Encouragingbehaviour_factsheet.pdf2d. Activity: Austin
2d. Activity: Austin
Revisit the case study we looked at last week.
Consider 5 positives you could use with Austin to try to encourage alternative behaviours to what we are currently seeing in the classroom.
For example: "Well done Austin, you packed up well with Julia today".
2e. Activity: Click on the link on the left (below) and watch both videos and read some of the information about the game.
2e. Activity: Click on the link on the left (below) and watch both videos and read some of the information about the game.
Why do you think this game works?
PAX Good Behaviour Game
PAX Good Behaviour Game
NSW Department of Education has introduced the internationally-recognised PAX Good Behaviour Game (PAX GBG) to students, families and school communities.
PAX means peace, productivity, health and happiness, and is what the PAX Good Behaviour Game helps create and strengthen in each classroom.
PAX GBG consists of proven behavioural strategies used daily by teachers with students. The 10 evidence-based and trauma informed strategies build self-regulation in children, strengthen peer networks, reduce impulsivity and teach prosocial decision-making in children. The ‘peaceful’ classroom environment supports learning, wellbeing, participation and confidence.
PAX GBG develops students who can be fully attentive and engaged in learning so teachers can use their time and resources to teach. Schools using PAX GBG report:
Increased time for teaching and learning
Increased attention to and completion of academic tasks
Engaged learners
Improved learning outcomes including reading scores
Reduction in off-task and disruptive behaviours.
You can learn more about the PAX Good Behaviour Game by clicking on the link below reading the information and watching the videos.
2f. Have agreed rewards and positive reinforcements to start with, BUT work to build intrinsic motivation!
2f. Have agreed rewards and positive reinforcements to start with, BUT work to build intrinsic motivation!
Motivation is important in teaching required behaviours but which sort of motivation makes a difference?
https://www.weareteachers.com/understanding-intrinsic-vs-extrinsic-motivation-in-the-classroom/
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-self-persuasion-david-palank
https://www.edutopia.org/article/help-students-build-intrinsic-motivation
Extrinsic motivation:
rewards (or reinforcers) make behaviour more likely to occur again, but ....
rewards need to be something to which the students aspire to/want. A specific reward may be a huge incentive to one student and may have no effect at all on another student; know exactly what types of reinforcement will work best on each individual - sometimes referred to as “knowing a student’s currency.”
can be used effectively to encourage students to acquire skills and develop appropriate behaviours
younger children will desire different rewards than older students
Intrinsic motivation needs to be built over time:
effective way to encourage students to engage in the desired behaviour if it focuses on the student's effort rather than what is accomplished
genuine positive reinforcement that is specific, spontaneous, and well-deserved encourages continuous learning and decreases competition amongst students
requires the development of a growth mindset where students identify and work on improvement over time
2g. Extrinsic motivation
2g. Extrinsic motivation
Reward examples for older students:
flexible seating (with rules)
phone call or email home
class reward (movies etc)
verbal praise
email to student
listening to music (personal playlists)
Many primary schools use:
Dojo Points
classroom currency or school currencies, which can be used to purchase items or time
time off
something else of value to the students
2h. Intrinsic motivation - building a growth mindset and self belief
2h. Intrinsic motivation - building a growth mindset and self belief
Students who develop a growth mindset understand that they are on a journey towards their goals and that there are a number of stages that you need to work through to achieve goals. They are resilient and understand that failure is as important as achievement. A growth mindset is critical for long-term mental well-being.
Language is key to a growth mindset. Using language such as 'mistakes are ok' . We model making mistakes and showing how we can learn from them.
'I can't do that yet' as opposed to 'I can't do that'.
It's OK not to know something.
It's OK to ask for help.
That didn't work ...I'll try something else.
Some of the images below and on this link communicate this successfully to students.
3:55
6:25
11:36
2i. Activity: What do these systems say to the students?
2i. Activity: What do these systems say to the students?
Which is better, extrinsic or intrinsic motivation? Why?
