Behaviour Modification Techniques (BMT) in the Class Room

Behaviour modification techniques include a series of teacher-implemented activities

and actions aimed at improving classroom behaviour. Encouraged behaviour might
include staying seated, requesting permission to talk, remaining on task, proper care
of classroom books and tools, and treating other students with respect.

Discouraged behaviour might include loud or disruptive behaviour, wandering around

the classroom and not completing assignments on time. For most of the students
behavioural modification works because students work for positive response and for
approval from individuals they admire.

Preventive Strategies
Consider - seating an easily distracted child closer to the teacher to help her stay on
track. Give a child attention who are deficit, hyperactive, disorder with opportunities
before class starts, say to move books or re-arrange desks in order to help, expend
excess energy.

Stand ridge calls this,

“Development of a positive, nurturing environment (by removing negative stimuli from
the learning environment).”

Teaching Strategies
Provide students with guidance and information to teach them the correct behaviour
required. Use stories, modules and role-playing to teach actions such as, asking
permission to leave a seat, forming a line, walking to the lunchroom, sitting quietly and
keeping hands to one's self. Both regular students and those with disabilities might need
more than oral directions in order to understand how you expect them to behave in
your classroom.

An article on Learning Disabilities Online, dedicated website, titled Behavior

Modification in the Classroom, includes values, clarification activities, active
listening, and communication training for students and teachers, as part of the formula
for teaching behavior modification techniques.
Positive Re-enforcement Strategies
When you catch students following directions and doing things correctly, compliment
them/reward them. Examples of positive reinforcement, include a hug or extra
playtime for kindergartners, help with handing out papers or early departure for lunch
or playtime for middle school students or extra computer time or self-creation of a
class quiz for senior high students. More than one form of positive re-enforcement might
be required for a single child. For e.g. a child might need one compliment to remain
seated in his chair and another to encourage working while seated. It varies from child
to child depending on the behaviour strategies.

Give a Little, Get a Little

We follow the principle “a good word cost you nothing but pays you more”. Use positive
language to elicit positive language. If a student is using disrespectful language, being
threatening, will teach the child to talk back with threatening language. Think about
your reaction when somebody confronts you with doing something wrong. You initially
feel a little annoyed and attacked, so you want to react sometimes in the same manner
like “tit for tat”. Give the student the opportunity to save face.

For example, instead of, "How dare you speak to me that way?" try a, "Whoops that
sounded disrespectful. I know you have the capability or capacity to ask me using nicer
words," and only respond when he uses nicer words. If he doesn't, say, "I'll be over here
when you're ready to use nice words to ask me."

Individual Reward Charts / Behavioural Analysis

Individual reward charts are another way to implement behaviour modification in the
classroom. First, the teacher and child must discuss and agree on a list of behaviour
that should change. For e.g., after talking with the teacher, child agrees to work on
sitting quietly in his/her seat, raising his/her hand when he/she wants to say something
and listening to others when they are speaking. The teacher then gives the child a card
with these goals and puts a smiley face next to the date/class when the behaviour is
achieved. After a full week of smiley faces, the teacher agrees to write a positive note
for the child to take to her parents. Often, at first, an entire class period may not be a
reasonable goal. It is more likely that the teacher will and want to reward the child for
every 10 or 15 minutes that the behaviour is achieved. This can be done with a smiley
face, sticker, or verbal praise.

Fun Time-outs
At times, it is helpful to utilize the behaviour of the child wants to do, as a reward for
expected the behaviour that you want to achieve from the child. For e.g., if a particular
boy in the class tends to run around and make a lot of noise, the teacher could
implement a system where if he is able to sit quietly for a certain amount of time, then
he can run around and be noisy for five minutes as a reward/incentive. This system
tends to work better with older children or children with milder ADHD symptoms. With
younger or more severe ADHD kids, it may be sometimes difficult to redirect a child to
act appropriately after giving him the fun time-out.
Negative Re-enforcement Strategies
When a student acts the same after deploying preventive, teaching and positive re-
enforcement strategies, negative re-enforcement strategies might be required.
Examples of negative re-enforcement strategies include a time out, seating away from
the rest of the class, removal of playtime privileges, referral to the principal, a note
home to parents or an oral reprimand.

References:

... When it comes to teaching, classroom management is a fundamental skill to

master.

... Teaching children with oppositional defiant disorder, or ODD, can test your
classroom management skills.

... Teachers use behavior management at a classroom level to introduce rules against
interrupting other students.

... Stress-reducing activities in the classroom. Does Poor Classroom Management

Affect a Child's Behavior?

... Group activities actively engage students in the classroom. Does Poor Classroom
Management Affect a Child's Behavior?

... Children who have visual impairments may be blind or have low vision and may,
therefore, require assistance with their classroom...

... Many deaf students who will be integrated into a regular classroom have.... Does
Poor Classroom Management Affect a Child's Behavior…?