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Underlying reasons for behavior
IMPORTANT Before we discuss working with students who have POINTS behavior problems, it is important to consider why
Students with disabilities these problems may exist
Classroom Management can be disciplined for Behavior a8 communication. It may seem on violating the schoot
some days that students are intentionally trying to code just like typically
and Student Behavior developing students cause problems. They may indeed be using behav-
however, different
ior as communication- -attempting to tell you that rules apply relating
an assigned task is difficult, that they do not under- to the suspension and
expulsion of students with
stand, that they are bored, that they feel uncom- disabilities
fortable, and so on. Before you take other steps When addressing student
Student behavior can be challenging and can require alot of a teacherstime consider whether you might need to revise your behavior, the district
and attention. All students, whether they have disabilities or are typically instruction, making changes in how you present must ensure students
developing, are to be held accountable to the same school code. However, are continuing to receive materials, how you articulate expectations, and how
services to allow them to for your students with disabilities, you will need to follow different rules you reinforce behaviors make progress toward the regarding suspension and be mindful of behavioral plans, functional behav- goals and objectives in Environmental factors. The environment may ioral assessments, and behavior rating scales. In this chapter we highlight their IEPs.
have a lot to do with what students are doing and
these components and discuss what you need to know about working with All acts of bullying must be how they are performing. You need to consider taken seriously, students with disabilities when it comes to classroom management and
the classroom’s lighting, the amount of visual and student behavior Recording the number of
auditory distraction students are exposed to, how times a student engages in
seating arrangement might factor in, and whether negative acts is an integral Teaching Students Desired Behaviors
the classroom’s materials and furniture are meeting part of the process for
determining the level of the students’ needs As a classroom teacher, you likely will be able to teach a student vowel
support required by
sounds, math facts, or how to diagram a sentence. These academic tasks are Learned response. Have students learned they a student.
critical to a student’s success, and versions of these skills are included in can cause problems or make noises and not be
the summative grades included on report cards. Seldom specified in what held accountable for class work? Have their past
teachers are required to teach are the behaviors necessary for classroom teachers permitted them to opt out of classwork as
success, including following directions, knowing when to ask for help, know- long as they sit quietly in the back of the classroom
ing where to go for help, and getting along with others. To effectively partici- Getting answers to questions like these can guide
pate in your class, students-whether they have a disability or not-need to you toward a better course of action
be directly taught the behaviors you expect to see. If you want students to
turn in their papers in one location. teach them to do so. If you want them to Changing behavior
use only one side of the paper, teach this, along with all the other classroom We guarantee that you will have some students
behaviors you expect. whose behavior you will want to change, but chang-
ing a student’s behavior is easier said than done.
110 111
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There will always be some factors outside your control. Focus instead on Defining the behavior
the ones you can control-the ones that address Defining the problematic behavior is a crucial step. The definition should be
specific enough so that anyone else observing the student can clearly see How you manage the classroom
whether or not the behavior is occurring. The following is alist of terms that The classroom schedule
are often used to describe students with behavior problems
How much work you assign Weird
The type of work you assign Lazy
Deadlines for completion of work Bad attitude
The rules you set eMean
How you enforce rules Disrespectful What students are expected to do during downtime
Causes problems
Seems off Another factor that you can control-and change-is the manner in
which you set up the classroom, which can dramatically alter the students Your first thought might be that these terms are inappropriate because
3
experience. The following are important questions all teachers should ask they are judgmental, and although this is true, the greater concern is that
themselves as a part of classroom setup the terms are imprecise and do not help others understand the specifics of >
the student’s problem. Contrast the above with the following list of terms Is my classroom well organized?
which provides more accurate–and more helpfuI-descriptors Can staff and students easily locate materials?
Does the classroom setup facilitate smooth transitions? Talks about subjects that are off topic
Can I reduce auditory and visual stimuli? Does not complete class assignments
Are boundaries clearly established for behaviors? Lays head down on desk
Argues when given a direction Do students know where to go for certain activities or tasks?
Touches other students Do students know what to do when they finish an assignment?
