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A great article and a thoughtful reminder that ‘exceptional’ can have many meanings!

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Managing Child Meltdowns & Tantrums - Tips From A Board Certified Behavior Analyst

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Behavior modification assumes that observable and measurable behaviors are good targets for change. All behavior follows a set of consistent rules. Methods can be developed for defining, observing, and measuring behaviors, as well as designing effective interventions. Behavior modification techniques never fail. Rather, they are either applied inefficiently or inconsistently, which leads to less than desired change. All behavior is maintained, changed, or shaped by the consequences of that behavior. Although there are certain limits, such as temperamental or emotional influences related to ADHD or depression, all children function more effectively under the right set of consequences. Reinforcers are consequences that strengthen behavior. Punishments are consequences that weaken behavior. Students' behaviors are managed and changed by the consequences of classroom behavior. To manage behavior through consequences, use this multi-step process:

1. The problem must be defined, usually by count or description.

2. Design a way to change the behavior.

3. Identify an effective reinforcer.

4. Apply the reinforcer consistently to shape or change behavior.

Consequences of behavior are directly related to the events that either come immediately before or after them. Table 4.2 provides examples of behavioral outcomes as they relate to various events.

Model

Techniques emphasized

Preventative classroom management

Effective teaching practices, frequent monitoring, clear rules and procedures, social praise, and so forth

Prosocial behavior

Systematic reinforcement, modeling of prosocial behavior, verbal instruction, role playing

Moral education

Classroom moral discussions of real-life dilemmas, hypothetical situations, and literature; role playing; student participation in school government

Social problem solving (SPS)

Direct teaching of SPS skills (e.g. alternative thinking, means-ends thinking), self- instruction training, dialoguing

Effective communication models

Values clarification activities, active listening, communication and interpersonal skills training for students and teachers

Focusing on Correction and Control of Misbehavior

Behavior modification

Direct instruction; reinforcement techniques, including social praise, material reinforcers, and tokens; punishment-oriented techniques, including verbal reprimand, response cost, and time-out; group contingency techniques such as the Good Behavior Game; behavioral contracting

Assertive discipline

Teacher assertion, systematic use of behavior modification techniques, continuous monitoring

Reality therapy

Confrontation questioning, classroom meetings, classroom moral discussions, social problem solving, behavioral contracting, logical consequences, time-out, preventative techniques such as democratic governance

Social skills training

Direct instruction, modeling and rehearsal, coaching, self-instruction, manipulation of antecedents and consequences

Aggression replacement training

Social skills training techniques, self- instruction (e.g. anger control training), moral discussions

Parent management training

Parent training in application of behavioral techniques

Family therapy

Variety of therapeutic and educational techniques, depending on the particular model

Behavior therapy

Variety of cognitive, behavioral, and operant techniques

From Bear, G.G. (1990). Modeks and techniques that focus on prevention. In A. Thomas & J. Grimes (Eds.), Best practices in school psychology (p. 652). Silver Spring, MID: National Association of School Psychologists; Copyright 1990 by the National Association of School Psychologists. Reprinted by permission of publisher.

Reinforcement and punishment follow a clear set of basic principles:

1. reinforcement or punishment always follows behavior,

2. reinforcement or punishment follows the target behavior as soon as possible,

3. reinforcement or punishment fits the target behavior and must be meaningful to the child, and

4. multiple reinforcers, or punishments are likely more effective than single reinforcers or punishments.

Reinforcement

Classification

Exhibited behavior

Consequences

Probable future effect on behavior

From Walker, J.E., & Shea, T.M. (1991). Behavior management: A practical approach for educators (5th ed.). New York: Macmillan; adapted by permission.

Although reinforcement and punishment can be equally effective in reducing specific target behaviors in the classroom, reinforcement is by far more effective in helping children develop alternative, more functional behaviors. When Jeremy was in third grade, his teacher instituted a procedure in which he would receive a tally mark if she looked over and saw that he was tipping back in his chair. She placed 4 Xs under each chair leg to remind him not to lean back. A more positive approach would be to let Jeremy earn a tally mark each time she looked over and saw that all four legs were down. This would reinforce the desired behavior. It is important to always begin with a number of reinforcing strategies before resorting to punishment as a means of reducing unwanted or aversive classroom behaviors.

Schedules

Schedules define and identify the amount of work required or the time that must elapse between reinforcers. Some schedules are continuous, providing a reinforcement or punishment every time the target behavior occurs. Fixed or variable interval schedules are time related, and fixed or variable ratio schedules are related to how much work is completed. Fixed schedules result in higher rates of performance than continuous schedules. In classroom settings, most teachers use fixed ratio interval schedules. They are effective because the child knows exactly what is expected and the requirements of performance are clearly spelled out. Keep in mind that variable schedules are not as good for shaping new behaviors but are excellent for maintaining well-learned behaviors.

A simple system to evaluate the most common classroom problems (e.g. talking out, being out of the seat, not focusing or paying attention, disruptive behavior) appears in Figure 4.4. Information obtained is usually observed at 15-second intervals. If any of the behaviors occur, whether once or more than once, a single notation is made for that interval.

Positive reinforcement

The appropriate application of positive reinforcement has repeatedly been demonstrated to increase both on-task behavior and work completion (for reviews, see Barkley, 1990; DuPaul & Stoner, 1994; Goldstein, 1995; and Walker & Walker, 1991). In the early elementary school grades, teachers exhibit a significant degree of positive reinforcement for desired behaviors (White, 1975). That is, when a desired behavior is exhibited, teachers frequently respond with a consequence that is likely to increase the reoccurrence of that behavior. Jeremy's first-grade teacher offered frequent praise when he was sitting quietly in his seat.

By middle elementary school and through secondary school, however, teachers begin paying increasingly greater attention to undesirable behaviors and less attention to appropriate behaviors. Unfortunately, paying attention to the undesirable behavior causes it to cease in the short run but occur more frequently in the long run.

Children with ADHD may often be more interested in tasks other than those on which the teacher is focusing (Douglas, 1972). This leads to significantly more nonproductive activity and uneven, unpredictable classroom behavior. Interestingly, the overall rates of negative teacher-child interactions involving typical students are also higher in classrooms containing children with ADHD (Campbell, Endman, & Bernfeld, 1977). According to reports, teachers are more intense and controlling when interacting with children with ADHD. Within school settings, children with ADHD appear to experience negative consequences because of their temperament and a performance history that often involves beginning but not completing tasks. Many teachers in this circumstance unfortunately tend to focus on the misbehavior rather than on the reduction or termination of the behavior. This may further disrupt the classroom by disturbing other students.

This naturally occurring pattern of teachers paying less attention to desirable behavior and more attention to undesirable behavior, as children progress through school, places children with ADHD at a greater disadvantage than their classmates. In the first few grades, when teachers appear to be making a conscientious effort to positively reinforce their students, the child with ADHD often does not receive his or her share of reinforcement. In the later grades, as teachers exhibit less positive reinforcement, perhaps because they feel that it is not needed, the child with ADHD is placed at even greater risk.

Positive reinforcement programs should begin at the level at which children can succeed and be positively reinforced. All too often, teachers set up wonderful behavioral programs but set initial criteria for success too high. The child with ADHD in this system rarely reaches success. Problem behavior must be defined operationally and then a level of baseline occurrence must be obtained. At first, provide reinforcement when the child is at or slightly better than baseline. For example, in first grade, Jeremy was out of his seat 10 times during a work period, so his teacher provided reinforcement when he was out of his seat no more than eight times. As the child succeeds, the necessary criteria for reinforcement can be gradually increased, requiring fewer out-of-seat behaviors during a given time period.

Response discrepancy observation method

You may also want to determine the amount of time a student exhibits on- and off-task behavior. One simple behavioral observation method is called response discrepancy because it allows you to record a discrepancy between the target student and a typical class peer (Rhode, Jenson, & Reavis, 1992). Figure 4.5 presents a form to use for this system. To begin, match the target student with a same-sex peer who exhibits typical classroom behavior. Next, check off the type of activity: class, small-group activity or independent activity. The observation period lasts 15 minutes, and behavior is recorded at 10-second intervals (for a total of 90 intervals). The left side of the box is used for the target student and the right side is used for the classroom peer. At the end of each 10-second interval, record a + for on-task activities or - for off-task activities for each student. Ignore behaviors between the recording points. At the end of the 15-minute observation period, compute the percentage of on-task behavior for each student. This may be accomplished using the formula provided in Figure 4.6 (Rhode et al., 1992).

Talking Out

Spoken words, either friendly, neutral, or negative in content, are directed at either the teacher without first obtaining permission to speak or unsolicited at classmates during inappropriate times or during work periods

Out of Seat

The child is not supporting his or her weight with the chair. Up on knees does not count as out-of-seat behavior.

Attention Problem

The child is not attending either to independent work or to a group activity. The child is therefore engaged in an activity other than that which has been directed and is clearly different from what the other children are doing. This includes the child's not following teacher directions.

Disruption

The child's actions result in consequences that appear to be interrupting other children's work. These behaviors might include noises or physical contact. They may be intentional or unintentional.

Figure 4.4. The Talking Out/Out of Seat/Attention Problem/Disruption (TOAD) System. (From Goldstein, S., & Goldstein, M. [1990]. Managing attention disorders in children: A guide for practitioners [pp. 93-94]. New York: John Wiley & Sons. This material is used by permission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)

Figure 4.5. Behavior observation form.

From Rhode, G., Jenson, W.R., & Reavis, H.K. [1992]. The tough kid book: Practical classroom management strategies [p. 271. Longmont, CO: Sopris West; Reprinted with permission of Sopris West, Inc.

When Jeremy was in third grade, a volunteer completed this type of observation for Jeremy and a peer while they were engaged in a small-group activity. Jeremy had been on task for 34 of the intervals. He had been off task for 56 of the 90 intervals. His total time on task was 34 / 90 X 100 or approximately 38% of the time.

In contrast, Jeremy's peer had been on task for 78 of the 90 intervals and had been off task for 12 of the intervals. His total time on task was then 78/90 X 100 or approximately 87%. As a general guideline, if a student is on task less than 60% of the time and the peer's average is 85% or more, the target student's attention to the task is problematic. If both students' on-task behavior is below 60%, the problem may be more related to classroom management (Rhode et al., 1992). When compared with his peer, Jeremy appears to be much more distractible and off task.

As a general rule, observe a student in two different settings or two different types of activities. Some students are only off task and distractible when presented with tasks they find uninteresting. Other students are distractible only during specific subjects, such as in a math class. Keep in mind that students' attention varies depending on the type of task, the difficulty of the material, the type of activity, the setting, and the classroom management skills of the teacher.

Positive reinforcement should follow immediately after good behavior. It should be specific and initially continuous, slowly moving to an intermittent schedule. Material reinforcers provide the child with something tangible. Social reinforcers are more versatile, and, even if material reinforcers are used, a kind word from the teacher should always accompany them. It is also easier to increase behavior than decrease it. Thus, when choosing a target behavior, it is preferable to focus on behaviors to be increased rather than on those to be decreased. Shea and Bauer (1987) described the following process to apply positive reinforcement effectively:

Select a target behavior to increase, define the behavior, and choose a reinforcer.

Observe the child and watch for the behavior.

Reinforce the target behavior every time it is exhibited.

Comment in a positive way about the behavior when providing reinforcement.

Be enthusiastic -and interested.

Offer assistance.

Vary the reinforcer.

Rhode, Jenson, and Reavis (1992) provided a well-defined model for reinforcement in the classroom. This model, presented in Table 4.3, is an excellent summary of reinforcement contingencies.

Be certain to select reinforcers that are age appropriate and not necessarily time-limited. Most important, do not deny students their basic rights (e.g. lunch, bathroom use, playground time) and then define these rights as positive reinforcers. At times, the use of a reinforcement list or menu can facilitate choosing a reinforcer that is meaningful to the child. You can provide a list of enjoyable or free time activities and ask the child to rank them by preference. You can ask the child what he or she might do with free time, where he or she might like to sit, what he or she might like to learn about, and also what kinds of activities make him or her feel needed, proud, and important in the classroom. Finally, one question to consider inquiring of every student is " 'What is the very best reward in this class that you could get for good work and behavior?"
Click to see Figure 4.6. Formula for the response discrepancy observation method.
Selection of reinforcements

Some consequences that teachers provide for children are irrelevant and neither strengthen nor weaken the behavior they follow (Bushell, 1973). Many teachers believe that placing stars on a chart as a reward or providing a prize are consequences that work with all children. Some children are motivated by these consequences; others are not. Furthermore, children with ADHD may find these consequences salient one day but lose interest in them quickly the next day. Therefore, the fact that certain consequences follow a child's behavior may neither strengthen nor weaken the chances for that behavior to reoccur. Bushell (1973) referred to consequences that are irrelevant as noise, neutral consequences that have no effect on the behavior. Teachers must evaluate whether chosen consequences are positively reinforcing or simply noise. A reinforcement menu or inventory completed jointly by you and the child ensures that the former rather than the latter will occur. Sample reinforcement menus across grade levels appear in Figure 4.7.

Ms. Adams met with Jeremy when he was in her second-grade class to select some reinforcers that would increase his time on task. Jeremy quickly offered several suggestions. He wanted time to look through books about dinosaurs, to read joke books, and to play with blocks. He also wanted time for drawing and art projects. Ms. Adams explained that each morning they would decide what assignments needed to be completed before break. When he completed the assignments, he could choose his reward. Ms. Adams also adapted the assignments. Jeremy was expected to write in his journal, but he could answer the questions about his reading orally.

Paine, Radicchi, Rosellini, Deutchman, and Darch (1983) found that the five most frequent reinforcement ideas suggested by elementary school students were additional recess, free time in class, material reinforcers, field trips, and games in class. Intermediate grade students more frequently favored activities that involved interaction with teachers, including acting as an assistant in grading papers, carrying on a discussion, or playing a game on a one-to-one basis. As previously discussed, reinforcers take on different values for different individuals.

You must develop a hierarchy of the behaviors that you would like to see the child exhibit. For example, in response to out-of-seat behavior, many teachers may initiate a reinforcement system to increase in-seat behavior. Although the child may earn multiple reinforcers for remaining in his seat, this does not guarantee that he will engage in constructive or appropriate behavior while remaining seated. Often, multiple reinforcers and multiple levels of reinforcement must be initiated. For example, in first grade, Jeremy was provided with one reinforcer for sitting and a second reinforcer for working while sitting.

Robinson, Newby, and Ganzell (1981) used a token reinforcement system for successful completion of four tasks, two involving learning to read and using vocabulary words and sentences and two involving teaching these tasks to other students. Tokens were exchanged for access to a pinball machine or electronic game. Using a reversal design, the token intervention program resulted in a nine-fold increase in the mean number of tasks completed over the baseline level and significant improvement in performance on the school district's standardized weekly reading level examinations. A reduction in disruptive behavior was also anecdotally reported. This reinforcement system was managed by a single teacher working with 18 children, all of whom had received diagnoses of ADHD. Walker and Shea (1991) also described an in-depth model of structuring a token economy successfully in the classroom.

Immediately

The I stands for reinforcing the student immediately. The longer the teacher waits to reinforce a student, the less effective the reinforcer will be. This is particularly true of younger students or students with severe disabilities. For example, reinforcer effectiveness is limited if the student has to wait until the end of the week to receive it.

Frequently

The F stands for frequently reinforcing a student. It is especially important to frequently reinforce when a student is learning a new behavior or skill. If reinforcers are not given frequently enough, the student may not produce enough of a new behavior for it to become well-established. The standard rule is three or four positive reinforcers for every one negative consequence (including negative verbal comments) that the teacher delivers. If, in the beginning, there is a great deal of inappropriate behavior to which the teacher must attend, positive reinforcement and recognition of appropriate behavior must be increased accordingly to maintain the desired three or four positives to each negative. The reinforcer can be a simple social reinforcer such as, "Good job. You finished your math assignment."

