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Classroom Management

Successful implementation of classroom management strategies benefits both

teachers and students. Gage, Scott, Hirn and MacSuga-Gage (2018) found that the lower

a teacher’s ability to manage a classroom environment the lower the levels of student

engagement. If students are not engaged, they are not learning. However, classroom

management strategies are not one-size-fits-all and at times individual modifications need

to be made in order for some students to be successful in the classroom environment. A

functional behavior assessment provides a teacher with information to design a behavior

support plan for an individual student. This project is a summary of a functional behavior

assessment designed with a colleague for a five-year-old student. The summary includes

notes from an interview conducted with the case-study student’s teacher, data collected

from observations of the student, and an intervention plan based on our findings.

The purpose of a behavior support plan is to change a target student’s patterns of

problematic behavior, however, the plan defines what the teacher, support staff and

family will do differently, not what the targeted student will change. “It is the change in

our behavior that will result in improved behavior of the focus person” (O’Neill, Horner,

Albin, Storey & Sprague, 1997, p. 65). The intervention plan in the summary presented

describes how the case-study student’s teacher should focus on praising displays of pro-

social behavior and use moments of conflict between the focus student and others as

teachable moments for error correction. Simonsen and Myers (2015) stress the

importance of “providing a specific praise statement contingent on expectation-following

behavior” (p.135). The praise statement should explicitly state what the desired behavior

is so the student knows what they are being praised for. Increasing the number of praise
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statements that specifies the behavior can increase the instances of desired social

behavior (Simonsen, Fairbanks, Briesch, Myers & Sugai, 2008).

The intervention plan specifies using moments of conflict to teach replacement

behaviors. Simonsen & Myers (2015) suggest treating low-level behavior errors the same

as academic errors, in which the student is reminded of the behavior expectation and

given the opportunity to self-correct their error rather than reprimanding a student for

inappropriate behavior. In this situation, the case-study student would benefit from

additional explicit lessons in Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) so that he can learn

pro-social replacement behaviors. Norris (2003) supports SEL centered classrooms

because students are taught listening, communication and coping skills along with

problem-solving strategies that help students to interact with one another in a positive and

supportive manner.

Simonsen et al. (2008) found that establishing “a small number of positively

stated expectations” that are posted, explicitly and systematically taught, frequently

reviewed and paired with feedback led to a decrease in undesirable behavior (p. 358).

Classroom management and SEL work symbiotically in the classroom. Teachers

establish and explicitly teach expectations for student interactions and equip them with

the tools and skills students need to have positive and productive interactions with their

peers.

A behavior support plan defines how the teacher will change her behavior or the

environment in a manner that sets the target student up for success. As a result of this

project, I try to understand why a student is behaving a certain way before administering

disciplinary measures and I consider what I can do to conform to the needs of the student
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rather than forcing the student to conform to mine. I establish and teach expectations for

behavior and then make modifications for certain students as necessary. I have found that

regular personal reflection is critical as providing consistent, positive, contingent

feedback is not natural and takes practice. Getting to know my students and what

motivates them has been integral to behavior management in my classroom. The result is

a positive relationship of mutual respect that benefits the student, myself, and the

classroom as a whole.
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References

Gage, N., Scott, T., Hirn, R., & MacSuga-Gage, A. (2018). The relationship between

teachers’ implementation of classroom management practices and student

behavior in elementary school. Behavioral Disorders, 43 (2). 302-315.

Norris, J. (2003). Looking at classroom management through a social and emotional

learning lens. Theory Into Practice, 42 (4). (313-318).

O’Neill, R.E., Horner, R.H., Albin, R.W., Storey, K., & Sprague, J.R. (1997). Functional

assessment and program development for problem behavior: A practical

handbook (2nd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based

practices in classroom management: Considerations for research to practice.

Education and Treatment of Children, 31 (3). 351-380.

Simonsen, B. & Myers, D. (2015). Classwide positive behavior interventions and

supports: A guide to proactive classroom management. New York: Guilford

Press.