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| Understanding | Essential Questions | Module Themes & Sessions |

Creating productive classrooms and schools requires a different way of thinking about behavior. Too often educators use reactive behavior management interventions focusing on the student’s problem behavior. By capitalizing on the strengths of our students, teachers, schools, and communities, educators will learn creative long-term solutions to support and enable success.

The information contained in this module looks at how to build authentic and caring relationships between students in need and the adults who interact with them. More important, it fosters a critical analysis of educator attitudes that impact effectiveness in the classroom and beyond.

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Students placed in alternative education environments often encounter behavioral programs and systems touted to encourage self-responsibility. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these programs emphasize extrinsic reward techniques that are set up to micro-manage student behavior. These programs inadvertently hinder a student’s emotional maturation thus disabling them further. In more restrictive environments, such as youth detention facilities, control of inmate behavior trumps learning the self-regulatory social skills so important to be successful in school and life. The true test of any behavioral program or methodology is whether a student is more intrinsically motivated to assume responsibility for his or her actions.

This module will look at how to create and maintain educational environments that promote intrinsic or internal control of behavior by students. Through the use of preferred instructional and curricular practices, educators will gain an understanding of how to shape a positive activity-oriented learning environment. Careful attention will be given to behavioral approaches that "fit" the student and that accommodate for individual and cultural styles and preferences.

More specifically, teachers will examine the attitudes and beliefs required by educators to promote caring and authentic relationships with students. They will know how to promote safe and affirming learning environments through positive behavior support approaches. Most important, teachers will understand how to implement educational approaches that encourage a sense of self-efficacy and personal power through social skills training, conflict resolution, and engaged teaching.

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What educator attitudes foster success for students with academic and behavioral challenges?

How do educators promote a positive learning environment that expects all students to behave, cooperate, and profit from instruction?

What preferred instructional and curricular practices promote opportunities for students to learn self-control and responsibility for their actions and feelings?

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There are eight (8) sessions contained in this module. Each session has information and activities designed to last from one to three hours. Sessions can be modified and expanded to meet the specific objectives of the instructor.

The expected knowledge, skills, and outcomes are provided for each session. The selection of specific levels of behavioral outcome is left to the discretion of the instructor using the module. Instructional content is included for each session along with student activities, references, and resources.

Overview of Sessions 1-8

Session One

Students will determine teacher attitudes that trigger behavioral problems within the classroom and list typical teacher “reactive” attitudes and list and analyze student responses.

Session Two

Students will determine the goals of misbehavior and identify effective intervention strategies associated with the misbehavior.

Session Three

Students will understand the rationale and use of an ABC (antecedents, behavior, and consequences) model to maintain an effective learning environment.

Session Four

Students will analyze the relationship between a behavior and the environment through the process of functional behavioral analysis (FBA).

Session Five

Students will examine the impact of positive behavior support (PBS) strategies and analyze their effectiveness for individual students, the classroom, and the school. They will understand the critical attributes of a behavior support plan and learn how to write a comprehensive PBS plan.

Session Six

Students will determine the use and effectiveness of social skills training for students with behavioral challenges.

Session Seven

Students will explore the impact of a conflict resolution approach on student behavior.

Session Eight

Students will know what contributes to powerful teaching and why it so important when working with students with behavioral challenges.

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