Enthusiasm

The first E stands for enthusiasm in the delivery of the reinforcer. It is easy to simply hand an edible reinforcer to a student; it takes more effort to pair it with an enthusiastic comment. Modulation in the voice and excitement with a congratulatory air convey that the student has done something important. For most teachers, this seems artificial at first. However, with practice, enthusiasm makes the difference between a reinforcer delivered in a drab, uninteresting way and one that indicates that something important has taken place in which the teacher is interested.

Eye contact

It is also important for the teacher to look the student in the eyes when giving a reinforcer, even if the student is not looking at him or her. Like enthusiasm, eye contact suggests that a student is special and has the teacher's undivided attention. Over time, eye contact may become reinforcing in and of itself.

Describe the behavior

D stands for describing the behavior that is being reinforced. The younger the student or the more severe the disability, the more important it is to describe the appropriate behavior that is being reinforced. Teachers often assume that students know what it is they are doing right that has resulted in the delivery of reinforcement. However, this is often not the case. The student may not know why reinforcement is being delivered or may think that it is being delivered for some behavior other than what the teacher intended to reinforce.

Even if the student does know what behavior is being reinforced, describing it is important. First, describing the behavior highlights and emphasizes the behavior the teacher wishes to reinforce. Second, if the behavior has several steps, describing it helps to review the specific expectations for the student. An example is, "Wow, you got yourself dressed - look at you! You have your socks on, your shoes are laced, your pants are on with a belt, and your shirt has all the buttons fastened and is tucked in." This is much more effective than saying, "Good job dressing."

Anticipation

Building excitement and anticipation for the earning of a reinforcer can motivate students to do their very best. The more "hype" the teacher uses, the more excited students become to earn the reinforcer. Presenting the potential reinforcer in a mysterious way also builds anticipation.

Variety

Just like adults, students get tired of the same things. A certain reinforcer may be highly desired, but, after repeated exposure, it loses its effectiveness. It is easy to get caught up in giving students the same old reinforcers time and time again. However, variety is the spice of life for everyone. Generally, when teachers are asked why they do not vary their reinforcers, they indicate that it worked very well once. It is necessary to change reinforcers frequently to make the reinforcement more effective.

From Rhode, G., Jenson, W.R., & Reavis, H.K. (1992). The tough kid book: Practical classroom management strategies (p. 34). Longmont, CO: Sopris West; Reprinted with permission from Sopris West, Inc.

Negative reinforcement

Negative reinforcement requires the child to work for the removal of an in-place, unpleasant consequence. The child's goal is to get rid of something that is unpleasant rather than to earn something that is desirable. In a negative reinforcement model, instead of working to earn a positive consequence, the child works to distance him- or herself from an aversive consequence. Negative reinforcement is often used in the classroom to manage problem behaviors. Teachers inadvertently pay attention to a child who may not be complying and withdraw their attention contingent on the child's compliance. Surprisingly, this strengthens rather than weakens the noncompliant behavior. The next time a similar situation occurs, the child again will not comply until confronted with the aversive consequence (i.e. the teacher's attention). Negative reinforcement is often seductive and coercive for teachers. It works in the short run but in the long run is likely to strengthen rather than weaken the undesirable behavior.

Many of the same variables that affect positive reinforcement-immediacy, frequency, consistency-affect negative reinforcement. Behaviors that in and of themselves may not be negative become negative reinforcers when paired with certain events. For example, a teacher approaching a child who is not working quickly becomes a negative reinforcer, even though the action itself, the teacher walking up to the child, does not have a negative connotation (Favell, 1977). Clark and Elliott (1988) found that negative reinforcement was rated by teachers as the most frequently used classroom intervention. Children with ADHD often experience negative reinforcement because of their temperament, which makes it difficult for them to complete tasks; their consequent learning history reinforces them for beginning but rarely for finishing.

Reinforcement Menu: Kindergarten

Reinforcement Menu: Third Grade

Reinforcement Menu: Tenth-Grade Geometry

Main Courses

Play the piano

Paint

Look out of the window

Use the toys at the back of the room

Work with puzzles

Use model clay

Move a chair to another place

Choose a carpet piece to sit on

Use the computer

Cut and paste

Talk to a classmate

Drink

Hug

Use colored chalk

Swing feet

Walk around in the back of the room

Watch a science video

Sing

Main Courses

Go to the library to work on a special project related to a study unit

Arrange the game shelf and pick a game to play

Listen to a story with earphones

Work in the art corner

Read and record a favorite story with expression and clarity

Work on scrapbook for history project using magazines in the room

Leave 5 minutes early for lunch

Be line captain

Be in charge of taking attendance

Get a drink at any time without asking permission

Be in charge of passing out papers and other class materials

Be excused 15 minutes early to clean erasers and chalkboard

Main Courses

Challenge someone to a game of chess

Use the computer

Do extra credit problems to raise grade

Make up a quiz and give it to the class

Sit at the teacher's desk while doing homework

Prepare the bulletin board using display of student's choice

Write a letter

Read

Play charades

Discuss past or forthcoming athletic or social events

Have a creative exhibit period (i.e. show-and-tell for older students)

Be excused 15 minutes early to clean erasers and chalkboard

Daily Specials

Monday: Visit first grade

Tuesday: Finger paint

Wednesday: Play a game with teacher

Thursday: Make a mural

Friday: Use the computer

Daily Specials

Monday: Watch a video

Tuesday: Use the computer

Wednesday: Be a group leader

Thursday: Add another piece to class mural

Friday: Help plan the Friday group activity

Daily Specials

Monday: Appear as a guest lecturer in another math class

Tuesday: Do a special crossword puzzle involving geometry concepts

Wednesday: Play a math game with another student

Thursday: Construct a special paper model using geometrical figures

Friday: Solve mysteries involving mathematical solutions

Figure 4.7. Sample reinforcement menu. (Toward Positive Classroom Discipline, 3rd ed. by H.F. Clarizio 0 1987. Reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458.) Figure 4.7.

A number of simple, effective ways exist to deal with this problem. If you are using negative reinforcement, pay attention to the student until the assignment is completed. Although this too is negative reinforcement, it teaches the child that the only way to get rid of the aversive consequence (i.e. your attention) is not just to start but to complete the task at hand. As an example, you may move the student's desk next to your desk until that particular piece of work is completed.

A second alternative involves the use of differential attention or ignoring. The term differential attention applies when ignoring is used as the negative consequence for exhibiting the undesirable behavior, and attention is used as a positive consequence for exhibiting the competing desirable behavior. This is an active process in which the teacher ignores the child engaged in an off-task activity but pays attention immediately when the child begins working. Many teachers avoid interaction with the child when he or she is on task for fear of interrupting the child's train of thought. It is important, however, to reinforce the child when working so that a pattern of working to earn positive reinforcement rather than working to avoid negative reinforcement is developed.

Secondary school teachers at times complain that if they ignore the adolescent with ADHD during an hour-long class, they never have the opportunity to pay positive attention as the student may never exhibit positive behavior. Waiting, however, even if one has to wait until the next day, is more effective in the long run than paying attention to off-task behavior.

You need to make a distinction between off-task behavior that disrupts and off-task behavior that does not disrupt. Differential attention works effectively for the latter. However, when a child is off task and disturbing his or her neighbor, you may find that being a negative reinforcer holds an advantage in stemming the tide of an off-task behavior that involves other students as well. Differential attention alone has been demonstrated to be ineffective in maintaining high rates of on-task behavior and work productivity for students with ADHD (Rosen, O'Leary, Joyce, Conway, & Pfiffner, 1984). In part, we suggest that many factors other than teacher attention maintain and influence student behavior.

Differential attention is a powerful intervention when used appropriately. Once the strategy of ignoring inappropriate behavior is employed, it must be continued despite escalation . If not, you run the risk of intermittently reinforcing the negative behavior, thereby strengthening its occurrence. For example, if you decide to use differential attention for a child's out-of-seat behavior but become sufficiently frustrated after the child is out of his or her seat for 10 minutes and respond by directing attention to the child, the behavior will be reinforced rather than extinguished. The 10 minutes of ignoring will quickly be lost in the one incident of negative attention. If the teacher yells, "Sit down," the child has received the desired attention by persisting in a negative behavior.

Madsen, Becker, and Thomas (1968) evaluated rules, praise, and ignoring for inappropriate behavior in two children in a typical second-grade classroom and in one child in a kindergarten class. The results indicated that in the absence of praise, rules and ignoring were ineffective. Inappropriate behavior decreased only after praise was added. Others have demonstrated the importance of praise in a general education classroom (Thomas, Becker, & Armstrong, 1968). Specifically, whenever teacher approval was withdrawn, disruptive behaviors increased.

Overall, however, the research on differential attention with children with ADHD has been inconsistent. Rosen and colleagues (1984) evaluated the results of praise and reprimands in maintaining appropriate social and academic behaviors in second- and third-grade children with ADHD. Children's on-task behavior and academic performance deteriorated when negative feedback was withdrawn but not when positive feedback was omitted. Students' on-task behavior remained high, even after 9 days of no praise from the teacher. Acker and O'Leary (1988) demonstrated that the use of only reprimands for behavior management without positive consequences does not lead to dramatic improvement in on-task performance when praise is added. Dramatic deterioration in on-task behavior was observed when reprimands were subsequently withdrawn, even though the teacher was still delivering praise for appropriate behavior.

Children with ADHD perform as well as typical children with a continuous schedule of reinforcement but perform significantly worse with a partial schedule of reinforcement (e.g. reinforcement is provided only sometimes), which is typically found in most classrooms (Douglas & Parry, 1983). Praise is important for the development of other attributes in human beings, such as self-esteem, school attitude, and motivation toward academics (Redd, Morris, & Martin, 1975). In addition, the opposite is also true: A large amount of punishment can negatively affect emotional development and self-esteem.

Modeling

Through modeling, observation, and then imitation, children develop new behaviors. Modeling can be as simple as having a child watch another child sharpen a pencil. By watching the model, a child can learn a new behavior, inhibit another behavior, or strengthen previously learned behavior (e.g. saying "thank you"). To use modeling effectively, you must determine whether a child has the capacity to observe and then imitate the model. In classroom settings, a student's response to modeling is influenced by three factors: 1) the characteristics of the model (e.g. is this a student whom the other students like and respect?), 2) the characteristics of the observer (e.g. is this child capable of observing and imitating the behavior), and 3) the positive or negative consequences associated with the behavior. Children are more likely to respond to teacher modeling when they view their teachers as competent, nurturing, supportive, fun, and interesting. Children are also more likely to imitate behavior that results in a positive consequence.

Younger children have been reported as more frequently imitating others than older children. Children consistently model someone whom they value or look up to. They also imitate the behavior of a same-sex child more often than that of a different-sex child. They model someone whom they perceive as successful and socially valued regardless of whether the teacher perceives that child as successful and socially valued. Finally, if a child observes a model being reinforced or punished for certain behavior, this influences the likelihood that the child will then model that behavior.

Modeling is a powerful tool, often underutilized by teachers. When teachers are cheerful and enthusiastic, their attitudes are contagious. When they are respectful of students, students respect each other. When teachers are patient, fair, consistent, and optimistic, their students exhibit these traits as well. Teacher behavior sets the tone for the classroom environment.

In 1970, Kaplan described a ripple effect in transactions between teachers and misbehaving students that affected not only those students but also the entire classroom. Teachers who were firm reduced the problem behaviors both from the first child who misbehaved and from those students who saw the initial problem behavior. When teachers enforced rules, the ripple effect worked in their favor. When they failed to follow through with rules, the ripple effect worked against them. Furthermore, the misbehaving student's social standing in the classroom was also an issue. When teachers successfully managed the behavior of high-status troublemakers, their control tended to benefit the entire classroom. Likewise, the ripple effect when high-status offenders were not managed increased negative behaviors among others. Finally, when managing a disruptive behavior, it is important to focus on tasks and behaviors rather than on approval. In the latter situation, teachers may focus on their relationship with the disruptive student when trying to get that student to behave. This strategy, unfortunately, is usually ineffective over the long term.

Shaping

Waiting for the appropriate target behavior or something close to that behavior to occur before reinforcing the behavior is referred to as shaping. Shaping can be used to establish behaviors that are not routinely exhibited. Walker and Shea (1991) described the steps to effective shaping:

1. Select a target behavior and define it.

2. Observe how often the behavior is exhibited.

3. Select reinforcers.

4. Decide on close approximations and reinforce successive approximations to the target behavior each time it occurs.

5. Reinforce the newly established behavior.

6. Reinforce the old behavior on a variable schedule, and begin reinforcing the new behavior on an every-time or continuous schedule. The key to successful shaping is to reinforce closer approximations and not reinforce lesser approximations.

Any behavior that remotely resembles the target behavior should initially be reinforced. Prompts can be used and then faded. Shaping can be used for all kinds of behavior in the classroom, including academics. Steps toward successive approximation, however, must be carefully thought out; otherwise, behaviors that are not working toward the desired goal may inadvertently be reinforced.

Punishment

Punishment suppresses undesirable behavior but may not necessarily eliminate it (McDaniel, 1980). In some cases, suppression may be of short duration, and when the punishment is removed, the behavior may reoccur. Punishment can involve presentation of an unpleasant consequence or the loss of a pleasurable consequence following the occurrence of the undesirable behavior. Punishment is designed to reduce the probability that the behavior that precedes it will reoccur. Although punishment is an efficient way of changing behavior, it can become seductive and reinforcing for classroom teachers and can be overused. The greatest problem with punishment is that it does not provide an appropriate model of acceptable behavior. Furthermore, in many classrooms, punishment is accompanied by an emotional response from the teacher. Although most teachers consider punishment as involving a reprimand, time-out, or loss of an activity such as recess, in many classrooms, physical punishment designed to embarrass children into submission is still used, even though it has a high emotional cost. Shea and Bauer (1987) made a strong case for minimizing the use of punishment, especially more severe punishment, such as embarrassment or spanking, because these interventions are likely to erode self-esteem and further impair an already strained teacher-student relationship. When punishments are used, these guidelines should be followed:

1. All students are aware of which behaviors are punished and how they are punished.

2. Appropriate models for acceptable behavior are provided.

3. Punishments are offered immediately, consistently, and fairly.

4. Punishments are offered impersonally.

5. A natural or logical consequence should be used as often as possible.

6. The student being punished must understand the relationship between his or her behavior and the punishment.

Loss of the privilege during which the inappropriate behavior is exhibited is fair. Warning, nagging, threatening, and debating, however, should be avoided. In other words, act, don't yak. Punishment can exert a complex, negative effect in the classroom and on teacher-student relationships. Furthermore, when less punishing interventions are combined with positive reinforcers, they tend to be effective in the long run. In 1946, Anderson and Brewer reported that teachers using dominating behaviors of force, threat, shame, and blame had classrooms in which children displayed nonconforming behavior at rates higher than in classrooms in which teachers were more positive and supportive. Personal hostility from teachers and punishments in an atmosphere containing minimal positive reinforcement and emotional warmth are unproductive. To be effective, punishment must be related in form to the misbehavior. It must be consistent, fair, and just; must be delivered impersonally; and must not involve the assignment of extra work that is unrelated to the act for which the student is being punished. Opportunities must also be offered for the student to exhibit and receive reinforcement for more appropriate behavior.

