This discussion is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the objective: Compare positive proactive classroom behavior strategies.  The discussion represents an introduction to Course Learning Outcome 3 and the MASE Program Learning Outcome 1.

In an authentic clas

Week 4 Discussion Positive Behavior Planning

This discussion is your opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the objective: Compare positive proactive classroom behavior strategies.  The discussion represents an introduction to Course Learning Outcome 3 and the MASE Program Learning Outcome 1.

In an authentic classroom environment, discipline procedures can either be proactive or reactive.  Proactive discipline focuses on classroom management that is “designed to promote student self-control by focusing teacher intervention as the cause of discipline problems…” (Henley, Ramsey & Algozzine, 2009, p. 288).  Reactive discipline, on the other hand, is where the teacher is responding to discipline problems instead of proactively predicting potential situations.  Teachers who anticipate and plan for student behaviors have long-term classroom management success.

You notice that when Mr. Franklin tells the class it is time to stop their work and move to the next activity, it takes a long time for the class to complete their current activities, gather their materials, and transition to the next class.  Because of this lag time, the students are often late to their next class, which makes Mr. Franklin feel frustrated.  Responding to this ongoing issue, Mr. Franklin tells the class they will miss 5 minutes of their lunch time to make up for their lateness.

Initial Post: Create an initial response that explains how Mr. Franklin’s response was reactive instead of proactive.  Describe at least three proactive strategies Mr. Franklin can use for a smoother transition process.  Include in your description how this strategy would be implemented with supporting evidence from the readings and Week Four’s Instructor Guidance.

Guided Response: Review the posts of your classmates and that of your instructor.  Respond, using support from our assigned reading and the Instructor Guidance, to the following questions with careful attention to the details presented by your peers in the selected posts.  You must respond to at least two peers.

· Summarize what proactive discipline strategies means to you.

· Compare your peers’ response to your initial ideas of proactive discipline strategies.

· Explain how they are the same or different to your own ideas presented in your initial post.

Though two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you (including the instructor) before the last day of the discussion.  This will further the conversation while also giving you opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real work experiences with this topic.

 

 

 

 

Instructor Guidance

Week Four

Introduction

The first half of this introductory course has established a theoretical and legal foundation for successfully working with students with mild to moderate disabilities. However, without consistent rules and behavior strategies, classroom instruction is nearly impossible. The goal for teachers, throughout the school year, is to guide students towards the intrinsic value of self-management. Two behavior theories that develop this skill are Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning.

 

Classical Conditioning

Drooling can be a good thing! Ivan Pavlov explains this theory through the use of “Pavlov’s Dogs,” where each time he rang a bell, he also fed the dogs some meat powder. After a while, he discovered that dogs began to drool with just the sound of a ringing bell. Finally, the dogs began to salivate as soon as the person feeding them would enter the room (Psychology 101, n.d.). How does this relate to students? We can use the same theory of using a cue to indicate the performance of an expected behavior such as flashing the classroom lights as a signal to begin collecting classroom supplies. Classical Conditioning in Practice Most pre-school’s have a set nap time around 1 p.m. after all the children have eaten lunch. Because children are conditioned at school to nap at 1 p.m., even on the weekends at 1 p.m., they will desire a nap and may become cranky and tired if not given one. Pavlov explains this as the creation of mental relationships of a conditioned response to something that is would not typically cause that reaction. In other words:

School: Home:

 

Operant Conditioning

Unlike classical conditioning where behaviors are expected without reward, B. F. Skinner theorized, using operant conditioning, behavior is shaped by the environment and its natural consequences. In other words, behavior is changed or shaped depending on the result of our actions. For example, if the other students in the class laugh every time Tommy Trouble-Maker says something inappropriate, he will continue to disrupt instruction because his behavior is rewarded with laughter. On the other hand, if the students ignore Tommy Trouble-Maker’s inappropriate comment, he will stop because he is no longer earning the desired results. Operant Conditioning in Practice In your high school math class, the same students come late every day. You have tried talking with them, explaining that when they are late they miss important information, disrupt the students who have arrived on time, and have been disrespectful toward you by not valuing the class start time. Therefore, you decide to lock the door when the late bell rings and serve donuts to whoever is on time and seated. The same group shows up late to a locked door and a room full of math students eating donuts. The next day, everyone is seated when the late bell rings and is rewarded with another treat.