1s late for school four out of every five days
Taking the time to consider how you can improve your classroom setup Talks with only two other students in the class
and clarify expected procedures can lead to better experiences for students * Needs redirection from the teacher once every 20 minutes
-and for you
As noted, it is important to clearly identify the specifics of the behavior
Yes, a student may be disrespectful, but what does that really mean? Does Observing and Recording Behavior that mean the student does not make eye contact when walking down the
Part of your work as a teacher is to identify the specific behaviors that are hall? Does it mean the student does not say excuse me when bumping 64
causing problems for the student and the class, and to what extent those into another student? Does it mean the student takes items from other stu-
behaviors are problematic. In addition, you need to determine the function, dents without asking? Clarity is important to the initial part of this process
or payoff, of the behaviors, recognizing that students often engage in certain
behaviors because they get something out it. To do all these things, you Recording behaviors
need to gather data, which Is ypically done by observing the behaviors and Once you have defined a specific problematic behavior, you need to deter- recording what you see.
mine how you will record this behavior. Recording behaviors in a large class
Classroom Management and Student Behavior / 115
114 / A Teachers Guide to Special Education
all your other responsibilities, but it is an important As a general education classroom teacher, you will probably be asked
part of determining the level, amount, or frequency of the behavior
to administer a scale related to ADHD more than any other type. The can be difcult. given
but the goal is always to request may come because a student is suspected of having ADHD, has
Behaviors can be recorded in various ways
present the data in a consumable form, such as a graph. Here we describe
been recently diagnosed with ADHD or has been prescribed medication Determining which one to use
and the student’s physician needs more information about progress different methods of recording behaviors
depends on the specifics of the behavior and the needs of the student The following are four of the most commonly administered rating
This method involves counting the scales, each of which comes with directions and suggestions for use
Rate and frequency recording
number of times a behavior occurs in a specific period. This method is Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment (ASEBA)
appropriate if the behavior can be easily counted and has a clear beginnin Includes forms for parent, teacher, and student
and end; it is inappropriate for a behavior that is continual or extremely Includes direct observation form and interview form
frequent, such as leg shaking or pencil tapping. Rate data should be used Rates student on positive behaviors and behavioral syndromes
if the length of observation time varies from day to day-for example, if
you record during differing time periods on Monday and Tuesday. Use Behavior Assessment System for Children, 2nd edition (BASC-2)
frequency measures over a consistent length of time (20 minutes or a class Includes rating scales for parent and teacher to complete
period, for example) for comparisons over multiple days Includes a developmental history form and a self-report form for )
Duration recording. This approach documents how long a behavior students ages 8-25 C>
persists by recording the time the behavior begins and the time that it Distinguishes between ADD, depression, other behavioral con-
ends. Use this method if you are concerned about how long the student’s cerns, and social maladjustments
behavior is persisting or if the length of time of a specific behavior affects Behavior Rating Profile, 2nd edition (BRP-2)
its severity. For example, you may want to know how long a student is in a
Includes forms for parent, teacher, and student tantrum, is crying, or is in the bathroom
Allows for comparison among student, teacher, and parent percep- Interval recording. This method involves dividing your observation
tions of the student period into a number of smaller time periods, observing the student
Categorizes student’s perceptions of school, home, and peer during the specific time period, and then recording whether the behavior
relationships occurred or not. Interval recording often takes less time and effort, espe-
Evaluates student’s feelings about school and relationships with cially if the behavior occurs at a high frequency, because the observer
records the behavior only once during the time period. Interval recording peers and parents
only provides a rough estimate of the total number of times a behavior Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales (CBRS)-Revised
occurs. Do not make the intervals too long. The shorter the interval, the Multidimensional scales assess ADHD and other disorders that more accurate you will be.
may coexist with attention disorders
Latency recording. This method is concerned with measuring the time Ties with DSM-IV diagnoses
that it takes for students to respond to something you ask them to do. For Assesses various behavioral dimensions: oppositional, cogni-
example, you might record how long it takes the student to comply with tive problems/inattention, hyperactivity, anxious-shy, perfectionism a request, put away materials