Reprimands are the most frequent punishment used by teachers. Contacting parents, losing privileges, and time-outs come next in frequency. Reprimands include a statement of appropriate alternative behavior. Students respond well to short reprimands followed by clear, directed statements. Effective reprimands are specific, do not humiliate the child, are provided immediately, and are given with a firm voice and controlled physical demeanor. They are often backed up with a loss of privilege, including a statement encouraging more appropriate behavior. Attempt to describe the behavior that you observe, rather than how you feel about the certain behavior. Instead of telling a student that he or she is rude for interrupting, make a statement such as, "You have interrupted me three times. I will answer your question as soon as I finish the explanation."' This should be delivered in a calm way and in a way that does not embarrass the child in the presence of others. Jeremy had complained to his mother that his teacher was always yelling at him to keep still or be quiet. Feeling particularly upset one afternoon, Jeremy wrote his fifth-grade teacher the letter presented in Figure 4.8. Fortunately, after reading this letter, his teacher understood that yelling was an ineffective way to deal with Jeremy's behavior.
Figure 4.8. Jeremy's Letter
Abramowitz, O'Leary, and Futtersak (1988) compared the effects of short and long reprimands in an alternating treatment design. Over the course of the study, short reprimands resulted in significantly lower off-task rates than long reprimands. Prudent reprimands that are immediate, unemotional, brief, and consistently backed up with consequences are clearly preferred to lengthy reprimands that are delayed, loud, emotional, and not matched to consequences. Abramowitz and O'Leary (1991) suggested that immediate reprimands result in much lower rates of off-task interactions with peers but do not change rates of off-task behaviors that do not involve peers. The authors hypothesized that non-interactive, off-task behavior may be an avoidance response to difficult schoolwork. Interactive, off-task behaviors may be reinforced by peer attention and modified more effectively by the timing of feedback. Consistent reprimands are clearly superior to inconsistent reprimands for minimizing calling out and other disruptive behaviors (Acker & O'Leary, 1988). When misbehaviors followed with reprimands versus ignoring are evaluated, however, reprimands are not particularly effective in managing off-task behavior. Reprimanding every incident of off-task behavior did not prove to be any more effective than reprimanding one quarter of misbehavior incidents. Increasing consistency in these low-rate situations does not appear to lead to significant differences (Pfiffner, O'Leary, Rosen, & Sanderson, 1985).

Furthermore, the intensity or aversiveness of the initial delivery of the reprimand may be critical for children with ADHD (Futtersak, OLeary, & Abramowitz, 1989). In this study, children were exposed to teachers who delivered either consistently strong reprimands from the outset with immediate brief and firm close proximity to the child or reprimands that increased in severity over time. Results supported the hypothesis that gradually strengthening initially weak reprimands was less effective for suppressing off-task behavior than the immediate introduction and maintenance of full-strength reprimands. In addition, reprimands are more effective when delivered with eye contact and in close proximity to the child (Van Hauten, Nau, MacKenzie-Keating, Sameoto, & Colavecchia, 1982).

Response cost

Response cost is a punishing technique that translates to the equivalent of losing what you possess or have earned. Earned consequences are considered reinforcers. When they are lost, this is response cost. The child places in jeopardy what he or she has earned as the result of inappropriate behavior. In many situations, response cost in the form of a penalty or fine is combined with positive reinforcement. To be effective, more reinforcers must be earned than lost. Response cost is often used to reduce off-task behavior and improve compliance with directions.

Response cost may be the most powerful means of managing consequences for children with ADHD or other disruptive behavior problems (Rapport, Murphy, & Bailey, 1982). In a traditional model of response cost, many children with ADHD may immediately go bankrupt. Alternative systems have included adjusting the ratio of the number of reinforcers provided for each positive behavior versus those lost for negative behavior as well as increasing the number of opportunities to exhibit positive behavior and receive reinforcement. In the former case, six points might be provided for the appropriate behavior but only one point lost for the negative behavior. In the latter case, increased opportunities are provided, making it easier for children to earn a greater number of points, thereby decreasing their chances of going bankrupt when they exhibit negative behavior. A slightly altered form of response cost has been found to be quite effective with children with ADHD (Rapport, Murphy, & Bailey, 1982). Under this system, the child is initially provided with a maximum number of points or tokens to be earned during a school day and must work throughout the school day to retain those reinforcers. Some impulsive children seem to work harder to keep their plates full rather than attempt to fill an empty plate. Possibly because they have a long history of not working well for positive reinforcement, a system in which they are provided with all of their reinforcement initially and must work to keep, a response cost system may appear more motivating or attractive to them.

A substantial body of research documents the effectiveness of response cost in the classroom (Kazdin, 1982). One of the earliest studies (Rapport, Murphy, & Bailey, 1982) compared response cost and stimulant medication for task-related behavior in a group of hyperactive boys. The response cost procedure resulted in significant increases in on-task behavior and academic performance. Stimulant medication was notably less effective. Pfiffner and colleagues (1985) found that response cost in the form of lost recess was more effective than reprimands in maintaining on-task behavior. Response cost has also been compared with reward alone. Both conditions resulted in a twofold increase in academic output or reduction in inappropriate classroom behavior and a corresponding increase in on-task behavior. Children often do not show a differential preference for either reward or response cost procedures (Hundert, 1976; Iwata & Bailey, 1974), but they appear to maintain treatment gains better during fading and withdrawal of response cost than they do in response to traditional rewards (Sullivan & O'Leary, 1990).

A response cost system can be as simple as chips in a cup, marks on a chart, or marbles in a jar. A more complex means of managing response cost includes electronic devices such as the Attention Training System (Gordon & Davidson, 1981; Rapport, 1987). The Attention Training System is a remote-controlled counter that sits on the student's desk. This device provides the student with a digital readout showing the number of points he or she has earned. Using a remote control device, points can be added or removed from anywhere in the classroom, contingent on the child's on- and off-task behavior. By not having to move within physical proximity of the child, the teacher avoids becoming a negative reinforcer when the child is off task. DuPaul, Guevremont, and Barkley (1992) demonstrated the efficacy of response cost contingencies for managing classroom behavior and academic productivity using the Attention Training System. Response cost contingencies led to marked improvements on task-related attention and a reduction in ADHD symptoms during work time.

For response cost to be effective, the procedure must be used for most, if not, all, of the classroom day (Morgan & Jenson, 1988). The number of students in the program must be manageable, and highly motivating rewards must be provided. If not thought out well and managed effectively, response cost can backfire and increase classroom problem behaviors (Burchard & Barrera, 1972).

Response cost can be difficult to implement. Though it may be as simple as chips in a cup placed on the student's desk, many teachers inadvertently become negative reinforcers when they approach the child to remove a consequence, thereby building failure into a potentially useful model. When students who become bankrupt quickly or who are oppositional from the start are placed in a group contingency situation with built-in failure (e.g. everyone must earn the reinforcer or no one has access to it), the result is often greater rather than fewer classroom problems. Morgan and Jenson (1988) suggested the following guide-lines for using response cost in the classroom:

1. Use the procedure for most, if not all, of the classroom day for the target behavior.

2. Make certain the number of students with whom you are using the program is manageable.

3. Make certain there are more opportunities for success than for failure.

4. Build in additional incentives, including additional reinforcers that can be earned at the end of the week, by retaining a minimum number of reinforcers through the week.

5. Consider incorporating self-monitoring techniques in which students can administer response cost independently when they recognize a rule violation.

Time-out

Time-out from reinforcement excludes children from the opportunity to participate with others and receive any kind of positive reinforcement. Time-out is by far the best known disciplinary technique among teachers. It is also the most likely to be overused and misused in the classroom. Although a brief time-out of a few minutes duration can exert a positive influence on classroom behavior when applied appropriately, many teachers apply time-out ineffectively as often as effectively (Walker & Walker, 1991).

The least restrictive form of time-out consists of removal of certain reinforcing activities or objects from the misbehaving child for a short period. Time-out, in a restricted environment outside of the classroom is the most extreme form of this type of discipline. The child cannot see the classroom nor interact with others.

The effectiveness of time-out is well established; however, additional research is needed to identify specific situations, parameters, and procedures associated with the success of time-out for children with ADHD. Clearly, time-out holds a low probability of directly affecting children's ADHD symptoms for the better. Time-out can be quite effective for noncompliant children, but for children with ADHD, you must distinguish between noncompliant behaviors and behaviors resulting from ADHD.

In general, for time-out to be effective:

1. students should be separated from reinforcement,

2. the time should be short,

3. confrontation should be avoided,

4. verbal interaction should be limited, and

5. a time-contingent release should be provided (Bean & Roberts, 1981). Time-contingent release refers to the amount of time and the contingencies (e.g. sitting quietly) required to earn release. These contingencies should be explained and provided to the child prior to entering time-out. Children warned less in time-out also respond better (Roberts, 1982).

The length of time-out is also critical in determining effectiveness. A 4-minute time-out was found to be significantly better than a 10-second or 1-minute timeout among a group of elementary school students (Hobbs, Forehand, & Murray, 1978). Long periods of time-out constitute seclusion and lose their punishing value. It is also important for the time-out activity to be less reinforcing than the setting or activity from which the child is being removed. If a particular activity the child is leaving is non-reinforcing, this child may in fact learn to misbehave as a means of going to time-out to do something else. Work should not be missed due to time-out. Time-out should be boring, uninteresting, and something the child places last on his or her list of chosen school activities. The effectiveness of time-out depends on a number of factors, including the child, your ability to apply the intervention consistently, the child's understanding of the intervention, the rules governing the intervention, characteristics of the time-out area, duration of timeout, and the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of time-out quickly. If time-out does not work in the first few interventions, an alternative strategy should be considered. Eight parameters should define the use of time-out (Scarboro, & Forehand, 1975):

1. A warning that time-out may come should be offered.

2. The child should be consistently removed and placed in time-out when the behavior reoccurs.

3. A specific location should be defined for time-out.

4. A specific duration for time-out should be set.

5. The consistent schedule for time-out use should be defined.

6. A defined behavior should lead to time-out.

7. Clear contingencies should be defined for the child to be released from time-out.

Time-out can be effective in typical classroom settings because it restores order by removing the child who is disrupting class, by reducing the opportunity for peer approval that maintains some children who disrupt, by reducing the opportunity for students to manipulate situations, and by allowing the student to demonstrate appropriate behavior before exiting time-out. In elementary classroom settings, time-out should be from 2 to 5 minutes. If a student is not in control, an additional minute should be added. Teachers should not force resistant students into time-out but should seek help from the principal or other school personnel. Finally, as soon as possible after time-out is over, something positive in the student's behavior should be reinforced. Table 4.4 contains a list of dos and don'ts for time-out. Table 4.5 contains a thorough list of procedures for implementing seclusionary time-out.

There are many things you can do to minimize the need to use time-out. Make sure that classroom activities are more reinforcing than time-out. Provide students with ample but not excessive opportunities to comply. Provide disruptive students with additional positive consequences for not requiring time-out in a given time span.

Do explain the total procedure to the child before starting time-out.

Don't start the procedure without explaining time-out to the child first in a calm setting that is not emotionally charged.

Do prepare a time-out setting for the child that is clean, well-lit, and ventilated.

Don't just pick any place. Make sure it isn't too dark, too confining, dangerous, or not ventilated.

Do pick a place or situation for time-out that is boring or less reinforcing than the classroom.

Don't pick a place that is scary or that could be more reinforcing than the classroom.

Do use a set of structured verbal requests with the child, such as the recommended precision request format.

Don't threaten the child repeatedly with a time-out.

Do remain calm, and don't talk with the child when he or she is being taken to time-out.

Don't get into a verbal exchange with the child on the way to time-out or while the child is in time-out.

Do place the child in time-out for a set period that you control.

Don't tell the child to come out of time-out when he or she is "ready to behave."

Do require the child to be quiet for 30 seconds at the end of the time-out period, before being let out.

Don't let a child out of time-out when he or she is crying, screaming, yelling, or having a tantrum.

Do use a short period of time (e.g. 5-10 minutes).

Don't use exceedingly long periods.

Do require the child to complete the request that led to time-out or missed academic work.

Don't allow the child to avoid compliance to a request or miss academic work by going to time-out.

From Morgan, D.P., & Jenson, W.R. (1988). Teaching behaviorally disordered students: Preferred practices (p. 36). New York: Macmillan; reprinted by permission.

Table 4.5. Seclusionary time-out procedures

1. Seclusionary time-out should not be used unless all other procedures have been tried and failed. This should be a last effort technique.

2. Seclusionary time-out should never be used without a parent's written consent.

3. Seclusionary time-out should be used only if it is listed as an approved and agreed-on technique in a student's individualized education plan (IEP) by the IEP team. The student should only be placed in time-out for approved behaviors on the IEP, such as aggression, severe noncompliance, or destructive tantrum-throwing.

4. Seclusionary time-out is defined as removing a student from a reinforcing classroom setting to a less reinforcing setting. This setting can be another classroom, a chair or desk outside the classroom, or a room specifically approved for time-out. If a room is used for time-out, it should be used only for time-out and no other purpose (e.g. storage, counseling students, special academic work area).

5. The time-out setting should be well-lit, well-ventilated, non-threatening, and clean. It must also have an observation window or device.

6. The entire time-out procedure should be explained to the student before it is implemented, prior to the occurrence of misbehavior that results in its use.

7. If misbehavior occurs, identify it. For example, tell the student in a calm, neutral manner, "That's fighting; you need to go to the time-out room." Tell the student to remove his or her jewelry, belt, and shoes. Tell the student to empty his or her pockets (in order to check for such items as pens, pencils, paper clips, knives, and so forth). The student's socks should be checked for these types of items also. If the student does not comply with these requests, call for help and then remove the items and check the pockets yourself. No other conversation should ensue.

8. When a student is placed in the time-out room, he or she must be constantly monitored by a staff member. The student must never be left alone.

9. When a student is placed in the time-out room, the following information should be placed in a time-out log:

Name of the student

Date

Staff member responsible for monitoring student

Time in and time out

Target behavior warranting the procedures

10. The student should be placed in the time-out room for a specific period of time. A recommended formula is 1 minute per year of age (e.g. 10 minutes for a 10-year-old child).

11. If a student is screaming, throwing a tantrum, or yelling, he or she should be quiet for 30 consecutive seconds before being released from the time-out room. This 30 seconds does not begin until the original designated time-out period has lapsed.

12. Communication between the supervising staff member and the student should not take place when the student is in the time-out room (i.e. do not talk with the student, threaten the student, or try to counsel the student at this time).

13. Do remain calm while taking a student to the time-out room. Do not argue with, threaten, or verbally reprimand the student.

14. If a student refuses to go to the time-out room, add on time to the specified time-out duration (e.g. 1 minute for each refusal, up to 5 minutes).

15. If a student refuses to come out of the time-out room, do not beg or try to remove the student. Simply wait outside, and sooner or later the student will come out on his or her own.

16. If the student makes a mess in the time-out room, require him or her to clean it up before he or she leaves.

17. Once the time-out period has ended, return the student to the ongoing classroom activity, making sure the student is required to complete the task he or she was engaged in prior to the time-out period. This ensures that students do not purposely avoid unpleasant tasks by going to the time-out room.

18. All staff members should be trained, and this training documented, before time-out procedures are started.

19. To ensure the effectiveness of time-out, the reinforcement rate for appropriate behaviors in the classroom should meet the recommended rate of three or four positive responses to each negative response (and never fewer than four positive responses per contact hour).

20. Data should be collected on target behaviors. If time-out is effective, these behaviors should decrease shortly after the technique is started. If they do not, check that the procedure is being used correctly, and the reinforcement rate for appropriate behavior in the classroom is high enough; consider another technique for possible use.

21. The use of time-out should not be threatened (e.g. "If you do that again, I will put you in the time-out room"). Rather, the technique should be combined with a precision request, such as "I need you to stop kicking your desk." If the student persists, the time-out procedure should be used, and when the student comes out of the time-out room, the precision request should be restated ("I need you to stop kicking your desk").