 

Proactive Classroom Management

Operant conditioning and classical conditioning promote students’ self-control and self-management. Instead of reacting to problem situations that take away from lesson instruction, the environment is designed to prioritize learning through students’ ownership for their education and classroom conduct. Proactive teachers design classroom routine and behavior strategies that create opportunities for students’ to make responsible decisions that translate into self-determination and growing independence. Proactive Classical Conditioning in Practice You suggest to Mr. Franklin that giving the students a visual cue five minutes before it is time to clean up, and then a different cue at the three-minute mark will help them keep track of their time. The first day of class, he explains that five minutes before it is time to clean up, you will flash the classroom lights five times. Then, when it is the three-minute mark, three times. Finally, at the one-minute mark, you will flash the lights just once. After a week of practice and repetition, all of the students are fully prepared and ready to go on time. They have internalized the signal system and value the expectation of consistency. During the next professional development meeting, you explain to all the faculty the method you used that is working so well and they implement in their classrooms without an introduction or explanation; right on cue, students begin cleaning up. Proactive Operant Conditioning in Practice You suggest to Mr. Franklin to reward those students who are on time to lunch. When it is time to transition to the cafeteria, Mr. Franklin behaves as usual, telling the students that it is time to go. Some do so quickly, while others lag behind, arriving after the late bell. At lunch, those who were on time are rewarded with pizza, but those who were late arrived to empty boxes with the embossed outline of pizza slices. Mr. Franklin tells the stragglers, “I’m sorry but because you were late, all the pizza was eaten.” The next day, everyone shows up to lunch on time, afraid to miss another surprise.

 

Week Four Discussion Guidance

Classroom management is either proactive or reactive. Proactive management strategies are designed in anticipation of age and grade typical student behaviors. Alternatively, reactive management strategies are in response to behaviors, putting out classroom ‘fires’ as they happen. In addition, teachers who use proactive classroom management give students control of their own behaviors, allowing them to make appropriate choices for which they are held accountable. Students are given the tools to manage their own behaviors, leading to self-determination and independence. In the Week Four discussion board, you provide Mr. Franklin with three proactive strategies, instead of reactive, to better manage his classroom environment during times of student transition. With each suggestion, think about how he can elicit responsible student choices that promote independence. Consider how his behavior produces student whose react depends on negative consequences. Finally, imagine what his classroom might look like with a positive approach to discipline in the same scenario; how will you suggest empowering students to make appropriate decisions? Please review the discussion board rubric prior to your initial post to ensure you are fully meeting each of the set criteria to earn full credit. Your initial post should include relevant professional, personal, or other real-world experiences in a manner that is rich in thought and provides valuable insight into the topic. Additionally, all elements of the discussion board prompt should be thoroughly addressed with strong and precise connections to previous and/or current course content, or to real-life situations. When replying to your peers’ post, be sure to provide a thorough and constructive analysis relating the response to relevant course concepts that incorporates pertinent follow-up thoughts or questions about the topic, and demonstrates respect for the diverse opinions of fellow learners.

 

Week Four Assignment Guidance

Experienced teachers are often able to anticipate behaviors common to their classroom population and skillfully employ preventative interventions effectively. Using categories of behavior traits, designing proactive strategies is the foundation for a successful classroom environment. For example, five persistent behavior problems identified by experienced middle school teacher Linda Shalaway are students who talk nonstop, who engage in a power struggle, who debate every request, who sulk and those who require constant attention (2005). The assignment for Week Four requires you to choose one of the behavior categories listed by Shalaway and proactive strategies that may circumvent a potential classroom issue that you have experienced in the past, are currently experiencing in your classroom or anticipate as an area of concern in the future. Then you will visit the Behavior Management Tips of the Week (Links to an external site.) provided by Education World. Using these two tools, you will address the challenging behavior with proactive strategies that provide students the opportunity to manage their own behaviors, accepting responsibility for making appropriate choices. Make sure to use the Grading Rubric as a self-checklist before submitting the final copy of your assignment to confirm you have met or exceeded each required expectation. The highest level of achievement on the rubric is “distinguished”, which is only earned through exceeding posted expectations at the proficiency level. Please remember you are in a masters-level program. Therefore, your writing, research, and content are held to graduate-level expectations.