3. Teach social skills and role model manners and respect
3. Teach social skills and role model manners and respect
students may not have good manners modelled elsewhere or they might have different understandings of manners
we need to model and reinforce the manners we want in the school to help develop student's social skills.
manners make a good impression on others but also make us feel good about ourselves.
developing social skills can help students to make good choices, and decide how to behave in varied situations
behaviour, academic performance and social relationships both in and out of school are influenced by their knowledge and understanding of social skills
school has a key role to play in teaching important interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills
working with home to promote these skills benefits the student and helps to create a strong home–school link.
benefits of social skills include:
creating a positive and safe school environment
helping students to manage stressful situations
provide students with the ability to express emotions, e.g. anger, in an appropriate and safe way
they can learn to walk away from a situation and being able to request an adult‘s help
understanding how their actions can affect other people
take on personal responsibility for promoting a safe and positive environment
Social stories are a great way to teach social skills. Watch the following video to learn about social stories here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r2FbxxhXuU
Communication skills such as:
how to initiate discussion
listening skills in range of environments
how to take turns / negotiate
how to ask questions (to play, to borrow etc)
Preparing the child for new situations or changes to routines:
providing security using visual timetable or similar
using social stories to introduce behaviours & reinforce them
visiting locations such as the library or assembly space to familiarise them
Giving a verbal or visual reminder of what is going to happen soon
Using a timer to show how long the child has before something happens
Social skills such as:
how to play with others
how to share
take turns / negotiate
how to ask questions (to play, to borrow etc)
How to respond in particular situations:
what they should do when you highlight appropriate behaviour
what they should do when you reinforce positive behaviour
how to behave when rewarded
how to behave or what to do when angry
how to behave when things are not going right
4. Use strategic seating or placement in the classroom
4. Use strategic seating or placement in the classroom
how you plan seating can impact student engagement
What/who are they facing? What/who else can they see? Will noise impact them? Will other students impact them?
many students have a particular spot/place when on mat/floor and in classroom
for groups you should be facing the classroom with them facing you and having backs to the class
5. Build collaborative relationships amongst students by implementing teaching strategies such as:
5. Build collaborative relationships amongst students by implementing teaching strategies such as:
peer tutoring (where one or two children teach some other children how to do something and then monitor and give feedback)
jigsaw teaching where children do some reading or viewing about a behaviour and share their understanding with others
buddy program where older and younger students work together to support each other
role models, where younger or less proficient children watch older or more proficient children practising or demonstrating a behaviour skill and then try it themselves
peer support students who support students with additional needs in the playground by supporting them to play with a group of students
Support collaborative learning partnerships where children work together to achieve a learning goal in the classroom and are responsible for both:
Support collaborative learning partnerships where children work together to achieve a learning goal in the classroom and are responsible for both:
each other's learning
each other's behaviour
https://www.edutopia.org/blog/deeper-learning-collaboration-key-rebecca-alber
https://sirblois.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/cooperative-learning-activities.pdf
Use team building activities where children work together to tackle a challenge or goal and together get lots of clear feedback or support for working together as a team.
Use team building activities where children work together to tackle a challenge or goal and together get lots of clear feedback or support for working together as a team.
They will (hopefully) be motivated by possible extrinsic rewards such as finishing first, getting a certificate or receiving praise and intrinsic rewards such as wanting the team to do well and wanting to be part of a team that does well.
http://www.ventureteambuilding.co.uk/team-building-activities/
http://www.activekids.com/parenting-and-family/articles/10-fun-team-building-activities-for-kids
http://www.projectnatureed.com.au/gamesactivitiesinitiatives.html
6. Ensure Active Listening is encouraged
6. Ensure Active Listening is encouraged
Go back to page 2d Effective Communication, and scroll to Active Listening to revisit the information about this critical positive support strategy.
7. We may need to teach replacement behaviours
7. We may need to teach replacement behaviours
We might need to support a student by teaching them a replacement behaviour for one they are using frequently. For example, if a student is calling out a lot, we might need to work with them individually to help them understand what to do instead of calling out. You will learn more about this on the page called Behaviour Plans and support.
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