22. The student should be reinforced for not needing time-out.

From Rhode, G., Jenson, W.R., & Reavis, H.K. (1992). The tough kid book: Practical classroom management strategies (p. 65). Longmont, CO: Sopris West; Reprinted with permission of Sopris West, Inc

Consequential versus Rule-Governed Behavior Due to their inhibitory problems, children with ADHD may function quite well under appropriate external or environmental consequences but struggle to develop the internal self-monitoring skills to govern their own behavior. This latter issue was referred to by Barkley in 1981 as "problems following rule-governed behavior." Children with ADHD may acquire behavior at a rate similar to others but take longer to learn to self-manage that behavior in the absence of external consequences and cues. Thus, even when appropriate reinforcers are located, the child with ADHD requires a greater number of successful trials to make the transition to self-management. In part, this speaks to the difference between behavior modification and behavior management. Teachers are repeatedly taught that if they provide consequences appropriately, within a reasonable period of time, children's behavior will change. Success is usually based on the child's continuing to demonstrate the desired behavior when consequences are removed. When this model is applied to children with ADHD, many interventions are often deemed to be failures. For the child with ADHD, demonstrating a behavior in the presence of consequences is not synonymous with having developed the self-management skills to use the behavior. Focus on behavior management. That is, the intervention is deemed successful if the child's behavior is modified in the presence of consequences. As consequences are removed and the child's behavior regresses, this should not be interpreted as failure but rather as too quick a change in the schedule of reinforcement. The child has yet to make the transition from consequentially managed behavior to rule-governed behavior for that particular task.

Three Keys to Using Punishment Effectively Timing, intensity, and consistency are the three keys to using punishment effectively and appropriately in the classroom. The punishing procedures should be initiated as soon as possible after the aversive behavior is exhibited and should be as closely related to the misbehavior as possible. Furthermore, if punishments are too mild, they will not be effective and may slowly habituate the child to tolerate or adapt to more intensive or lengthy punishments. If too intense, however, punishments are not only abusive but likely create other problems. Be conservative when using punishing techniques but make certain their intensity is appropriate. To be effective, punishments must be consistent and predictable. Following punishment, you should return the child to the situation without expecting overt guilt, making efforts to reassure or reinforce the child. A consistent schedule of punishments should also be used. A continuous schedule of punishment for a specific targeted behavior is best. Finally, it is valuable to attempt to find out what drives the misbehavior and work toward managing the environment to minimize causative factors. As noted previously in this chapter, children who are experiencing LD may misbehave out of frustration. This may also be the case for children who are experiencing anxiety or depression. By identifying the child's goals and misbehavior, you can present more appropriate opportunities and methods to reach the child's goals. When used appropriately, punishment can make a positive difference; however, punishing interventions should always follow efforts at using reinforcing interventions to model and shape appropriate classroom behavior.

Conclusion

The effective use of behavioral and cognitive strategies in the classroom may appear daunting even to experienced teachers. However, changing your behavior and strategies is often the most efficient and effective means of improving all types of classroom behaviors, both disruptive and non-disruptive. Through practice comes proficiency. The building block of emotions and behavior likely contains the largest and most diverse set of problems encountered in the classroom. By first understanding these problems and seeing the world through the eyes of your students, and, by then developing and using a set of intervention strategies on a regular basis, problems of emotions and behavior can be effectively managed and changed in the classroom.

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The effective use of behavioral and cognitive strategies in the classroom may appear daunting even to experienced teachers. However, changing your behavior and strategies is often the most efficient and effective means of improving all types of classroom behaviors, both disruptive and non-disruptive.

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Student Choice...

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Resources – National Association for Co-Teaching

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Co-teaching teams provide benefits to teachers as they collaborate to maximize personalized learning for their students. Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld, experienced co-teacher and researcher, joins Steve to explore the challenges of building from I/My to We/Our.

Find Dr. Honigsfeld on Twitter: @AndreaHonigsfel

PODCAST TRANSCRIPT Steve [Intro]: 00:00 Hello, and welcome to the teacher edition of the Steve Barkley Ponders Out loud podcast. The complexity of teaching is both challenging and rewarding. And my curiosity is peaked whenever I explore with teachers the multiple pathways for facilitating student engagement in the exciting world of learning. This podcast looks to serve teachers as they motivate coach and support their learners.

Steve: 00:30 Maximizing co-teaching for student success. Dr. Andrea Honigsfeld is an experienced English as a foreign language teacher in Hungary and an English as a second language teacher in New York City. She's joining our podcast today to share insights on the values of co-teaching for maximizing student success. She is currently a professor in the division of education at Malloy College in Rockville center, New York, and she's an author and consultant on the topic of co-teaching. Welcome, Andrea.

Steve: 01:06 Thank you so much for having me on your podcast.

Steve: 01:09 So Andrea, teachers always want to know about a consultant author's teaching experience. So tell folks a little bit about your experiences with with co-teaching.

Andrea: 01:24 Sure. So by training, I'm a high school English and Hungarian teacher. I was born and raised and educated in Hungary, and I actually went back to teaching my own middle school when I was a student in Hungary years before, so it was very exciting to be a colleague to my former teachers who I now can address informally and collaborate with and learn from. And then when I left Hungary and I found myself in New York city, I became an elementary ESL - that's the label that we used at that time, English as a Second Language teacher at the elementary level, kindergarten through third grade. My student teaching was at the high school level. So I pretty much found myself in every type of classroom from kindergarten, all the way to high school, as well as in adult education classes, both in Hungary where English was a very, very popular language to learn.

Andrea: 02:24 I was a teacher of adult ESL and when I came to the United States, I continued that line of work as well. I actually taught on Saturday and Sunday mornings in a small, tiny little school, right by the train station in Woodside Queens. And I just so respected my students who gave up their, probably, only free day. They worked six to eight weeks and they were there either Saturday morning or Sunday morning learning English. So then fast forward, I completed my doctorate and I joined a college. I'm still there, Malloy college. They hired me to start a TESOL and post-masters program in TESOL. So now going from being in the classroom, I became a teacher educator and I focused a lot on developing a practitioner-oriented masters and postmasters programs and I spent a lot of time in the classroom coaching, continuing to stay connected to what's happening in the actual classroom environment.

Steve: 03:33 What would you describe as the as the payoffs of co-teaching for the teacher? What are the benefits for me of entering into a co-teaching setting?

Andrea: 03:45 For teachers, the strongest benefit is capacity building and partnership building that you don't have to do it alone. The job is huge. To support our multilingual learners in acquiring language and acquiring learning content simultaneously, to make sure that they can make more than a year's progress in a year, as well as developing the academic language and literacy skills that are prerequisites and co-requisites of academic success. Well, when you do it in collaboration with a colleague, with a partner, you feel that you can bounce ideas off of each other. We always have our favorite go-to strategies that now we can learn side by side by talking through those strategies, sharing existing practices, as well as experimenting with new kinds of practices, as technology is getting more and more integrated in our teaching. Or any kind of new initiative is rolled out in a particular school or district, when you're learning that with a partner, it's just going to be more beneficial for the individual, for the educator as well as for the student.

Steve: 04:53 Yeah. I've always found that when you're a trial and erroring, it's easier to error if somebody else's joining you in it than if you're erroring on your own. And besides the fact that it speeds the learning from it, the ability to brief what is it that happened here and talk that through with somebody else's is powerful. How about for the students? What would you say the biggest benefits for the students of teachers co-teaching?

Andrea: 05:24 The greatest benefit for them is that we can reduce teacher student ratio. So we're going to have more attention dedicated to the individual student, whether it's in support of their language development, literacy development, or content attainment. So in a co-taught setting, the various configurations, we could introduce the lesson together. It's like a co-teaching dance. We introduce the lesson together, the mini lesson, maybe a recap of what was thought before, modeling some kind of solving a math problem or an experiment in a science classroom. But sooner, rather than later, we should really break up into small groups. When a teacher is alone, they can still do small group work, Kagan structures or learning stations, learning rotations, learning centers, sure. But when we have two teachers in the room, then those two teachers can circulate and get to the students with more frequency. They could target students' identified needs, they can observe and assess and monitor student progress much better because now we have two adults who are doing that kind of work.

Andrea: 06:24 And actually more frequently than not, I've also seen three adults in some of these classrooms, either a teaching assistant and instructional aid or paraprofessional, there are different names based on where you are in the United States or in the world. How we identify that support personnel as well as sometimes, special educators are also working alongside English language development or ELL teachers and content teachers. So the three way collaboration makes it even more challenging for the teachers, but even more rewarding when it works well for the sake of the students.

Steve: 07:04 So I'm almost hearing, if you put another person in the room, I'm doubling the students' opportunity to get the feedback or the personalized extra attention that the student might need.

Andrea: 07:21 Absolutely. And different types of methodologies are also introduced. I've seen a number of times in my own coaching that one teacher was really savvy with technology. The whiteboard was a smart board and Flipgrid and different ways that the students are able to participate through digital tools while the other teacher was masterful in conducting, let's say Socratic seminars and engaging students in content-based dialogues and discourse. So everybody has their own strengths. When we combine those strengths and assets in the classroom, the students will benefit because there's not one right way that we can support multilingual learners' development. There's not one quick checklist that if only you do these five things, you'll be fine. So we need a multi-dimensional classroom environment in which we infuse a lot of different strategies into our teaching.

Steve: 08:15 I have to tell you one of the things that I always found as the benefit - there were just kids that warmed up better to one of us than the other one. Almost like the magnet to some kids. And so I'd have kids that were assigned to me, but boy, they just made a much deeper connection with my partner than they did with me. And it felt so comforting when I would see my student connect with another teacher in a different way than the student connected with me, but I knew that the student was getting it. They were getting that attention that was so important to them.

Andrea: 08:59 Yeah. If I could make one other point about this, because I'm so appreciative that you shared your story and how generously you celebrated that opportunity for your students to be comfortable with another teacher, rather than this old notion of my kids, my students, my curriculum, my classroom. So how do we move away from that first person, singular mindset and move into a we, or more collective, more collaborative mindset around teaching. And one of the most powerful examples of that, that I witnessed, observed and heard from teachers too, is when the English language development teacher, the ELD or ESL, ENL teacher tells me that the general education student, the English proficiency student also seeks out their support. So the students no longer see that you see are there for those kids. You were their teachers and I'm somebody else's teacher. So
I think that is a huge shift when students start seeing both teachers as being everybody's teacher.

Steve: 10:10 And the other side of that shift is the work I do with professional learning communities that everybody is seeing the students as our students. So I may be here to serve the the English language learner, but the 14 other kids in the class are mine too. As well as the English language learners growth in languages, the classroom teacher's role. So if we take shared responsibility for the kids, that's what pulls us together as a teaching team. Andrea, there's a lot of challenges that teachers face when they first enter a co-teaching partnership. I'm wondering if you'd talk a little bit about those challenges and maybe the strategies for tackling them early on informing co-teaching partnerships.

Andrea: 11:02 Sure. I can cite the most frequently mentioned challenges for you, both from my research and classroom-based experience. Number one is time. And I think that's probably applies to every single educator that we have this scarcity of time, available time to implement new curriculum, develop new curriculum, examine our work, look at student work and so forth. But when it comes to co-teaching, administrative support and systemic support for collaboration, time, collaborative time, co-planning time, to me, it's non-negotiable. I know I'm using a very strong word here. I used to be a little softer, but I think over the years, you figure out that you need to come across with clarity around how co-teaching does not happen without co-planning. If there's no co-planning, there's no co-teaching. If there's no co assessment, when we look at student work, when we examine data systematically, then we can co-teach effectively. So connecting co-planning co-teaching reflection and co-assessment as an entire cycle is critical.

Andrea: 12:11 So if the teachers are not provided time to do that, then they suddenly signed that as a major concern and there's not enough time. So one teacher comes into the classroom and simply says, what are we doing today? Or what are you doing today? And that's no longer co-teaching. At at best, it could be in class support, but then we're siloing the children and the in-class support is targeting a handful of children rather than collaboratively serving all children. The second, most frequently cited issue is when there's no parody or there's just emerging parody or equity among the co-teachers and one teacher feels that he or she is a highly paid aid and is not able to contribute to the lesson with the type of instructional intensity that would truly impact student learning. So how do we work around that? So the first point I mentioned about the time, often that's an administrative issue. How to revisit the master schedule, how to provide additional professional learning opportunities.

Andrea: 13:14 But this notion of building the partnership is also connected, both administrative and coaching responsibilities, as well as internal motivation or intrinsic motivation from the co-teachers that we are going to build a partnership. It will be how we present ourselves to the students. It's not about one teacher being the lead and shining all the time and then the other one is in that supporting actor or actress role, but creating a partnership in which both teachers have equal or equitable participation and opportunity to work with the students. So that doesn't come easily, unless of course, it's a chemistry, it's a quick click between the teachers. Typically, it takes time and monitoring how the dynamics in the classroom or maybe even video coaching so that the teachers could really look at how one teacher just kept saying, I expect you to do this, or my expectations for you are these as he or she talks to the students and the other teacher is literally on the sidelines, just waiting to have a turn.

Steve: 14:25 One of the strategies that I encourage people to build into those early planning conversations is around a phrase I use called student learning production behaviors. So, what is it that the students need to do that's going to cause the learning? So I might be in your classroom today in a role where I'm not deep into the content the way you are. But if you can tell me what it is we need to get the kids to do to cause the learning to happen, then my interactions with the kids are driven towards getting those learning behaviors. Versus when I see that that's missing, the behaviors, get driven towards helping the kids get the work done. And get the work done may not be what's producing the learning. So if I can get the people talking to each other, when we're watching the learners, what is it we want to be seeing and hearing the learners doing? And now we both can go to work to make that happen. If you're the language person, you might be assisting me on what those English language learners' behaviors need to be so that as the classroom teacher, I'm helping get those. And I can share what the content behaviors are and now we're both working together to generate that, that set of behaviors.

Andrea: 15:46 So from the English language development perspective, in a co-taught setting, I often coach or guide teachers to examine their upcoming lessons, units, curriculum through two lenses. Like when I wear my glasses, there are two lenses on it. So one lens is going to be the cognitive lens or the academic lens. The other one is going to be the linguistic, language or literacy lens. And the big question as we co-plan or review the curriculum will be, what are the academic and linguistic demands of the upcoming lesson or curriculum? But then the demands is sort of a harsh deficit oriented word. So what if we switched that word around and now change it to opportunities? What would be the academic or cognitive opportunities to, as you said, to demonstrate learning, what are we going to be looking for for the students to be doing with the content? And the same time you can forget about that content cannot be taught without language, even mathematics. Even when we think that math is the universal language, not really, you're going to need precise academic language to be able to solve a math problem. So what is the linguistic demand of that upcoming lesson, or again, switching the words around, what is the linguistic opportunity or literacy opportunity for the students to fully engage with the content? So that is very similar to your thinking.

Steve: 17:12 It really is because the big change in my work was when I switched from watching teaching, to watching learning. So when my time is spent in a pre-conference, what I'm mostly asking is, talk to me about what it is you need to get the kids to do. And then I'm watching the kids. And if the choices you made or getting the kids to do what you said, you needed them to do, that's going to be great feedback for you. And if the choices aren't getting it and now when I got two teachers working together and some students with special needs, what's the support that the special needs student has to have so that he or she can engage in those learning behaviors?

Andrea: 17:57 Similarly, linguistically, what are the linguistic expectations and opportunities? And the added challenge of course, is, we have English language development on at least five different levels. So if you're using the wida standards or any kind of established framework, sometimes it's only four levels. Sometimes it's even three levels, beginning, intermediate, and advanced, but more currently we're using five levels of language proficiencies. And that's huge to consider that on all five levels students could and should -

Steve: 18:28 And I could have all five, right?

Andrea: 18:32 Yeah. And what does that going to look like? So having those conversations, planning is essential. You can't just walk into a
classroom and figure it out in the moment. The work is too big for that.

Steve: 18:44 As I moved to closing out, I want to give you an opportunity - one of the most important words of wisdom that you might want to leave with teachers who are who are entering into a co-teaching opportunities.

Andrea: 19:01 Focus on the relationship first.

Steve: 19:04 Got it.

Andrea: 19:05 If you asked me that question 10 years ago, I would have probably asked them as heretic with pedagogy co-teaching models, and then you live and learn and you realize that a strong partnership actually is absolutely pivotal for this.