 

References

Heffner, C. L. (n.d.). Chapter 4: Section 2: Classical and operant conditioning (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://allpsych.com/psychology101/conditioning

Shalaway, L. (2005). Five persistent behavior problems and how to handle them (grades 6-8). (Links to an external site.) Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/classmgmt/trickypersons.htm

Zarhejo. (2009, October 6). The Big Bang Theory – Sheldon trains Penny (Links to an external site.) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/qy_mIEnnlF4

 

 

 

Required Resources

Text

Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R. (2009). Characteristics of and strategies for teaching students with mild disabilities . Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson

· Chapter 9: Classroom Management

· Chapter 10: Teaching Social Skills

Articles

Browning Write, D., & Cook, C. (2013, February 13). The 16 proactive classroom management skills to support academic engagement (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/misc/DBWHandouts/BI12/Diana%20-%20Session%201%20Ho%20-%2016%20Proactive%20Strategies%20-%20Wed%208am.pdf

· Created by well-known authors and behavior experts Diana Browning-Wright and Clayton Cook, this is a list of 16 proactive classroom management skills that can easily and realistically be integrated into any classroom setting. Accessibility Statement (Links to an external site.)   Privacy Policy 

Education World. (2014). Education world: Behavior management tips of the week (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved December 22, 2014, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/archives/behaviortips.shtml

· Archived by volume number, each collection of behavior strategies offers advice categorized by common classroom management issues such as inattention, breaking rules and teaching self-control. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy

Rogers, B. (n.d.). Five tricky personalities—and how to handle them (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/classmgmt/trickypersons.htm

· Author Bill Rogers lists five persistent behavior problems common to the middle schoolers although frequently experienced by teachers throughout all school grades: The Chatterbox, The Boycotter, The Debater, The Sulker and The Clinger. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy

Recommended Resources

Articles

Schibsted, E. (2009, May 13). How to develop positive classroom management (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-management-relationships-strategies-tips

· This webpage offers a list of positive classroom management methods that provide proactive solution to common classroom behavior issues. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy

Watson, A. (2014). 5 pro-active strategies for positive behavior management (Links to an external site.) . Retrieved from http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/free-resources/behavior-management/pro-active

· Listed on this webpage are five positive strategies for creating a positive structured classroom environment. Accessibility Statement does not exist. Privacy Policy

sroom environment, discipline procedures can either be proactive or reactive.  Proactive discipline focuses on classroom management that is “designed to promote student self-control by focusing teacher intervention as the cause of discipline problems…” (Henley, Ramsey & Algozzine, 2009, p. 288).  Reactive discipline, on the other hand, is where the teacher is responding to discipline problems instead of proactively predicting potential situations.  Teachers who anticipate and plan for student behaviors have long-term classroom management success.

You notice that when Mr. Franklin tells the class it is time to stop their work and move to the next activity, it takes a long time for the class to complete their current activities, gather their materials, and transition to the next class.  Because of this lag time, the students are often late to their next class, which makes Mr. Franklin feel frustrated.  Responding to this ongoing issue, Mr. Franklin tells the class they will miss 5 minutes of their lunch time to make up for their lateness.

Initial Post: Create an initial response that explains how Mr. Franklin’s response was reactive instead of proactive.  Describe at least three proactive strategies Mr. Franklin can use for a smoother transition process.  Include in your description how this strategy would be implemented with supporting evidence from the readings and Week Four’s Instructor Guidance.