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Initial Offense: Acquisition Error
Reteach the appropriate behavior.
Exp. A student does not remember the rule about walking instead of running when entering the classroom during the first week of school. I would reteach the rule and make class expectations clear by explicitly teaching how to enter the class. -
Initial Offense: Fluency Error
Provide opportunities to practice and receive feedback on the appropriate behavior.
Exp. If a child is struggling to remember to raise his hand to be called on, I would address this as a learning opportunity and have the student practice raising his hand correctly. Then when the child raises his hand correctly, I would praise the child for correctly following the rule. -
Initial Offense: Maintenance Error
Provide a brief reminder of the appropriate behavior and reinforce instances of the appropriate behavior.
Exp. If I noticed students forgetting a rule they are in the process of learning, I would provide a reminder of the rule they have been recently taught. For example, I might say, "Remember to walk quietly to form a line." Then I would try to catch students being good, "I see Maria is doing an excellent job quietly walking towards the line." -
Initial Offense: Generalization Error
Provide practice and reinforcement in other settings and with other people. Exp. A class may forget that a rule, like keeping hands to oneself, may apply in multiple settings. I might need to be explicit that a rule applies to multiple settings by saying, "I know we are excited to go to the library, but we need to remember to practice keeping our hands to ourselves here too. Sam is doing a great job keeping his hands at his sides. " -
Initial Offense: Setting Events
Intervene accordingly.
Exp. A student may struggle to follow the rule of sharing the manipulatives with his partner because a setting event is triggering the student to be cranky. The setting event could be not getting enough sleep the night before, or coming down with a cold. I may need to give the student a warning, or let him calm down at a different table before he can rejoin the class. -
Reteach
Reteach appropriate behavior as necessary, according to phases of learning. Exp. Students may need to be retaught the rule of working silently at tables. Reteaching can be important to both remind my students of my expectations by showing that the rules taught earlier still apply later in the year. -
Remind student of consequences
Remind student of consequences: Student receives one warning that specifically states the inappropriate behavior, the consequence for continuing with the inappropriate behavior, and the appropriate behavior that should occur.
Exp. A student is talking during testing. I give the student a warning and remind him, that any student talking during testing has to do an additional worksheet during recess. Then I remind him to concentrate on doing his best job. -
Continual Engagement in Inappropriate Behavior: Consequence
Employ a function-based consequence (e.g., remove him or her from peer group if behavior functions to obtain peer attention or have student make up missed work during recess or after school if behavior functions to escape work). Exp. A student continually pokes his neighbor. I would have him explain to me why this behavior is inappropriate and then have him sit out of the class activity for five minutes. -
Continual Engagement in Inappropriate Behavior: Withhold Reinforcement
Withhold reinforcement (e.g., tokens from the classroom reinforcement system) for a specified amount of time.
Exp. A student has received several warnings, but continually shouts out instead of raising her hand trying to get more tokens. I would tell her she cannot receive more tokens during this activity,but she can try again with the next activity, if she raises her hand. -
Continual Engagement in Inappropriate Behavior: Alert Guardians
Alert guardians if student does not respond to initial consequence (and follow up with report of appropriate behavior as soon as possible).
Exp. A student continually tears up worksheets and draws on desks. Although the student has been given consequences and seen the assistant principal, the behavior continues. I would have a conference with his parents to communicate and create a plan to help the student improve his behavior.