Steve: 19:25 Thank you. Would you share with folks easiest ways for them to get in touch with you to follow up questions they might have, or to look at the resources that you have available?

Andrea: 19:38 Sure. My email is Ahonigsfeld@gmail.com and of all the social media platforms, I'm very active on Twitter and that's @andreahonigsfel - that's my Twitter handle without the D. I also have a website, andreahonigsfeld.com. And I have a lot of my books produced either by Heinemann or by Corbin press.

Steve: 20:01 Well, we'll put all that information on the lead-in to the podcast. Andrea, thank you so much. Really appreciate the time and
sharing that you did with us.

Andrea: 20:10 Thank you for the opportunity. I really enjoyed it too.

Steve [Outro]: 20:16 Thanks for listening in folks. I'd love to hear what you're pondering. You can find me on Twitter @stevebarkley, or send me your questions and find my videos and blogs at barkleypd.com.

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Podcast for Teachers: Maximizing Co-Teaching for Student Success | Steve Barkley

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Co-teaching teams provide benefits to teachers as they collaborate to maximize personalized learning for their students.

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EDUCATION Expert Reveals Best Practices to Boost Student Engagement

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I love this article—I think it can be adapted for use across content areas.

"Active music listening is a creative activity in that the listener constructs a uniquely personal musical experience."

Regardless of the listening example, the article provides guidance for teachers and gives students agency in describing what the music means to them.

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Knowing the pros and cons of the six models of co-teaching can help teachers determine which one is best for a given lesson.

Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo

One Teaching, One Observing: One teacher is directly instructing students while the other observes students for evidence of learning.

One Teaching, One Assisting: One teacher is directly instructing students while the other assists individual students as needed.

Parallel Teaching: The class is divided into two groups and each teacher teaches the same information at the same time.

Station Teaching: Each teacher teaches a specific part of the content to different groups as they rotate between teachers.

Alternative Teaching: One teacher teaches the bulk of the students, and the other teaches a small group based on need.

Team Teaching: Both teachers are directly instructing students at the same time-sometimes called "tag team teaching."

Teachers who are assigned co-teaching roles often have little experience or training in co-teaching. Learning what works and what doesn't often must come with experience. And teachers don't always get to choose who they teach with, which adds an extra layer of challenge because it can leave the individuals' roles in the lesson planning phase and during instruction blurry.

Teaching partners should consider each model's purpose and merit before deciding which to use for a particular lesson or part of a lesson. Considering the benefits of each model should help teachers determine which to use for a given lesson.

6 Models of Co-Teaching: Pros and Cons

One Teaching, One Observing: As a supervisor, I've seen this model implemented both with purpose and without. It takes time to develop a working relationship with another teacher. When the relationship isn't working, this model appears more often, and often without purpose.

When one teacher is directly instructing the students, the other should be observing. The observing teacher is collecting data, which can be useful in determining what instruction takes place next, which students need additional help, and what co-teaching model may be used next to address any identified needs.

Pros: less time collaborating, less interruption, more focused and purposeful data collection.

Cons: loss of one instructor, can be used too often due to a lack of planning or a lack of content knowledge or self-efficacy, can be underutilized for its intended purpose without focused data collection.

One Teaching, One Assisting: This model is often implemented in a one-sided fashion, with one teacher left in the role of assistant. This model can be extremely useful if the teachers swap roles so that both gain comfort in teaching the content and in assisting students one-on-one. Being professional and looking for signs that students are either not on task or are struggling with the content and sharing those signs with the other teacher can mean the difference between a student's success or failure in a lesson.

Pros: less interruption between teachers, more eyes on students to identify those in need.

Cons: loss of one instructor, can be used too often due to a lack of planning or a lack of content knowledge or self-efficacy, can be underutilized for its intended purpose without a focused group of students to assist based on the lesson design.

Parallel Teaching: I've seen parallel teaching work extremely well-it can be a great way to reduce the feel of a larger class. By breaking the students into two groups and teaching the lesson simultaneously, more students can get the close, small-group instruction that research indicates helps struggling learners. More students have the opportunity to ask questions throughout the process than they would in a larger group.

This is also a great model when the content is extremely challenging because it allows each teacher to really differentiate instruction for each student in the smaller group.

Pros: smaller instructional groups, more time for students to fill in instructional gaps, classroom management is easier.

Cons: difficult logistics, takes more time to collaboratively plan, requires that both teachers have content expertise.

Station Teaching: Station teaching is a way for each teacher to own a piece of the content and replicate that piece of the lesson multiple times within the same period with different groups of students. Unlike parallel teaching, teachers using this model can each focus more on a specific part of the lesson as groups rotate through each teacher's station. Additional stations that aren't led by one of the two teachers can foster students' independence and give them time to practice the material.

Pros: capitalizes on each teacher's strengths, smaller instructional groups, refined lesson planning.

Cons: takes more time to plan, requires good timing on the part of both teachers.

Alternative Teaching: I've seen teachers use this model to help a small group of students accelerate their learning, catch up on missed content, or fill in their gaps in understanding. The keys are finding space so that the other students are not disrupted while this small-group instruction is taking place, and ensuring that students in the small group don't miss new information.

Pros: gives students opportunities to close instructional gaps, can help students with chronic absenteeism, focuses resources on a target student population.

Cons: requires dual planning of time and content so that there's no missed instruction.

Team Teaching: A true team-teaching lesson is a thing of beauty. Two teachers whose personalities complement each other offer benefits for all students in the classroom. Getting to this point requires years of experience, collaborative planning, and a positive, professional relationship that is always being refined and improved. Supervisors and principals need to know that this model can be achieved by making the teaching pairs a priority when scheduling the building.

Pros: capitalizes on two teachers' expertise and instructional strategies, gives both teachers the spotlight in front of the entire class.

Cons: often requires experience in working together (although it can be done with a new pair of team-teachers), immense planning, and a healthy relationship in order to work.

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Knowing the pros and cons of the six models of co-teaching can help teachers determine which one is best for a given lesson.

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The Goldman Center of Chicago - Supporting Your Child's Journey from Diagnosis to Therapy

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Illustrated Guide to Section 504 Plans | Goldman Center

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Learn how Section 504 Plans support students with disabilities. This illustrated guide from the Goldman Center explains eligibility, rights, and accommodations.

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Uppervention: Meeting the Needs of Gifted and Talented Students

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Middle school teacher and guest blogger Josh Work coins the term “uppervention” to describe his strategies for keeping gifted and talented students engaged, challenged and inspired to learn and achieve with the rest of their classmates.

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According to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), meeting the needs of diverse learners is a responsibility. Teachers are committed to making sure that all students receive an equal and adequate education. Find research-based and teacher-approved teaching strategies for diverse learners.

How To Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners

1. Make an IEP cheat sheet

Individualized education plans (IEP) are detailed documents. Make an IEP cheat sheet to store reminders about goals and accommodations to better reach and support diverse learners.

2. Encourage active learning

Incorporate active learning strategies to engage all students in learning. Michigan State University's Office of Medical Education Research and Development suggests the following as a way to teach diverse learners in the classroom through active learning:

Group learning

Case-based learning

Group discussions and talk-and-turns

One-minute papers and one-sentence summaries

Demonstrations and memory matrixes

3. Embrace small-group instruction and learning stations

As a fourth-grade teacher, I learned to embrace small-group instruction to meet the needs of my diverse learners. When meeting with my students in a small group, I was able to provide lessons tailored to their needs.

In my class group small-group instruction involved splitting my class of 20 into five mixed-ability groups. Every day during math, I would do a whole-class introductory lesson that served as a lead-in for what we would learn. Then, students would look at the whiteboard and determine where their group was to start on the center rotation. My setup included:

Teacher Table: Daily Lesson (I taught this to each group).

Table 2: Math Facts in a Flash (handheld games/tablets practicing math facts).

Table 3: Review Roundup (worksheets/games that review concepts students already understood).

Table 4: Dice and Card Center

Table 5: Create a Test/Writing Prompt/Journaling (activities vary, but create a test requires students to pull a topic such as addition, subtraction, etc. and then create math problems and an accompanying answer sheet).

Students rotated tables clockwise at my signal (with a timer, of course) until everyone had been to the teacher table. The results were amazing! All students understood the material better.

You should consider including small-group instruction into your weekly routine in some way as it helps address knowledge gaps. Additionally, it promotes collaboration and communication among students, gives more opportunities for feedback, and encourages independent learning. Find additional suggestions and guidelines for effective small-group teaching from the University of New South Wales Sydney.

4. Promote project-based learning

When determining how to meet the needs of diverse learners, consider project-based learning (PBL). Project-based learning is a way of helping students understand what is being taught through hands-on activities. During PBL activities, kids work together to solve real-world problems by coming up with solutions together. The real ingredients of project-based learning activities used in teaching diverse learners are:

The academic content itself (the topic you're teaching)

Real-world scenarios that make the material more relevant

A sense of purpose (end goal)

Opportunities to practice collaboration

21st-century skills

Student-focused activities with ample choice

Opportunities for self-reflection

The following is an example of project-based learning:

A history teacher is looking for a way to help his students better understand the impact that legislature and the Trail of Tears had on Native American communities. Instead of having them read a passage or do a traditional research project, she assigns them to small groups.

Then, she asks them to come up with a better way the government could have continued on with U.S. expansion without negatively affecting the populations that had lived in the U.S. for thousands of years before European settlers arrived.

Because he wanted students to have a choice in their learning, the teacher made the project open-ended. This permitted students to present their plan any way they wanted to. Some suggestions included a skit, papers, or visual presentations.

5. Incorporate ed-tech and adaptive learning tools

Another suggestion for addressing diverse learning needs is to incorporate ed-tech and adaptive learning tools.

6. Provide alternative testing options

The fact that we traditionally test on paper doesn't mean that it's the only acceptable way. Instead, you should differentiate your approach by allowing students to answer orally, through drawings (pictures), and with the use of their notes.

Doing a quick search for "alternative assessments" will bring up tons of creative testing ideas for every type of student. This will allow you to evaluate your students better and improve your own teaching.

This article was adapted from a blog post initially developed by the education technology company Classcraft, which was acquired by HMH in 2023. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of HMH.

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6 Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners | HMH

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Explore 6 creative teaching strategies for diverse learners that are research-based and teacher-approved.

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In any environment that requires attendance, there's a significant risk of disengagement. Remove choice and you breed passivity or, worse, defiance.

Compulsory, free public education is one of America's greatest innovations-perhaps its most egalitarian principle-and it isn't going anywhere. But in schools and classrooms across the country, there's a powerful argument to provide more student choice across every grade level: to shake up inflexible social and academic schedules, reduce one-way learning, and place more responsibility firmly in the hands of students.

To some extent, the system itself-with its bell schedules, prescribed curriculum, and testing regimens-creates the habits that are hard to break. But purpose and motivation go hand-in-hand with volition, and when there's too much emphasis on control and compliance, notes a report by the Education Trust, it puts students in a position where they must "relinquish all power and decision making" and compels teachers to rely on power "to control bodies and minds instead of using their autonomy to invite learning." Within the realm of literacy alone, the research on choice provides a powerful illustration: According to a 2012 study, young kids who completed mandatory reading logs turned into desultory readers compared with students who logged their progress voluntarily. And another study, this time of eighth graders, revealed that when students shifted from assigned reading to choice reading, there was "increased reading volume, a reduction in students failing the state test, and changes in peer relationships, self-regulation, and conceptions of self."

Offering students choices-making it a regular dynamic in the school day-isn't a recipe for chaos. It goes almost without saying: Rules and boundaries are a necessary element in schools and classrooms, essential in many ways for keeping kids and adults safe and productive throughout the school day. But by centering choice, educators signal openness to negotiating the middle ground and offer students scaffolded opportunities to practice decision-making, explore their academic identity, and connect their learning to interests and passions. It can be a relatively small but consequential mindset shift-rather than assigning students partners, for example, you might let them choose whether to work alone or with a partner-that, ultimately, acknowledges and respects their humanity and recognizes the fundamental importance of agency.

"Want to know how to engage students, enthuse them, and bring out their best effort?" asks middle school teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron in MindShift. "Give them a voice in their decisions. In a society that barely listens to each other, listen to your students. In a system that can be a flood of top down, let your classroom be one that allows voices to trickle up."

Here are eight ways to provide children with choices across the grade levels.

Choice in the Early Grades

Give a say via voting: Even at the preschool level, choice can be a powerful motivator. "At my school, we work to give students choices that hold some responsibility within the classroom," writes preschool teacher Oi Ling Hu, who introduces classroom voting early in the school year.

The process starts small-which book to pick for read-aloud, for example-before Hu moves on to bigger topics like which activities to do at the park or which route to take to walk there. The process imbues kids with "a sense of autonomy and responsibility," she says, which serves them well as they advance into upper grade levels. "We have seen that when children feel that they have a voice in how they learn... they do their best to practice self-control and self-regulation as they want to retain their ability to choose."

Prioritize choice time: In spite of competing curricular demands, kindergarten teacher Jessica Arrow follows the research by prioritizing a 30-minute choice time within her literacy block each morning and a 45-minute choice time to wrap up the day. During choice time, students visit thoughtfully designed centers-a math center, a book nook, a sensory table, for example-to play and learn in unstructured ways that are aligned with the curriculum. It's a favorite time of day for her kindergarten students, who get to exercise some degree of choice and independence in a day that's otherwise dominated by "teacher-directed activities and transitions," Arrow writes.

Build ownership with class jobs: When Justine Bruyère reflected on why her second-grade students felt little ownership over their assigned class jobs, she decided to try handing over some responsibility to them. "To foster autonomy, I could relinquish some control of the job chart-my students could identify needs in the classroom and take on roles of responsibility to address those needs," writes Bruyère. With Bruyère's guidance, the class brainstormed a new list of jobs and prioritized them, and then students applied to their favorites and Bruyère made the final matches. The process was hugely popular, garnered buy-in from kids, and gave them a better understanding of what it takes to run the classroom.

Choice in Middle and High School

Consider flexible seating: Middle school English teacher Laura Bradley was already experimenting with flexible seating when her district decided to invest in additional resources like chairs on wheels and wobble stools. Bradley soon discovered that choice was more crucial than new furniture: Some students worked perfectly well standing at bookshelves; others preferred carpet squares, kneeling or sitting at low tables, or folding into nooks created with bookshelves or tables pulled up to a wall.

What's important, she says-again, sounding a note about the balance between autonomy and authority-is to be clear about expectations with respect to how students set up, work, and clean up when they're done. "I can say that the benefits far outweigh any management issues that arise," Bradley writes. "Students respond positively to the freedom and responsibility they are given, and they work hard to keep those privileges."

Cocreate classroom norms: In Bobby Shaddox's seventh-grade social studies class, shared classroom norms-a set of about 10 attributes, like communicative, focused, and serene-is developed by the group at the beginning of the year to guide their behavior and learning.

"By having children themselves create the norms, you are creating a pathway toward belonging for every single child in that class, and they have a role in this learning community that they had a share in building," says Pamela Cantor, MD, founder and senior science adviser of Turnaround for Children, emphasizing the importance of academic identity. It's both a compelling civics lesson and a practice that can have a big impact on classroom management, says Shaddox: "The classes that go really well are the classes when I start off reflecting on the norms and using those norms to articulate how our class will run well."

Make academic choices meaningful: Education researcher and author Robert J. Marzano suggests narrowing academic choice down to focus on three key areas: choice in the tasks that students perform, choice in assessment, and choice in learning goals. "Choice in the classroom has been linked to increases in student effort, task performance, and subsequent learning," Marzano writes in his blog. "However, to reap these benefits, a teacher should create choices that are robust enough for students to feel that their decision has an impact on their learning."

For example, while an oral or written report is often the assigned format, students might instead have the option to use their mobile device to record video or audio reports. Or consider opening up assessment options to include different types of graded products-building models, drawing diagrams, or creating flowcharts-so that all kids, including those who are spatially gifted, have an opportunity to shine.

