What is NORMS?

NORMS
• Defined -- Agreed upon and often informal
rules that guide group members behavior
• Formal norms --More important to continuity
of the organization, written codes of conduct
• Informal -- Implicit but unwritten
• Agreed upon -- Continuing consensus among
group members
 DIMENSIONS OF NORMS
• Behavioral -- Specifies what to do, when
to do it and how much is appropriate
• Evaluative -- Specifies approval or
disapproval by the group. The group
sanctions (positive and negative) can be
explicit or implicit
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
NORMS
• Range of tolerated behaviors -- approved
behavior is actually over a range that
deviates from the prototype of the norm
• Intensity -- Strength of approval --
disapproval. Some norms have sharp
approval and disapproval, others are
mild.
• Crystallization -- Group consensus
What are the different types of
NORMS?
 Different types of norms
Technical Norms
These are standards that has something to do with craft of art (from the
root techne) as an application of knowledge (in Latin episteme), hence the
term. These norms pertain to survival, well-being, and health.

Societal Norms
These are standards for group cohesion and strengthening the bonds that
keep the community together. This primarily covers values, customs,
manners, and practices that are considered appropriate by the society.
Aesthetic Norms
From the Greek root aesthesis, which means sense or
feeling, these are standards that correspond to human
perception which become the basis of our approval or
disapproval of things that has something to do with
material appearances like color, taste, odor, texture,
and sound.
• 
Moral Norms
In this type, man and his actions re judged to be good
or bad, right or wrong. All other norms are to be
subordinated to this moral norm.
 TYPICAL
ORGANIZATIONAL NORMS
• Performance
norms
• Dress norms
• Reward allocation
norms
• Commitment
norms
 NORM DEVELOPMENT
• Precedents over time
• Transfers from other situations
• Critical events
• Explicit rules
 BACKWARDS AND
FORWARDS
• Summing up — Examined the function of
norms in groups, the behavioral and
evaluative components as well as the fact
that norms cover a range of behaviors.
Also looked at role ambiguity, role
conflict, and task and maintenance roles
How will you apply norms
in education or classroom?
 Establishing expectations
• Each classroom should have three to five
positively expectations for students to follow.
– These can align with the school’s universal
expectations if those exist.

• These expectations should be broad and able

to encompass a broad range of behaviors.
 Defining routines within expectations
• Once a teacher has chosen expectations for his or
her classroom, these expectations need to be
defined within the context of classroom routines.

• Why is it important for students to have an

operational definition (i.e., an observable,
measurable description) of the expected
behaviors?

• One way to do this is in a matrix format.

 Teaching expectations
• In classes where routines are established on the
first day of school, students are more engaged in
academic activities and make more academic
progress throughout the year (Bohn et al., 2004; Evertson,
1989).

• Rules alone are not enough, though!

– Need to be implemented as part of a comprehensive
instructional and behavioral systems
– Need to be consistent with school’s culture
– Need to be taught explicitly
– Need to be reviewed regularly
Rathvon, 2008
 Our expectations = set of social skills
• Social skills are . . .
– Behaviors that individuals display within a certain
situation that predict and are associated with
important social outcomes

– What does that mean?

• Behavior = something observable and measurable
• Situation = context and/or antecedent
• Outcome = acceptance; positive descriptions

Darch & Kame'enui, 2004, p. 154

 Why teach behavioral expectations?
• Why do we need to teach behavioral expectations?

• What kinds of classroom situations demand a certain

level of social skillfulness?
– Having a conversation
– Working in groups
– Problem-solving
– Making friends
– Following rules
– Self-management (e.g., during independent work)
– Others?

Darch & Kame'enui, 2004

Phases of learning
 Teaching behavioral expectations:
Phases of learning
• Ensure that your instruction matches students’
phase of learning.

• Remember: Generalization is the goal of all

teaching.

• How can we increase the likelihood of

generalization?
Simonsen & Myers, 2015
 Teaching behavioral expectations:
Other considerations
• Provide the same level of constructive feedback
for social behavior that you do for academic
behavior.
– Reteach, test, and provide feedback.
– Give the same level of encouragement.

• Minor behavior errors should be corrected like

academic errors.

• Why is this so difficult sometimes?

 Teaching behavioral expectations:
Prompting
• Teachers need to use prompts and
precorrects to enhance behavioral
expectation instruction.
– A prompt is a stimulus added to the environment
to increase the likelihood of the antecedent
stimulus occasioning the desired behavior.
– A precorrect is a prompt given to students before
a situation in which there is a high likelihood of
problem behavior.
 Teaching behavioral expectations:
Prompting
• There are four types of prompts:
– Visual
– Verbal
– Gestural
– Physical

• How can these be used to increase the

likelihood that students will display the social
skills they’ve been taught?
Behavioral expectation lesson plan
• The lesson plan template in your handout will
help you create a behavioral expectation
lesson plan that incorporates all the key
features, including:
– Your teaching objective
– Positive and negative teaching examples
– Materials you will need for your lesson
– “Model, lead, and test” activities
– Follow-up activities