Strategies for Addressing

Student Behavior In the

Classroom
Using Cooperative Discipline A Positive and Practical
Approach
Shauna Felton King
Dorchester County Public Schools
August 12 & 13, 2015
shaunafking@gmail.com

The Cooperative Discipline

Approach
Three Theories:
1. Students need to belong.

The Cooperative Discipline

Approach
Goal: To develop safe and caring
classrooms and create solutions to
classroom disruptions and school violence.
Learning Objective: To identify and teach
strategies teachers can use to influence
students to choose responsible behavior.

Cooperative Discipline Answers

Three Questions

What do I do when kids act up? (Corrective)

What can I do so they wont continuing

misbehaving? (Supportive)

How can I encourage the good kids to continue

behaving appropriately (Preventive)

(Encouragement Strategies-Capable, Connect, Contribute)

2. Students misbehave for a purpose.

(Intervention Strategies- 4 Goals of Misbehavior)

3. Students need to have a voice in decisions that

affect them.
(Collaboration Strategies- Hands Joined Decision Making)

Classroom Management Styles

Hands-On Style (Autocratic)

Limits without Freedom

Teacher completely responsible

Result:
Defiance
Hostility
Rebelliousness

Hands-Joined Style (Democratic)

Freedom within Limits

Shared Responsibility

Hands-Off Style (Permissive)

Freedom without Limits

No one is responsible

Result:
Chaos
Confusion
Irresponsible behavior

What factors do you, as Jeromes teacher

need to be aware of, or need to do something
about, to intervene at the moment of
misbehavior and redirect him to his math
assignment?

Result:
Cooperation
Respect for All
All In Charge of Own Behavior

Students choose their behavior:

Parents recently
separated
Ethnic background
IQ level
Hard drive crashed on
home computer
Poor motor
coordination
No breakfast

Ditched by best friend

or girlfriend
Parent unemployed
Alcoholism in the
family
Dog ran away
Didnt make the
basketball team

The Four Goals of Misbehavior

Attention Look at Me

Power Lets Fight/You Cant Make Me

Revenge Ill Get Even

Avoidance of Failure Leave Me Alone

Identifying the Goal

How do I feel?

What do I usually do?

As a result, what does the student do?

Attention Seeking Behavior

I feel irritated and

annoyed
My impulse to
respond is to nag,
remind, correct or
rescue.
When I do respond,
the misbehavior
stops, at least
temporarily.

Interventions for Attention

Seeking Behavior

Preventing Attention Seeking

Behavior

Power Seeking Behavior

lots of Positive Attention for

Appropriate Behavior
Teach students how to ask for
attention
Allow for student spotlight

Give the Eye

Target-Stop-Do
Grandmas Law
Stand Close By
Name Dropping
Proximity
Praise/Compliance
Praise
Talk To The Wall

Give

I feel angry or
frustrated.
My impulse to
respond is to fight
back or give in.
When I do respond,
the misbehavior
continues until it
stops on the students
own terms.

Revenge Seeking Behavior

Students Referrals By Race

White Students
Smoking
Vandalism
Leaving w/o permission
Obscene Language

Black Students
Disrespect
Excessive Noise
Insubordination
Loitering

Skiba, R. J., Horner, R. H., Chung, C. G.,

Rausch, M. K., May, S. L., & Tobin, T.
(2008,March). Race is not neutral:A national
investigation of African American and Latino
disproportionality in school discipline.

What would you say if a student

said
You cant make me!!!!
I dont want to!!!!
Youre the meanest teacher Ive ever had!!
I want to go home!!
Youre not being fair- nobody else gives
weekend homework!!
Im telling my mother on you!!
Its your fault that I am failing!!

Does the punishment fit the crime????

My pressure gauge is
boiling. I feel hurt,
anger or dislike.
My impulse to strike
back or withdraw
emotionally.
When I do respond,
the misbehavior
intensifies until it
stops on the students
own terms.

Interventions for Power and

Revenge Behavior
Graceful Exits

Acknowledge Student
Power
Agree With the student
Deliver a Closing
Statement
State Both Viewpoints
Call the Students Bluff
Table The Matter

Consequences

Preventing Power and

Revenge Behavior
Grant

legitimate power
Avoid and defuse confrontations
Build Caring Relationships
Teach strategies to deal with
aggressive feelings and hostility
Control SELF

Consequence Clinic
Choose a Category
-Loss or Delay of Privileges
-Loss of Freedom or Required Interaction
-Restitution
-Reteach Appropriate Behavior

Identify the Specific Consequence

Plan the Implementation

Avoidance of Failure Behavior

Who?
When?
Where?
How?
How long?

Interventions for Avoidance of

Failure Behavior

Make Mistakes Okay

Model learning from
mistakes
Break tasks in to
component parts
Teach positive selftalk

I feel frustrated or
professional concern.
My impulse to
respond is to give up
or seek help.
When I do respond,
there is no change in
behavior and work
continues to be
avoided.

Preventing Avoidance of
Failure Behavior
Erase

the rule of the red pen.

Decrease competition
Keep expectations reasonable.
Use Encouragement
Strategies(Capable, Connected,
Contributing)

Avoidance of Failure

I may not be
totally
perfect,
but parts of
me are
excellent.

Intervention and Prevention

Strategies
Attention

Power

Target-Stop Acknowledge
their power
Do

Revenge

Avoidance
of Failure

Graceful
Exits

Decrease
competition

Give the
eye

Table the
matter

Consequences
Chart

Modify
instructional
methods

Acknowledge
appropriate
behavior

Grant
legitimate
power

Build caring
relationships

Make
Mistakes
Okay

SCHOOL WIDE EXPECTATIONS

Guidelines for Intervention

Use

Facts.Dont Attack
Focus on the behavior not the student.
Take charge of negative emotions
Avoid escalating the situation.
Discuss misbehavior later.
Allow students to save face.

Effective Classroom
Management
Environmental Management
How do I want my classroom to look?
How do I want children to treat me and
each other?
What values do I want to communicate to
my students?

3 Cs of Self Esteem
Capable

Capable
Students must
believe that they
are capable of
completing
academic tasks
in a satisfactory
manner.

Connected
Contributing

Connect
Students must
be able to
connect with
teachers and
classmates in
positive ways.

Everyone needs
As

Contribute
Students must
find ways to
contribute to
the welfare of
the class and
the school in a
significant
manner.

Cooperative Discipline Focus:

Influencing Student Choices

Positive teacher
behavioral
expectations
Hands-joined style of
classroom
management.
Individualized
responses to
misbehavior
Encouragement for
all

Clear behavior
standards
Collaborative
conflict resolution
Involvement of
students in discipline
process
Involvement of
parents as partners

Attention
Acceptance
Affirmation
Affection
Appreciation

Point to Ponder

Kids dont
care what you
know until
they know
that you care.

Have a great
school year!!
Teacher Handout Books
On Site Staff Training & Coaching
Graduate Course with RTC/LaSalle Univ.
shaunafking@gmail.com
www.kingprofessionaldevelopment.com
301-742-3616