Upend assigned reading: After years of teaching a set list of novels with study guides, close readings, and a big test at the end, AP literature teacher Brian Sztabnik polled his students to examine what was working and where to improve. The results were eye-opening. "Many had not read a novel cover to cover in their three years of high school.... Many gave up on reading long ago," Sztabnik writes. "Often, when students have no agency over what they read, they stop enjoying it. And this ultimately kills their motivation." After examining the research, Sztabnik upended his approach and gave his students much more reading choice and responsibility. "My students' scores on standardized tests soared," he writes.

For all students, and students of color in particular, regular access to a rich, diverse selection of reading materials is particularly important, says Kimberly Parker, a former high school English teacher and cofounder of #DisruptTexts. "Often, black youth, especially those regarded as in need of remediation, have the least amount of choice in text selection," Parker writes for ASCD. "They are given regimented reading instruction, an abundance of standardized test preparation, and little, if any, time to read works that resonate with them. We know, however, that choice drives reading engagement, and black youth need to be able to choose what they want to read."

Offer recess, even in high school: Unstructured time for play is crucial at all ages. At Montpelier High School in Vermont, there's a daily 15-minute recess period during which everyone is expected to unplug from the school day and engage in a completely different and renewing activity of their choice. Students and faculty come up with the activities-options might include open gym, chess, free art, music jam, or rock climbing, for example-and everyone gets to pick what they'd like to do. "We really make a point to say, 'You have permission and you need to stop what you're doing and do something totally different, something that's mindful, challenging, something that creates community, something that creates generosity,'" says special educator Bill Laidlaw. "It's very powerful."

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The Importance of Student Choice Across All Grade Levels

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When students get to make decisions about their learning, it can be powerfully motivating.

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Behavior modification is focused on bringing about permanent change in a student’s behavior that is observable. The difference in behavior must be what the teacher desires. This involves rein…

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The ultimate goal of education is to mold young people into well-rounded individuals. That often includes making sure that the teaching and learning process flows as smoothly as possible.

In theory, your role as a teacher is to plan and deliver your lessons, and everything will fall into place.

Unfortunately, theory doesn't always apply in the real world. Truth be told, getting children to settle down and behave as expected is often a job and a half.

That's where positive behavioral management strategies shine.

Let's talk about some behavior management strategies you can tap into to enhance student behavior and allow teaching and learning to proceed as planned.

1. Maintain a Routine

Having a set routine is an important behavior management tool that helps to establish guidelines and behavior expectations.

A routine ensures that students know what's coming next, so you'll spend less time giving out instructions-freeing up time to do the real work.

Include the students in establishing a class schedule that works for everyone and give them responsibility for some routine tasks.

Don't leave out the notoriously disruptive students in your schedule-more often, a sense of responsibility can help reduce behavior issues.

When a student starts to slide out of your planned routine, use non-verbal cues like hand gestures to remind students of what they should be doing. Avoid verbal cues to keep the lesson flow uninterrupted.

2. Set Rules Together With Students

Just like a routine, rules help improve student behavior. However, if the classroom teachers set the rules themselves, the class may reject them.

That's why it's important to have an audience with your class to help set the rules.

When children take ownership of the rules, peer pressure works in your favor to enforce them and improve behavior management.

Also, have a guideline for how infractions will be dealt with. These guidelines help remove the feeling of being punished, so students will know what to expect when they're called out about their behavior.

Remember to enforce the guidelines impartially and consistently. If you slack on the enforcement even once, you create a loophole that everyone will want to take advantage of.

It's also important to remember not to discipline the whole class for one student's infractions. For example, disrupting class proceedings to deal with one student. This will likely alienate the whole class, who will feel wrongfully punished.

3. Create Stimulating Lessons

Imagine sitting through a meeting where the facilitator drones on for hours on end. You will probably start fiddling with your keys or just zone out right in the middle of it.

That's exactly how students feel when lessons aren't exciting. Monotonous classes are sure to bring out the worst in your students. To get rid of bad behavior, make your class activities as exciting and stimulating as possible.

Structure your activities to engage and involve your learners throughout the lesson. Strive to allow your students to uncover knowledge with practical activities.

Most importantly, vary your teaching methods, use plenty of aids, and make the work as interactive and fun as you can.

You can draw the attention of younger students by incorporating games and using plenty of actions in your learning time. With older students, try to stay relatable, for example, by referencing modern music or movies.

4. Use Positive Language

Negative language has a way of reinforcing the wrong behavior. Typically, kids like to do what they are told not to do. So, rather than create a vicious cycle of behavior challenges, use positive language.

For example, instead of saying, "Stop throwing those paper airplanes," you can say instead, "Can we all focus and pay attention, please."

Positive language makes the students feel respected, leading to better behavior.

Plus, positive language will encourage the kids to start speaking positively. For example, instead of saying, "This work is too hard for me," they will begin to say, "I can try my best."

It's also important to keep your body language positive. Smile more and frown less often. Model the behavior you want to see in your students. Studies have shown that students learn from the language and behavior that educators display.

Some of the outcomes of positive language approaches include:

A safe learning environment

A sense of responsibility

Self-discipline

Self-motivation

5. Develop a Relationship With Your Students

Get to know your students individually. Take time to find out their interests and dislikes. If your lessons are centered around what the learners like, you will find it easier to keep them engaged.

Also, knowing your students will help you identify some triggers for behavioral problems. For example, if a student suddenly starts lashing out and talking over you in a lesson, they may be going through some personal problems at home or facing issues like bullying at school.

If you know a bit about the child, you may be able to figure out the root of the problem. Instead of punishing the bad behavior, you can talk to the student or point them in the direction of help; for example, get them to see the school counselor.

One way of developing a good relationship with your class is by speaking positively about them to their parents and administrators.

Use notes and calls to update their parents on their positive behavioral changes. Or have the principal or a senior administrator drop in to commend their good behavior. Your students are more likely to feel like you are looking out for them and continue to improve.

6. Adjust Your Scoring Methods

Getting an "F" on an assignment is demoralizing. Typically, students who get poor marks are disruptive in class and deliberately fall short of behavior expectations to deflect from the real issue.

If you are dealing with a similar scenario in your class, use a less standard scoring method for grading classwork.

For example, instead of grading a paper with a specific score, simply put check marks where they got it right and point out areas of improvement. This unconventional grading can help reduce the overwhelming feeling of poor grades.

You may also turn it into a game. Use points to grade papers and give some rewards when a student reaches a specific number of points. Treating scores like a fun game helps motivate students to focus and improve their scores.

Developing a Positive Behavior Management System for Your School

Many years ago, the trusted classroom management approach was authoritarian. Teachers routinely meted out punishment or used stern warnings to keep the class in line. However, this method has been proven to have many shortcomings.

For one, it breeds an atmosphere of fear, hindering kids from making progress in their studies. Secondly, studies have shown negative long-term effects like behavioral problems, low self-esteem, or depression.

That's why turning to positive behavior management techniques is critical. Positive behavior focuses on understanding your students, becoming a role model, and promoting wholesome behavioral development.

Imagine this scenario: a child is hanging from a tree cursing at his grandma, refusing to get into school. The principal's office is bursting at the seams with pupils in trouble for one infraction or the other, and it's not even time for recess yet!
Sounds incredible?
That's what Dr. Michael Perry had to deal with in his first year as principal at Critzer Elementary in Virginia.

But then, Positive Action came to his aid with a curriculum designed to instill positive behavioral change, plus training for educators in using positive behavioral management in the classroom.

The result was a phenomenal decrease in behavioral problems, safe classrooms, and thriving learners.
"Four years later, Critzer is profoundly transformed. The school is fully accredited, meeting and exceeding federal, state, and local standards. It ranks among the highest academic performing schools in its district, and halfway through this year there have only been two suspensions."
If you're facing behavioral problems in your school, turn to Positive Action.

Positive Action offers a full curriculum package, counselor kits, and school climate kits designed to help teachers, students, and school leaders to implement positive behavior management systems.

For a comprehensive turnaround of your school, contact Positive Action today.

Positive Action's programs are tried and tested.

Most importantly, all packages are engaging, easy to use, and set to transform the classroom and school environment to help shape your learners into well-behaved positive thinkers, and well-adjusted individuals.

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6 Behavior Management Strategies for Your Classroom in 2023

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Get ahead of the game with these upcoming trends and strategies for classroom behavior management. Learn to tackle the challenge of social awareness head-on and make your students thrive!

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Teachers are often told to make sure their lessons include a variety of activities to cover all learning styles. But what exactly does that mean?

FAQ: What Are Learning Styles?

Imagine you're teaching a lesson on the presidency of John Adams. You'll be giving a quiz on Friday, and you ask your students how they'll be preparing. Some might say they'll reread the text, then write down the answers to the review questions you've given them. Others might plan to watch a video on John Adams' life, then talk over what they learned with a study partner. Another could plan to take the timeline handout you provided, cut it up into sections, and practice putting those sections in the proper order.

Each of these students is using different ways of learning in an effort to retain and understand the same information. Some like written words, some prefer to hear it and talk about it. Others need to do something with their hands, or see images and diagrams. These are all various learning styles.

What is VARK?

Source: Nnenna Walters

In the mid-1980s, teacher Neil Fleming introduced the VARK model of learning styles. He theorized that students learned in these four general ways, known as styles or modalities:

Visual: Seeing images, diagrams, videos, etc.

Auditory: Hearing lectures and having discussions

Read/Write: Reading the written word and writing things down

Kinesthetic: Movement and hands-on activities

Fleming developed a questionnaire ( try a version of it here) that a student could take to see which learning styles they preferred. The results indicate how their learning preferences spread across the spectrum.

One important detail Fleming noted was that just because you prefer or are good at a certain learning activity, that doesn't mean it's actually the style that helps you learn the most. "It is possible to like something (preference) and not be good at it (skill or ability). Similarly it is possible to be very skilled at using strategies aligned with one of the VARK modalities but not use that for learning," he explained. "As an example, a learner who was very skilled at freehand drawing did not use it for her learning and did not enjoy doing it."

Are learning styles a proven theory?

There's a lot of argument over the validity of learning styles. Some studies claim to have debunked the theory entirely, stating that everyone uses each of the various styles at one time or another. Critics worry that pigeonholing a student as an "auditory learner" or a "visual learner" might cause them to limit the ways they approach new material.

That said, learning styles are accepted and used in most education programs. Fleming himself published an article in 2012 defending his theory, explaining that it has been misunderstood and misused. His intention was never to limit the ways in which individual students were encouraged to learn. Rather, he wanted teachers to better understand all the different ways they could reach their students.

Does a person have just one learning style?

Source: VARK Research

Absolutely not, says Fleming. "Because learners have different preferences between the four modes, it is unlikely that any particular mode will be dominant. That is why multimodality is the most common profile for two-thirds of learners."

In other words, while some people lean strongly toward one learning type (modality), most are more evenly spread across the spectrum. The way they learn best will depend on the material and situation. The key isn't to find a single best way for a student to learn. It's to discover all the ways all students can learn.

How should teachers use learning styles in the classroom?

The biggest takeaway for teachers is that they should design their curriculum with activities that fit all four learning styles. If you're teaching students about earthquakes, plan to provide reading material, watch videos, explore diagrams, and do some hands-on classroom experiments. This array of activities allows all students to find a way of learning that suits them best.

Avoid classifying particular students as one type of learner, even if you note a particular preference. Rather than thinking of "visual learn ers," think of "visual learn ing." Encourage every student to explore material in a variety of ways, finding the methods that help them the most.

If a student is having trouble mastering material one way, offer alternatives. For instance, one student can't seem to memorize their math facts. They spend time doing flash cards with their parents every day at home, but it's just not sticking. Encourage the student to try something different. Maybe they can watch a video that sets the math facts to music. Or they might benefit from playing a matching game with the flash cards, or even hopping along the floor from one card to the next as they practice. Engage different senses in the process until you find one that brings the learning home.

The Four Learning Styles in the Classroom

Take a closer look at what the various learning styles look like in the classroom, and discover activities that support those styles.

Source: TeachThought

When you're learning visually, you're engaging your eyes. These activities involve bright colors, graphic representations of concepts or materials, and lots of visual aids.

What It Looks Like:

Diagrams, charts, graphs, and maps

Videos, photos, and other images

Drawing and doodling

Interesting layouts and formats of written material

Colors and shapes

Classroom Activities

Math: Represent numbers and problems in a variety of ways, including pictures, 10-frames, videos, and diagrams

Language Arts: Add images to support the text, like photos, charts, and maps; encourage students to make drawings representing what they read

Science: Watch videos, look at pictures, analyze charts and diagrams

Social Studies: Explore maps in detail, look at pictures, provide charts and diagrams, watch videos

Source: Argo Prep

Auditory (also called aural) learning is all about sound, both listening and talking. The more students get a chance to hear, say, and discuss the information, the better.

What It Looks Like:

Audiobooks

Videos with sound

Music

Text-to-speech translation

Discussion and debate

Asking and answering questions

Teaching others

Classroom Activities

Math: Sing songs to learn numbers or math facts, talk through problems out loud while solving them, repeat formulas out loud, watch math videos

Language Arts: Read out loud (to self or others), listen to audiobooks, practice spelling words out loud

Science: Watch videos with sound, learn songs about concepts, discuss ideas and experiments

Social Studies: Debate or discuss a topic, read articles out loud, watch videos with sound

Source: Kwik Pass

As the name suggests, this style focuses on the written word. Whether reading or writing, it all comes down to seeing things in words on the page. Some people lump this modality with visual learning, but this style relies much more on written text than images.

What It Looks Like:

Textbooks, articles, and handouts

Video with subtitles turned on

Essays and papers

Speech-to-text translation and transcripts

Making lists, with subheads, bullet points, etc.

Taking detailed notes

Writing answers to questions instead of answering out loud

Classroom Activities

Math: Complete worksheets, write down math facts and formulas, turn numerical problems into word problems

Language Arts: Read independently, write essays or answers to questions, take notes during discussions or lectures

Science: Read texts and articles, watch videos with subtitles turned on, take detailed notes during hands-on experiments and activities, write down concepts in your own words during lectures

Social Studies: Read texts and articles, watch videos with subtitles turned on, write answers to review questions, take detailed notes during lectures, provide transcripts of videos

Source: Open Library

When you tie movement to learning, that's the kinesthetic style. This modality involves lots of hands-on activities and the ability to try things for yourself. Dancing and even exercise can reinforce this type of learning.

What It Looks Like:

Hands-on practice

Educational craft projects

Experiments and demonstrations

Trial and error

Exploring real-life examples of concepts and ideas

Moving while learning

Classroom Activities

Math: Play active math games (see a list here), practice counting while jumping or performing other movements, show how concepts apply in real-life situations, use lots of math manipulatives

Language Arts: Read nonfiction and autobiographies, write letters in the air while spelling the words, perform a skit that summarizes a story, use active reading games (see a list here)

Science: Complete hands-on demonstrations, design and perform experiments, apply the concepts to real life

Social Studies: Visit museums and historic sites, draw timelines, reenact historical events, try the dances and arts of a culture

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What Are Learning Styles, and How Should Teachers Use Them?

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Learn about the 4 main learning styles (visual, auditory, read/write, and kinesthetic) and how to accommodate these styles in the classroom.

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As students with diverse learning styles fill the classroom, many teachers don't always have the time to plan lessons that use differentiated instruction (DI) to suit their distinct aptitudes.
This can involve adjusting:

Content - The media and methods teachers use to impart and instruct skills, ideas and information

Processes - The exercises and practices students perform to better understand content

Products - The materials, such as tests and projects, students complete to demonstrate understanding

To help create lessons that engage and resonate with a diverse classroom, below are 20 differentiated instruction strategies and examples. Available in a condensed and printable list for your desk, you can use 16 in most classes and the last four for math lessons.

Try the ones that best apply to you, depending on factors such as student age.

