Foundations
Big Idea 1: Changing behavior takes a well-thought out plan and plenty of time.
Changing behavior, especially behavior that has been a problem for some time, won't happen "magically." You will need a plan! What changes will you make to help the student? How will you respond to difficult behavior? Writing that information into a plan solidifies your actions. Additionally, you should know that changing behavior will take time to happen. This isn't accomplished in a day or two so you have to be prepared for the long haul!
Big Idea 2: Teamwork really does help.
You may be alone while you are implementing the plan but the team supports your implementation. Team work offers ideas, support, and a way to stay focused on the plan. Teams should meet regularly and with enough frequency to adjust the plan in response to changing conditions.
Big Idea 3: All behavior communicates.
The student's difficult behavior is his attempt to communicate. Determining what he is communicating helps you to build your plan. There are many behavior "messages" to consider; you can learn more on the "What is the Message?" page. For students with intense interfering behaviors, the team should consider implementing a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA). An FBA is a structured process that teams use to identify a specific or target behavior that interferes with a student’s education. Once the behavior is identified, the team uses a series of assessments, both formal and informal, to determine the function of the behavior. There is more information about FBAs on the Functional Behavior Assessment page.
Big Idea 4: The student is doing the best he can right now. Teaching and learning need to take place.
This is a crucial part of the foundation! When you start with this Big Idea, you are then able to think in terms of "What can I teach the student?" We know behavior can be taught and learned! What can you teach him so that he has more skills? What does he need to learn?
Big Idea 5: The only behavior you control is your own! You have to change what you are doing.
While we want the student to change his behavior, in reality, he is not able to do so right now. We have a wealth of skills to draw upon so, at this point, we are the ones who must change what we are doing in order to change the student's responses. We can then have the time and space to help the student build the skills he needs in order to effectively change his behavior.
You now have the 5 big foundational ideas that should help guide your decision-making as you begin to positively support students to change their behavior. You can check out where you are on the Website Map, navigate using the tabs above, or move on to "Making a Plan. "
You can see the information from this page in this 22-minute video.
If you would prefer to view this video in another window or if you would like to share it, you can use this link:
