Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures

                                       

Using Positive Reinforcement to Recognize and Acknowledge Adherence to Rules and Procedures

Positive reinforcement naturally occurs in everyone’s daily lives from infants to the oldest adult. As a child we learn, if we took a step out even it’s wobbling, we are rewarded with freedom of movement. When people obey traffic laws and don’t get a ticket, they are rewarded by not having to take the driver’s test when their license is due. A person who is kind to others is rewarded by kindness offered back to them. The list could go on and on. All of these “rewards” increase the chance that people will continue to choose these positive behaviors. At school, it is very important to build a positivity learning environment that nurturing growing in all aspects. Positive reinforcement triggers intrinsic motivation, it encourages the students to continue making the good decision. When the students show the willingness to make the effort adhering rules and procedures, it is important to recognize and acknowledge it, so does any good behavior or accomplishment.

There are many different types of reinforcers for implementing positive reinforcement.

-Natural and Direct Reinforcement: This type of reinforcement results directly from the appropriate behavior.

-Social Reinforcers, Activity Reinforcers: These are reinforcers that are socially mediated by teachers, parents, other adults and peers which express approval and praise for appropriate behavior.

-Activity Reinforcers: Activity reinforcers are very effective and positive for students. Allowing students to participate in preferred activities (such as games, computer time, etc.).

-Tangible Reinforcers: This category includes edibles, toys, balloons, stickers and awards. Awards can be in the form of certificates, displaying work and letters home to parents commending the student’s progress.

-Token Reinforcement: Token reinforcement involves awarding points or tokens for appropriate behavior. These rewards have little value in themselves but can be exchanged for something of value.

I will be teaching elementary level Art. I will be really appreciated if a students exhibit behaviors like following directions, working hard on their projects, putting extra efforts into their projects, excellent cleaning up after the project. I will use positive reinforcement like:

1. Verbal Affirmations-

    • A simple “thank you” or “great job”

    • 1:1 conversations to acknowledge adherence to rules and procedures

    • Be specific about what the student did and how the behavior contributed to the class

   • Contrast the current behavior with past behavior that did not adhere to rules and procedures
2. Nonverbal Affirmations-

    • Thumbs-up sign

    • OK sign

    • Smile

    • Wink

    • Nod of the head

    • Pantomime tip-of-the-hat

    • Pat on the back

    • High Five
3. Tangible Recognition-

    • Nominate the class or individual to a monthly award for a school wise recognition in school assembly. The school I am working at has a monthly award system. Each specialist and homeroom teachers could choose one or two students to receive Dragon award. As an Art teacher, I could also choose a class of the month for a Golden Pallet award.

4. Token Economies-

      • I will use the point system for each class. I will evaluate the class at the end using these three categories- On Task, Clean-Up, Class Order. I will give the points at the end of the class and put them on the displayed record board.

5. Activity Reinforcers-

     • Free Choice Class: When a certain amount of points are accumulated, the class will be rewarded a free choice class. In a free choice class, students are allowed to do some fun projects with the materials they choose (makers workshop) or they can rotate doing fun tables with different activities like Legos or Playdough.  

Strategies and Responds to Acknowledge Lack of Adherence to Rules and Procedures

Determining rules and consequences, teaching them to students and outlining the benefits of working with them, is a critical up-front investment of a teacher’s time and energy. These pieces of the classroom management plan help promote appropriate student behavior, prevent student misbehavior and create a sense of order and predictability in the classroom. Rules, and your explanation of them, tell students how you expect them to behave. Consequences outline what would happen if students chose to break the rules. Strategies for reinforcing good behavior, both intangible and tangible, bolster a student’s desire to make the right behavioral choices and follow your rules. And consequences followed by misbehavior must be reinforced throughout the school years to establish a norm for an effective learning environment.

There are strategies to respond to lack of adherence to rules and procedures.

- Apply Withitness:

                          -Being Proactive

                          -Occupying the Entire Room

                          -Noticing Potential Problems

                          -Using a Series of Graduated Actions:

                                    1. Looking at the suspected students

                                    2. Moving in the direction of students.

                                    3. Stopping the class and confronting the behavior.

- Use Direct-Cost Consequences:

                            -Time-Out

                            -Overcorrection

- Use Group Contingency: Group contingency involves holding the class as a whole responsible for the behavior of any and all members of the class.

- Use Home Contingency:  Teachers notifying parents and guardians for their behavior.

As an Art teacher teaching at least six to eight different classes per day, it is very crucial to well-established rules and procedures as a norm of the class. If any students exhibit the following behaviors the consequence should be reinforced. Those behaviors including poor listening, not following direction, distracting the class, does not clean up, off task. I would use strategies like:

1. Use Direct-Cost Consequences-

        • Time Out: If a student is distracting the class and he is still repeating the same behavior after two verbal warning, I will ask him/her to step outside. And I will talk to the students to make sure he/she well understand the rules.

2. Use Group Contingency-

         • When I use a point system, I use it as a group for each class. So the whole class must work together as a team to earn the points. They are responsible to remind each other if any action that will cost them losing points. This strategy works well in the specialist classes as they are competing with other classes as a group. Most of the class respond to group honorary well and they are willing to make efforts especially when they see the class scored board.
                                                         

• Color-coded Behavior Signals

I will displace a poster of a traffic light on the whiteboard.  Each class begins with three cards (red card=unacceptable behavior, yellow card=acceptable behavior with room for improvement, green card=exceptional adherence to rules and procedures) to keep on the board. All classes begin the day or period with the green card on the light. If a student’s behavior warrants it, the teacher changes the exposed card to indicate the level of behavior being exhibited. Classes whose behavior has warranted a change to yellow or red may work to have the green card reinstated by displaying appropriate behavior. If a red light showed over 5 munites, the class lost all of its points of the day. This strategy uses visual cues to signal the students instead of constantly reminding them about the rules verbally, it preserves tons of teacher's energy. And it the traffic light signals helps the students to remind each other throughout the class.

3. Use Home Contingency-

      • When a student is routinely displaying a lack of adherence to rules and procedures, I will email the parents and also the homeroom teacher. I will notify them about the misbehavior and talk about the possible steps to redirect it.

People need to feel good about themselves. When reinforcing positivity consequence, teachers help students to understand that people are likely to feel good about themselves when they engage in positive actions. It helps to build a positive attitude to face their possible challenges ahead in their life. Through the consequence, they learn to take the responsibility for their own actions. I think it will help the students making best behavior decisions if we could take students' preference as account for the reinforcers. Before beginning any reinforcement system, survey students to find out what they find motivating. Think carefully about what types of things you will be able to offer as reinforcement and list those items or activities on a survey for the students, but allow room for suggestions; they may come up with great ideas too. When including students in designing the reinforcement, they will build an ownership toward it. If the students are interested, they are possible to anticipate more and do more, so it helps to enhance the whole reinforcement and the whole learning environment.

*Link To The Flowchart: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xe5x1bosfJbPH19ROQQJrHdGX5qXyuOv/view?usp=sharing

Resource:

1.Recognizing Adherence and Lack of Adherence to Rules and Procedures. (n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from https://www.palmbeachschools.org/staffdev/recognizing-adherence-and-lack-of-adherence-to-rules-and-procedures/

2.A. (n.d.). Seven Strategies for Building Positive Classrooms. Retrieved December 13, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept08/vol66/num01/Seven-Strategies-for-Building-Positive-Classrooms.aspx

3.(n.d.). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from http://www.specialconnections.ku.edu/?q=behavior_plans%2Fclassroom_and_group_support%2Fteacher_tools%2Fpositive_reinforcement

4.Positive Reinforcement in the Classroom: Tips for Teachers. (2017, June 26). Retrieved December 13, 2017, from https://cehdvision2020.umn.edu/blog/positive-reinforcement-teacher-tips/