1. Create Learning Stations

Provide different types of content by setting up learning stations - divided sections of your classroom through which groups of students rotate. You can facilitate this with a flexible seating plan.

Each station should use a unique method of teaching a skill or concept related to your lesson.
For example, students can rotate between stations that involve:

Watching a video

Creating artwork

Reading an article

Completing puzzles

Listening to you teach

To help students process the content after they've been through the stations, you can hold a class discussion or assign questions to answer.

2. Use Task Cards

Like learning stations, task cards allow you to give students a range of content. Answering task cards can also be a small-group activity, adding variety to classes that normally focus on solo or large-group learning.

First, make or identify tasks and questions that you'd typically find on worksheets or in textbooks.

Second, print and laminate cards that each contain a single task or question. Or, use Teachers Pay Teachers to buy pre-made cards.

Finally, set up stations around your classroom and pair students together to rotate through them.

You can individualize instruction by monitoring the pairs, addressing knowledge gaps when needed.

3. Interview Students

Asking questions about learning and studying styles can help you pinpoint the kinds of content that will meet your class's needs.

While running learning stations or a large-group activity, pull each student aside for a few minutes. Ask about:

Their favourite types of lessons

Their favourite in-class activities

Which projects they're most proud of

Which kinds of exercises help them remember key lesson points

Track your results to identify themes and students with uncommon preferences, helping you determine which methods of instruction suit their abilities.

4. Target Different Senses Within Lessons

A lesson should resonate with more students if it targets visual, tactile, auditory and kinesthetic senses, instead of only one.
When applicable, appeal to a range of learning styles by:

Playing videos

Using infographics

Providing audiobooks

Getting students to act out a scene

Incorporating charts and illustrations within texts

Giving both spoken and written directions to tasks

Using relevant physical objects, such as money when teaching math skills

Allotting time for students to create artistic reflections and interpretations of lessons

Not only will these tactics help more students grasp the core concepts of lessons, but make class more engaging.
Prodigy, for example, is a hyper-engaging way to gamify math class in a way that worksheets simply cannot. 👇 Try Prodigy today - it's free, forever!
5. Share Your Own Strengths and Weaknesses

To familiarize students with the idea of differentiated learning, you may find it beneficial to explain that not everyone builds skills and processes information the same way.

Talking about your own strengths and weaknesses is one way of doing this.

Explain -- on a personal level - how you study and review lessons. Share tactics that do and don't work for you, encouraging students to try them.
Not only should this help them understand that people naturally learn differently, but give them insight into improving how they process information.
6. Use the Think-Pair-Share Strategy

The think-pair-share strategy exposes students to three lesson-processing experiences within one activity. It's also easy to monitor and support students as they complete each step.

As the strategy's name implies, start by asking students to individually think about a given topic or answer a specific question.

Next, pair students together to discuss their results and findings.

Finally, have each pair share their ideas with the rest of the class, and open the floor for further discussion.

Because the differentiated instruction strategy allows students to process your lesson content individually, in a small group and in a large group, it caters to your classroom's range of learning and personality types.

7. Make Time for Journaling

A journal can be a tool for students to reflect on the lessons you've taught and activities you've run, helping them process new information.
When possible at the end of class, give students a chance to make a journal entry by:

Summarizing key points they've learned

Attempting to answer or make sense of lingering questions

Explaining how they can use the lessons in real-life scenarios

Illustrating new concepts, which can be especially helpful for data-focused math lessons

As they continue to make entries, they should figure out which ones effectively allow them to process fresh content.

8. Implement Reflection and Goal-Setting Exercises

An extension of journaling, have students reflect on important lessons and set goals for further learning at pre-determined points of the year.

During these points, ask students to write about their favourite topics, as well as the most interesting concepts and information they've learned.
They should also identify skills to improve and topics to explore.
Based on the results, you can target lessons to help meet these goals. For example, if the bulk of students discuss a certain aspect of the science curriculum, you can design more activities around it.

9. Run Literature Circles

Organizing students into literature circles not only encourages students to shape and inform each other's understanding of readings, but helps auditory and participatory learners retain more information.

This also gives you an opportunity to listen to each circle's discussion, asking questions and filling in gaps in understanding.

As a bonus, some students may develop leadership skills by running the discussion.

This activity makes written content - which, at times, may only be accessible to individual learners with strong reading retention -- easier to process for more students.

10. Offer Different Types of Free Study Time

Free study time will generally benefit students who prefer to learn individually, but can be slightly altered to also help their classmates process your lessons.

This can be done by dividing your class into clearly-sectioned solo and team activities.
Consider the following free study exercises to also meet the preferences of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners:

Provide audiobooks, which play material relevant to your lessons

Create a station for challenging group games that teach skills involved in the curriculum

Maintain a designated quiet space for students to take notes and complete work

Allow students to work in groups while taking notes and completing work, away from the quiet space

By running these sorts of activities, free study time will begin to benefit diverse learners - not just students who easily process information through quiet, individual work.

11. Group Students with Similar Learning Styles

Heterogenous grouping is a common practice, but grouping students based on similar learning style can encourage collaboration through common work and thinking practices.

This is not to be confused with grouping students based on similar level of ability or understanding.

In some cases, doing so conflicts with the "Teach Up" principle, which is discussed below.

Rather, this tactic allows like-minded students to support each other's learning while giving you to time to spend with each group. You can then offer the optimal kind of instruction to suit each group's common needs and preferences.

12. Give Different Sets of Reading Comprehension Activities

Instead of focusing on written products, consider evaluating reading comprehension through questions and activities that test different aptitudes.

Although written answers may still appeal to many students, others may thrive and best challenge themselves during artistic or kinesthetic tasks.
For example, allow students to choose between some of the following activities before, during and after an important reading:

Participating in more literature circles

Delivering a presentation

Writing a traditional report

Creating visual art to illustrate key events

Creating and performing a monologue as a main character or figure

Offering structured options can help students demonstrate their understanding of content as effectively as possible, giving you more insight into their abilities.

13. Assign Open-Ended Projects

Similar to evaluating reading comprehension, give students a list of projects to find one that lets them effectively demonstrate their knowledge.

Include a clear rubric for each type of project, which clearly defines expectations. Doing so will keep it challenging and help students meet specific criteria.
By both enticing and challenging students, this approach encourages them to:

Work and learn at their own paces

Engage actively with content they must understand

Demonstrate their knowledge as effectively as possible

As well as benefiting students, this differentiated instruction strategy will clearly showcase distinct work and learning styles.

14. Encourage Students to Propose Ideas for Their Projects

As well as offering set options, encourage students to take their projects from concept to completion by pitching you ideas.

A student must show how the product will meet academic standards, and be open to your revisions. If the pitch doesn't meet your standards, tell the student to refine the idea until it does. If it doesn't by a predetermined date, assign one of your set options.

You may be pleasantly surprised by some pitches.

After all, students themselves are the focus of differentiated instruction - they likely have somewhat of a grasp on their learning styles and abilities.

15. Analyze Your Differentiated Instruction Strategy on a Regular Basis

Even if you're confident in your overall approach, Carol Ann Tomlinson - one of the most reputable topic thought-leaders - recommends analyzing your differentiated instruction strategies:
Frequently reflect on the match between your classroom and the philosophy of teaching and learning you want to practice. Look for matches and mismatches, and use both to guide you. Analyze your strategy by reflecting on:

Content - Are you using diverse materials and teaching methods in class?

Processes - Are you providing solo, small-group and large-group activities that best allow different learners to absorb your content?

Products - Are you letting and helping students demonstrate their understanding of content in a variety of ways on tests, projects and assignments?

In doing so, you'll refine your approach to appropriately accommodate the multiple intelligences of students.

16. "Teach Up"

Teaching at a level that's too easily accessible to each student can harm your differentiated instruction efforts, according to Tomlinson.

Instead, she recommends "teaching up." This eliminates the pitfall of being stuck on low-level ideas, seldom reaching advanced concepts:

We do much better if we start with what we consider to be high-end curriculum and expectations -- and then differentiate to provide scaffolding, to lift the kids up. The usual tendency is to start with what we perceive to be grade-level material and then dumb it down for some and raise it up for others. But we don't usually raise it up very much from that starting point, and dumbing down just sets lower expectations for some kids.
Keeping this concept in mind should focus your differentiated teaching strategy, helping you bring each student up to "high-end curriculum and expectations."
Differentiated Math Instruction Strategies and Examples

17. Use Math EdTech that Adjusts Itself to Each Student

Some EdTech tools - such as certain educational math video games - can deliver differentiated content, while providing unique ways to process it.
For example, Prodigy adjusts questions to tackle student trouble spots and offers math problems that use words, charts and pictures, as well as numbers.
To the benefit of teachers, the game is free and curriculum-aligned for grades 1 to 8. You can adjust the focus of questions to supplement lessons and homework, running reports to examine each student's progress.
Join over 90 million students and teachers benefitting from Prodigy's differentiating power today. 👇 Try Prodigy today - it's free, forever!
18. Relate Math to Personal Interests and Everyday Examples

Clearly linking math to personal interests and real-world examples can help some learners understand key concepts.

Working with 41 grade 7 students throughout an academic year, a 2015 study published by the Canadian Center of Science and Education used contextual learning strategies to teach integers and increase test scores by more than 44%.

Striving for similar benefits may be ambitious, but you can start by surveying students. Ask about their interests and how they use math outside of school.

Using your findings, you should find that contextualization helps some students grasp new or unfamiliar math concepts.

There are many math-related games and activities to find inspiration to implement this tactic.

19. Play a Math-Focused Version of Tic-Tac-Toe

Help students practice different math skills by playing a game that's a take on tic-tac-toe.

Prepare by dividing a sheet into squares - three vertical by three horizontal. Don't leave them blank. Instead, fill the boxes with questions that test different abilities.
For example:

"Complete question X in page Y of your textbook"

"Draw a picture to show how to add fraction X and fraction Y"

"Describe a real-life situation in which you would use cross-multiplication, providing an example and solution"

You can hand out sheets to students for solo practice, or divide them into pairs and encourage friendly competition. The first one to link three Xs or Os - by correctly completing questions - wins.

So, depending on your preferences, this game will challenge diverse learners through either individual or small-group practice.

20. Create Learning Stations, without Mandatory Rotations

Provide differentiated math learning opportunities for your students by setting up unique learning stations across your classrooms, but forgoing mandatory rotations.

The idea comes from a grade 9 teacher in Ontario, who recommends creating three stations to solve similar mathematical problems using either:

Data - Provide spreadsheets, requiring students to manipulate data through trial and error

People - Group students into pairs or triads to tackle a range of problems together, supporting each other's learning

Things - Offer a hands-on option by giving each student objects to use when solving questions

Only allow students to switch stations if they feel the need. If they do, consult them about their decision. In each case, you and the student will likely learn more about his or her learning style.

Supplemented by your circulation between stations to address gaps in prior knowledge, this activity exposes students to exercises that appeal to diverse abilities.

Downloadable List of Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples

Click here to download and print a simplified list of the 20 differentiated instruction strategies and examples to keep at your desk.

Differentiated Instruction Strategies Infographic
Here's an infographic with 16 ideas from this article, provided by Educational Technology and Mobile Learning - an online resource for teaching tools and ideas.
Wrapping Up

With help from the downloadable list, use these differentiated instruction strategies and examples to suit the diverse needs and learning styles of your students.

As well as adding variety to your content, these methods will help students process your lessons and demonstrate their understanding of them.

The strategies should prove to be increasingly useful as you identify the distinct learning styles in - and learn to manage - your classroom.

Differentiated instruction strategies overlap in important ways with a number of other pedagogical approaches. Consider reviewing these supplementary strategies to find more ideas, combine different elements of each strategy, and enrich your pedagogical toolkit!

Active learning strategies put your students at the center of the learning process, enriching the classroom experience and boosting engagement.

As opposed to traditional learning activities, experiential learning activities build knowledge and skills through direct experience.

Project-based learning uses an open-ended approach in which students work alone or collectively to produce an engaging, intricate curriculum-related questions or challenges.

Inquiry-based learning is subdivided into four categories, all of which promote the importance of your students' development of questions, ideas and analyses.

Adaptive learning focuses on changing - or "adapting" - learning content for students on an individual basis, particularly with the help of technology.

👉 Create or log into your teacher account on Prodigy - a free game-based learning platform that delivers differentiated instruction, automatically adjusting questions to accommodate player trouble spots and learning speeds. Aligned with curricula across the English-speaking world, it's loved by more than 90 million students and teachers.
Create your account - it's free, forever!

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20 Differentiated Instruction Strategies and Examples [+ Downloadable List]

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As students with diverse learning styles fill the classroom, many teachers don't always have the time to plan lessons that use differentiated instruction (DI) to suit their distinct aptitudes.

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Parents and students can benefit from understanding IEP terms like modification, accommodation and differentiation. Parent and teacher, Aaron Blackwelder helps break terms down into understandable bits.

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10 Most Effective Teaching Strategies for Diverse Learners (2025) 🎓

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Video: Effective Teaching Strategies: Implementing Differentiated Instruction for Diverse Learners. Imagine walking into a classroom buzzing with energy—students from all walks of life…

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Differentiation Overview and Activities: Cubing, R.A.F.T, and Tic Tac Toes

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Differentiation Overview and Activities: Cubing, R.A.F.T, and Tic Tac Toes

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DIFFERENTIATION EXAMPLE_1_Composer Tic Tac Toe

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A project from MUS 3310/3320, FA 2024: "Building Musical Bridges: Context Matters in Rural and Urban Music Education" Objective: Outline a music program or activity tailored to a rural or urban New Jersey community, considering key demographic and cultural factors - to inform music lesson planning."

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A great article with a section detailing a classroom cultural immersion experience!

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CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE TEACHING_READING_Walking a Mile in Their Shoes

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One of the biggest topics that educators are thinking about this year is the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL). Building relationships with students is a key aspect of SEL for students of all ages.

The good news is that there are a lot of ideas educators can try now and throughout the year. You might think of it as "going slow to go fast" - a process that not only builds confidence and community but increases engagement and supports students' later academic success.

What's in this article

We have compiled some of these ideas and resources for building relationships with English language learners (ELLs) and their classmates below in the following strategies:

Before getting started

As you read, keep in mind that many of the following activities can be differentiated for varying language proficiency levels. These strategies offer opportunities for:

And we encourage you to keep in mind Kristina Robertson's popular piece of advice: try just one new thing at a time!

Note: This article was originally written for online and hybrid settings. For tips on using these strategies in distance learning, see our recommendations at the end of the article.

Essential Question

As you read this article, consider the following essential question:
In what ways can I build strong relationships with multilingual students this year?
Strategies: Getting to Know Students

Share your stories!

If you try any ideas from this article, we'd love to hear how it went! Post your story on social media here:

Show respect for your students by taking time to learn how to pronounce and spell their names correctly. Ensure that students' names are written correctly in student databases, especially as schools move to more online systems. A misspelled name can impact the services and instruction a student receives.

When you ask students to say their name, listen carefully and repeat it until you get it right.

Ask students to record their names for you so that you can hear their pronunciation. (You can ask them to send you a voice recording or use an online platform like NameCoach.) Share recordings with colleagues who work with the students so that they also pronounce the students' names correctly.

Model the correct pronunciation of students' names to the class so that all students can say it correctly.

Use students' names when greeting them each day.

Consider asking students to share examples of how people mispronounce their name and how that makes them feel.

Learn more about different naming conventions in your students' cultures and languages.

Refrain from coming up with a nickname or a version of the name that's easier for you to say.

Project ideas:

Assign a multimedia or written project in which students share:

If your students are using technology, this is a good way to introduce online platforms they will be using this year.

You might also read aloud books from our booklists on names for children and young adults. After listening, students can record, write, or draw stories about their own names.

Using tech: SeeSaw can be used with primary grades. SeeSaw has related activities already prepared in their "Activity Bank," such as " Your Name is Everything You Are."

