Good Vs. Bad

He sits there and doesn’t work. You give him a kindly reminder to start working and he still doesn’t. He turns to his neighbor and starts talking. You remind him about his sticker chart and give him yet another reminder to start working. He doesn’t. He comes and asks to go the bathroom. You say no, he pouts and walks away. You give him a warning he needs to work and he chooses to throw himself on the floor and scream. What do you do next? Could this situation have been avoided?
Behavior modification. What is it? According to Vicki Phipps, behavior modification is the theory that rewarding a good behavior is more effective than punishing a bad behavior. She also states you should reward the good behavior as soon as it happens. This helps a child realize how important good behavior is, in hopes of it becoming intrinsically motivating. She also provides several different types of behavior modifications to try.
According to LD Online there are steps to managing behavior through consequences. Consequences that are reinforcers strengthen behavior and consequences that are punishments weaken behavior. First you need to identify the problem and define it. Then you need to come up with a way to change the behavior. Identify a specific reinforcer and how you will implement it. Finally you need to apply the reinforcement and use it consistently. This website has several examples of different examples for behavior consequences and modifications. Some of them are very simple and some are quite complex. I am wondering how a teacher with 21 students handles more than 4-5 behaviors?
I came across another site on how to handle students who have more than one behavior. The Ehow site gives 7 steps to behavior modification. Starting with evaluating the behavior, observing the child, identifying the behavior and what you want it to look like, and sitting down with the child to tell them what you expect. Other steps include figuring out what compliance would look like, offering rewards for behavior that is changed, and also being ready for days that don’t go so well. I think this site is very helpful for not only teachers finding the first step, but for parents as well. I also think these modifications can only truly work if both teacher and parent are on the same page.
But a few things I wonder are why does it seem there are so many more behaviors each year I teach. Are students becoming less respectful of their teachers? Does it start with bad parenting? Or maybe just parents are parenting differently and giving kids more slack when it comes to modifying behaviors. Or maybe it’s my teaching style. I wonder if I will ever find the answers…

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

As the year has begun, I am learning all of the wonderful behaviors that make each of my students unique. One student that creates a struggle in my mind every day is a little girl in my room who is as bossy as they come. I am so intrigued by her behavior and what causes her to be bossy it has lead me to blog about it.
I have tried everything I know to limit her bossiness. I have discussed the issue with parents. They too see the behavior at home. I have tried complementing her for good behavior. I have tried punishing her for bossy behaviors. I have tried setting goals with her and giving her strategies in order to learn not to be bossy. I have also gotten a counselor and the principal involved. This has brought me to the Internet. I found a great article/lesson plan to teach my students how to deal with bossy students which in turn will help her realize her behavior. It will also help my students deal with bullies outside the classroom.

This makes me ponder...what creates a bossy child? Is this something they learn from home? Is it something they learn from trial and error? Or is it something they have seen on the playground and think they will give it a try? I also wonder what has happened to the respect that I once gave my teachers. If I was ever told to sit out in the hall because my teacher and I "had to talk", I knew my behavior needed to be changed, fast. What is leading to the lack of respect children seem to have?