Question:

I teach a Behavioral Adjustment Unit for grades K-5. I am very good at adjusting behaviors using a strictly behaviorist classroom management system. For years I have known in my soul that the system is just baby sitting or keeping the students at bay while they are in school. Within the system I am unable to truly reach and change the person beneath the behaviors, no matter how loving and kind I am. I just read Punished By Rewards by Kohn, and attended a TRIBES training. My mind is in a knot! Everyone at work thinks I'm great because I quiet the fighting lion but I know the lion is only being feed with treats and will one day grow up. I want to change how I do things but am scared that If I do things will go crazy in my classroom. I think to myself just start implementing a little at a time. But where do I start? If I do the "agreements" of TRIBES what do I do with the rules and level system of the behavorlist system?

Mary Simmons

Answer:

O Mary, I so relate to your dilemma!! I interpret what you are saying as: how can I move my students from external to internal control? As you no doubt know, students need to acquire new skills in order to develop more adaptive behaviors. Here are some ideas:

1. Teach self management systems:
   
   1. http://www.lehigh.edu/projectreach/teachers/self-managemnt/self-manage_open.htm This website is a succinct overview and provides some examples.
   2. http://www.pb5th.com/selfmoni.shtml This website shows how to implement self-management strategies for the whole class.
   3. Schedules are a form of self-management. Use class and individual schedules. http://www.setbc.org/projects/vss/default.html this web site can get you started; there are numerous others, especially sites of resources for children with autism.
      
2. Increase the students’ ability to observe themselves:
• http://www.gcbf.org/moodcharts.html This website provides visuals to help children recognize how they are feeling.
• Individualized rating scales
  
3. Directly address accepting responsibility:
   This website has some nice ways to teach the concept of personal responsibility:
   
   http://www.washtimes.com/education/charactered/pdf/Responsibility%201.pdf
   
4. Look for ways to share responsibility. For example:
• If your class uses contracts with points, have them decide how many points they deserve and discuss with them how they arrived at this number. Use this discussion to show them your thinking.
• Increase the number of choices they get to make in their assignments. Allow them choice in areas that you are willing to negotiate. For example, do you want to do math in the morning or after lunch? Do you want to do the even problems or the odd problems? Do you want to use pencil or marker?
• Have students take over some of the housekeeping chores: calling students to line up, taking attendance, collecting homework.
  
5. Look for ways to build community:
   Foster group identity (“all of us in Room 6 like the color blue…prefer chicken fingers to pizza…can walk down the halls like we are invisible…”).

Foster interdependence. For instance, make class rewards dependent upon group cooperation. For example, play the Golden Nuggets Rule Game:

• Spray paint a bunch of small rocks gold.
• Hand one to a student.
• Ask what rule she was following.
• A right answer gets it in the jar.
• A filled jar gets a class treat.
  (Styrofoam “popcorn” in a movie theater popcorn bag is another variation.)

The research indicates that neither the authoritarian nor the permissive teacher is as effective as the authoritative. It sounds like you have needed to be the authoritarian and now want to move into more authoritative, but curb your impulse to become too permissive. You will also want to move slowly. I love Tribes and you may have to introduce it with firmer boundaries than suggested.

Finally, there are some children in ED programs (children with conduct disorders or oppositional defiant disorder) who are not able to internalize rules and norms. These children will always require external supports, firm management systems, clear consequences, and rich reinforcement to be maintained in school. If you have students like these, adjust your expectations and continue to provide the level of professionalism you obviously do.

Best of luck and thanks for writing.

Dru