For older students, consider using:

What are your students' experiences, interests, hobbies, talents, goals, and strengths? Tapping into these " funds of knowledge" can:

foster relationships, friendships, and student confidence

make students' strengths more visible to peers and educators

engage students across the curriculum.

For example, the children of migrant farmworkers might have a wealth of knowledge about agriculture, seasonal harvest, and different regions of the country. (You can learn more about " funds of knowledge" from this helpful guide.)

Bring these topics into the class by:

giving students a chance to share their interests or strengths in surveys, peer interviews, writing prompts, and art projects

encouraging students to express themselves by decorating a virtual locker or bringing in something they can hang on the wall of the classroom

talking with family members about their child's interests and talents

talking with members of the students' communities about their insights

providing time for students to discuss current events of interest

learning more about culturally responsive practice (and what it looks like during a pandemic).

Note: See some great strategies from Judie Haynes and Carol Salva that incorporate these ideas into activities to start this coming new school year.

Project ideas:

Ask students to share a photo or drawing of themselves that is important to them and to explain why. (You can learn more about this strategy that ELD Team Lead Cindy Close in Douglas County, CO shared with us from Education Week.)

For a more in-depth assignment, ask students to create a project focused on one of their hobbies, interests, or talents that they can share with the class. Some examples might include a collage, a short presentation, poem, or a short video.

Using tech: The platforms mentioned under strategy one will work well for these ideas. You might also consider:

a digital photo album site, such as Google photos

a digital collage site, like PicCollage

a photo finding mission app, like Plum's Photo Hunt

Flipgrid, where students can post their digital picture while they talk about why that picture or object is important to them.

You can welcome students' languages by learning a few words or phrases, such as a greeting or how to say "thank you," or asking them to teach you and their peers some words. They will appreciate the gesture and enjoy being the teacher (and the expert) for a change!

This not only highlights the language skills that your student has, it celebrates the gift of multilingualism and gives other student a chance to think about what it is like to go through the day learning in a different language. (Learn more in our section on what it feels like to be a language learner.)

You might also look for places where you can display flags from students' countries or other photos that are meaningful for students.

Project ideas:

Create a classroom bulletin board, either online or on the wall, where students and families can add homemade signs to a world map with important words such as "hello," "friend," and "thank you." (Thank you to Amanda Goman for sharing this idea on Twitter!)

Tech ideas: Look for ways to create and decorate a shared virtual space or virtual bulletin boards with tools such as Padlet, Corkulous, or Bitmoji. (Note that some of Bitmoji's avatars are not appropriate for students, especially of younger ages.) Various Google Classroom tools include places to save images as well.

Provide opportunities for students to share important traditions throughout the year. You may wish to ask students early in the year what their favorite holidays are and then plan a lesson on that holiday with their family. Look for these opportunities throughout the year and across the curriculum, as well as including them as a part of family outreach events.

Project ideas:

Invite students and families to prepare a presentation or respond to a writing prompt about:

a family story, folktale, or local legend

a favorite saying, poem, or song from their native language

a recipe

a family or holiday tradition.

Tech ideas: Any of the creation tools mentioned above could be used for these projects.

The demands on teachers of ELLs this year will be many; however, making time for regular personal interaction with students will strengthen your ability to deliver effective, meaningful instruction and keep in touch with them during a fluid situation. To help carve out this time:

talk with colleagues and administrators about ways to fit that interaction into instruction, office hours, or family engagement

look for opportunities to co-teach or collaborate with colleagues or paraprofessionals to use time efficiently

consider using phone calls, blogs, messaging, or other forms of written communication with students as a way to check in

collect examples of success and share them with administrators to advocate for more time if needed.

Project ideas:

Ask students to prepare 3-5 (appropriate!) questions they would like to ask you in an interview, such as your favorite food, a favorite toy from childhood, or a book you enjoyed reading. After reviewing and approving their questions, schedule time for them to interview you, in person or online, which they can share with the class through a written summary, video, or presentation. If time allows, you may wish to interview them as well!

Tech ideas: Brainstorming questions would work well in small groups on Jamboard, a digital whiteboard that is a Google extension. Interviews could be done orally asynchronously via Flipgrid or Voxer, a voice messaging app for phone or desktop. Final video could be posted on any of the creation apps listed above (Seesaw, Nearpod, Peardeck, Buncee, etc.)

Strategies: Connecting Experiences to Learning

Once you get a better sense of your students' life experiences, you can connect them to learning by:

looking for ways to connect these interests to the curriculum

asking students to brainstorm ideas on what they would like to study

using an inquiry-based or project-based learning approach that allows students to take the lead in identifying a question or problem to solve/research

assigning students research projects that focus on issues or concepts that apply to their own community

identifying community assets, guest speakers, or local organizations that can support this learning

offering students opportunities to present their work in public, whether to classmates, parents, or community members.

Project ideas:

Consider taking on a classwide project (or group projects) that students help plan and design to address a topic or concern of interest.

Tech ideas: Use Jamboard to brainstorm questions students want to answer in their project or inquiry. Once the questions are posted on Jamboard, they can sort and categorize the questions. Jamboard allows students to post a sticky note and see what others are posting in real time. This can be used in break out groups and/or asynchronously.

Sharing personal stories can be powerful experiences for students and their classmates as well. Provide opportunities for students to share their stories both privately and publicly, whether through artwork, in writing, or in conversation. If a student shares some difficult experiences, consider whether more support is needed through follow-up conversations with families or counseling.
Notes of caution
If you do invite students to share personal stories:

Attend to student cues on whether they wish to share their personal experiences with classmates: Many students have endured traumatic experiences that they may not wish to share. Explain at the beginning of any storytelling activity that it is voluntary and provide alternative assignments as needed. Some students may be willing to share their experiences with their peers or in a more public format such as school assemblies, the school newspaper, or self-published books.

Be aware of the "dangers of a single story": Be mindful of what Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie calls "the danger of a single story" in her 2009 TED talk; in other words, when learning about a student's life story, remember that your own experiences and assumptions, as well as the stories of other individuals, may not reflect your student's life. In addition, students who have the same racial background, speak the same language, or who hail from the same country may not have much in common, and in fact may experience some tension if they come from different groups with histories of conflict.

Don't single students out because of their identity: Never put students on the spot as a "representative" of their race, gender, ethnic group, gender identity, country of origin, experience, or other aspect of their identity. Honor students' experiences and perspectives for what they are, especially if those experiences and perspectives challenge your assumptions.

Project ideas:

Work with students to present a brief personal story they want to share in writing, artwork, video, or audio. This small project may grow into a larger, longer project, such as an autobiography project or yearbook project (which could work well online!).
Tech ideas:

Storybird is an easy to use digital storytelling platform that allows students to create stories with characters and elements provided by dragging, dropping, and writing in your story.

Make Beliefs Comics is a comic strip storytelling platform.

Book Creator is an iPad app that can be used with young students.

There is a lot of attention on social-emotional learning right now for good reason. All students have experienced disruption to some level in their social and academic lives, and many students have also experienced hardship, loss, illness, trauma, and deep levels of stress and anxiety. As district leader Nathaniel Provencio notes in the video below, creating a supportive, nurturing environment for your students, regardless of setting, is a critical step in helping them navigate the uncertainty of the coming year.

Some ideas include:

keeping a calm and predictable environment

creating calm corners

preparing students for transitions

giving students sensory and stretch breaks

teaching tools for mindfulness and stress relief, such as breathing exercises or visualizations

sharing resources such as this "virtual calming room"

encouraging students to show kindness, develop empathy, and share appreciation for each other

encouraging your students to identify and focus on their strengths and resilience, as discussed above

In addition, keep an eye out for situations in which students may need additional support from counselors. Learn more about the impacts of COVID-19 on immigrant families and these trauma-informed school strategies during COVID-19 from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network.

Project ideas:

Ask students to share an experience through writing or discussion about a time that they overcame a difficulty or reached a goal. Ask them to reflect on what made that achievement possible.

Tech ideas: Use one of the storytelling platforms above so that students can share this experience as a story or their own superhero comic.

Many educators use circle time as a chance to check in and learn more about how students are doing. We have also heard from middle and high school educators that advisory periods offer powerful opportunities to connect with students. One ELL educator shared that her colleagues at the high school level were reluctant take on advisory periods. However, in a survey at the end of the year, the overwhelming majority favored keeping the advisory periods as a way of getting to know students better throughout the year.

In addition, other educators use private mailboxes, student mood charts, journal entries, and other personal ways for students to let teachers know how they are doing.

As you work with ELLs, make sure that all students have opportunities to participate in these activities and scaffold their participating with strategies such as offering sentence frames for discussion to help scaffold students' participation.

Project ideas:

Think about different topics and questions to use during circle time or advisory, perhaps alternating between general updates and focused activities. You also wish to invite students to come up with topics and themes.

Another teacher, Jorge Bermudez, shares his alternative high school's experience with rethinking their advisory periods in the video below.

Offering students opportunities to reflect about own identity can help create an " identity-safe classroom " and also lay important groundwork for later discussions. It can also challenge the notion of "color blindness," a perspective which ignores important aspects of students' identity and experiences. When discussing identity:

Honor students' experiences and perspectives for what they are.

Avoid assumptions. Dr. Ayanna Cooper speaks more about this in her interview clips below about Black immigrant students.

Never put students on the spot as a "representative" of any aspect of their identity or experience.

Become familiar with some of the myths related to ELLs and immigrant students. If needed, share these with colleagues.

Keep in mind that students may be masking some part of their identity. For example, some Indigenous students from Latin America may not share their Indigenous culture or language with the school, or the fact that Spanish is not their first language.

Project ideas:

Look for ideas that fit your classroom in the following collection of resources:
Elementary School Middle and High School Professional development and collaboration
Closing Thoughts

There will be a lot of trial and error in the coming year. As Kristina Roberston says below, if something doesn't work, go back to the drawing board and try again! Don't let those bumps discourage you from continuing to build the critical connections that you, your students, and your families need this year. They may just be what helps everyone get through a school year like no other!

Discussion/Reflection Questions

What is one takeaway that resonates with you from this article?

What is one activity you might try?

What strategies have you used in the past to build strong relationships with students? How might you adapt them this year?

What will be hardest about building relationships this year with students and families?

What are you feeling nervous about year?

What are you looking forward to this year?

More Recommended Resources

Social-emotional resources

Interactive strategies for building relationships & distance learning

Recommended blogs

Getting to know your ELLs and their families

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Kristina Robertson, Becky Corr, Susan Lafond, Areli Schermerhorn, and Beth Skelton for their contributions to this article.

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10 Strategies for Building Relationships with ELLs

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One of the biggest topics that educators are thinking about this year is the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL). Building relationships with students is a key aspect of SEL for students of all ages. The good news is that there are a lot of ideas educators can try now and throughout the year.

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8 Myths About Gifted Students Debunked | Davidson Institute

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Discover the truth behind common myths about gifted students and learn how to support their unique needs so they can thrive academically and personally.

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Using Choice Boards to Boost Student Engagement

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Giving students options for how they demonstrate their learning is a good way to ignite their curiosity.

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The Flow of Instruction in a Differentialed fClassroom

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How English Language Learners Learns-Successful Strategies & Techniques of Brain-Based Learning.  Kean Presentation (1) (2)

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Sample 504 Accommodations & Modifications

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Sample 504 Accommodations & Modifications

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Examples of Accommodations & Modifications for numerous diagnosis

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One of my favorite strategies for middle school and high school teachers or teachers of struggling elementary students.

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In this Intervention Brief, we explore 2x10 Relationship Building, an intervention that empowers educators to build authentic relationships with students and increase their sense of belonging. You can find the 2x10 Relationship Building strategy in the intervention library of Student Success, Panorama's MTSS intervention management platform for school districts.
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Quick Summary
Intervention Name: 2x10 Relationship Building (or Two-by-Ten Relationship Building)

Tier(s): 2

Grade Levels: K-12

Description: Support students by spending two minutes per day (for 10 consecutive school days in a row) connecting with a student individually and offering extra social-emotional support.

[Free Download] 15 SEL Intervention Ideas for School and District Teams

2x10 Relationship Building Intervention Overview

2x10 Relationship Building-originally coined the "two-minute intervention" by researcher Raymond Wlodkowski and popularized in Allen Mendler's Connecting with Students-is a Tier 2 intervention that helps build teacher-student relationships, reinforce positive behaviors, and convey genuine support to an individual who might be typecast as a "challenging student."

At its core, the 2x10 strategy is about consistently building relationships with students. Educators (or school leaders) select a particular student and set a goal to engage in a 2-minute conversation with that student for 10 consecutive school days. These conversations might happen at the beginning or end of a class period.

Research shows that implementing the 2x10 intervention can lead to significant improvements in individual student behavior and the broader classroom climate.

Not only can the 2x10 strategy create a positive connection between an adult and an individual student, but adults can also use it to model core SEL competencies such as social awareness, self-awareness, and relationship skills through empathy and active listening.

Who Does the 2x10 Strategy Work For?
The 2x10 Relationship Building intervention works best for students who are having a hard time maintaining positive relationships in the classroom, exhibiting disruptive behaviors, or are in need of extra emotional support. It provides students with a safe outlet to communicate their feelings, emotions, and needs to a trusted adult. This targeted intervention can be used as a behavior support for individual students in elementary school, middle school, or high school.

Consider the following criteria when identifying students who will benefit from the 2x10 strategy:

Students who respond positively to adult attention and connection

Students who are struggling to connect with peers (or adults) in the school community

Student who struggle with emotion regulation, social awareness, and disruptive behavior

How to Implement the 2x10 Strategy

1. Choose one student whom you would like to strengthen your relationship with.

2. Select when you are going to approach the student (e.g., at the beginning of a class period).

3. Find the student and start a conversation with them. To build a productive relationship with a student, adults will likely have to initiate the connection.

4. The focus of these conversations should be:

Brevity.These conversations should last two minutes or under.

Student Voice.Invite them to share something non-academic with you about their day or life. Here are some great get-to-know-you question prompts.

Honesty.Model transparency and authenticity by sharing something personal/non-academic with the student.

If you use Panorama: You can select the "2x10 relationship building" strategy when creating an intervention plan for a student. Monitor the student's progress over time by logging notes. Everything will be saved to the student's profile and visible to other educators with access to Panorama.

Example of a student intervention plan in Panorama (mock data pictured)

"After implementing 2x10 relationship building in response to Panorama survey data, we had an increase of over 6 percent of students who felt a favorable sense of belonging and connection to adults. That's about 75 to 80 kids. Those students also improved their attendance, academics, overall sense of well-being, and SEL strengths."
-Luke Rasmussen, Executive Director of Secondary Education (Read the full story)

Tips for Effective 2x10 Strategy Implementation

Keep the content of the conversation focused on the student's personal interests, not their schoolwork or behavior. Use an interest inventory to ask questions, or use context clues (e.g., what the student is wearing or likes to talk about in class) to help drive the conversations. Find out what their favorite food is or what their hobbies are. The goal is to get to know the child outside of school in an authentic manner.

Consistency is key. Even if the conversations are shorter than ten minutes, they can be beneficial if they occur every school day. Holding a 30-second conversation for 10 days in a row with a student conveys more care than having just one 30-minute conversation.

Ask open-ended questions, and don't be afraid to probe if students start to open up.

Be a persistent, positive role model.

Keep the momentum going after the 10 days and continue to engage the student on a regular basis.

Additional Resources on the 2x10 Strategy and Other Behavior Interventions

Download this packet of 15 evidence-based SEL interventions [includes instructions and templates for use].

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2x10 Relationship Building: How to Do It (and Why It Works!)

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The 2x10 Relationship Building strategy is a Tier 2 behavioral intervention that empowers educators to ritualize a classroom management technique to create a personal connection with students

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Beyond the Gradebook Getting to Know your students

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Worksheet for Student Profile Reflection

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Worksheet for Student Profile Reflection