Question:

Dear Lonely Maytag Behavioral Specialist,

Are there behavioral curriculums you prefer better than others? I'd like to research some of the more useful programs without wasting my time. Thanks, Special Day Class teacher (middle school).

Answer:

Dear SDCT(MS),

First of all, THANKS FOR WRITING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel less alone.

While I'm not sure quite what "behavior curriculum" means, here are a few ideas:

• The ideal, of course, is a school-wide plan. In order to reduce aggressive behavior while increasing pro-social behaviors, one Eugene, Oregon middle school chose Second-Step (Committee for Children, (1990). Second Step: A violence prevention curriculum. Seattle, WA: Author (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 365 742). An article which describes the process of implementing this program, as well as 10 components of a school-wide behavioral program, by Mehas, K., Boling, K., Sobieniak, S., Sprague, J., Burke, M.D., & Hagan, S. (1998), is Finding a Safe Haven in Middle School Teaching Exceptional Children Mar/Apr 20 -23.

I don't personally know this program, but any program which has these components:

• a pro-active, positive and preventative approach
• teaches empathy, impulse control, and problem solving strategies
• uses role-play and discussion
• involves students in implementing
  
  

and is applied in a planned and CONSISTENT manner stands an excellent chance of being effective.

Another success story, at an inner-city elementary school, can be found at http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/khor9911.htm in the article Rules and Rituals: Tools for Creating a Respectful, Caring Learning Community by P. Horsch, JQ Che, and D. Nelson. The source is Charney, R., Clayton, M., & Wood, C. The Responsive Classroom: Guidelines (Pittsfield, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, 1997).

• I've never been in a classroom where instruction in prosocial behavior takes place that does not also feature a positive environment. Community-building curriculum include Tribes Learning Communities http://tribes.com and Gibbs, J. (1995) Tribes, A New Way of Learning and Being Together). I used Tribes processes with general education middle schoolers and they (and I) loved it.

I also had daily class meetings with my special day class of middle school students with severe emotional disturbances (note redundancy). To learn how to structure class meetings, as well as find many practical and helpful ideas, see Nelsen, J., Lott, L., & Glenn, S. (2000) Positive Discipline in the Classroom Roseville, CA: Prima Publishing, or http://www.primapublishing.com/books/book/4112 (Category: the Positive Discipline Series).

Other curricula for teaching pro-social skills, which I have read but not used, are the old chestnuts:

• Goldstein, A.P., Sprafkin, R.P., Gershaw, N.J. & Klein, P. (1980) Skillstreaming the Adolescent: A Structured Learning Approach to Teaching Prosocial Skills Champaign, IL: Research Press.
  
  
• Walker, H.M., Todis, B., Holmes, D., & Horton, G. (1988). The ACCESS Program: Adolescent Curriculum for Communication and Effective Social Skills. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.
  

• Maybe what you are asking for are good basic strategies for classroom management. Aside from the superlative (and FREE) workshop presented by my colleague, Rebecca Steinberger, and myself, there are many helpful websites. The Really Big and Really Best Lists of Classroom Management Resources are located at: http://drwilliampmartin.tripod.com/reallybest.htm http://drwilliampmartin.tripod.com/classm.html Frequent readers to this page know my all time favorite compendium, Dr. Mac's page: http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/715HomePage.html
  
  
• Finally, my legions of readers also know, but never tire of hearing, that the best of all management is self-management. And the best way of teaching self-management is to the entire class. I can never recommend this page by Fred Roemer on whole-class self management too often: http://www.pb5th.com/selfmoni.shtml
  

If you are reading this page, and have not sent in a question, notice what warm and caring attention you are depriving yourself of. Write to the Lonely Maytag Behavior Specialist. One friend is nice; more is better. Happy Holidays, and make writing to me your New Year's Resolution. It's so much easier than the one you had in mind!