Maximizing Effectiveness Using Positive Behavior Support Methods in the Classroom: Self-Management

1. Maximizing Effectiveness Using Positive Behavior Support Methods in the Classroom:Self-Management

2. Objectives • Understand the importance of self management • Understand ways to help students manage their own behavior • Understand various tools used for self management techniques

3. What is Self-Management? • Student awareness of challenging behavior • Student observes and tracks performance

4. Self-Management: Description • Students are given a recording form and instructed to mark down each time a specific behavior occurs • Disruptive behaviors generally decrease and appropriate behaviors increase • Good self-monitoring systems have well defined behaviors, are easy to use, and consist of rewards for appropriate behavior

5. Self-Management: Purpose • Increase students’ awareness of their performance of specific behavior (positive and/or negative) • Allow students to take responsibility and control for own behavior and delivery of reinforcement

6. Individual Student Tracking…

7. Self-Monitoring Steps • 1. Identify Behavior • 2. Self-monitoring Schedule • 3. Self-monitoring Form • 4. Begin to Rate Student • 5. Teach the Student • 6. Begin Intervention • 7. Supply Rewards

8. Step 1: Identify Behavior • Challenging behavior or academic concern • Define in observable terms • Effective system for talk-outs, off-task behavior, classroom rules, etc… • Identify alternative behavior to teach • State positive alternative behavior to increase • Identify how and when student will track new alternative behavior

9. Step 2: Self-Monitoring Schedule • Individually determined • Teacher best judge of probable frequency • Keep frequency times in specific times (i.e., math time) • Short frequency counts are harder • Suggestion: Subdivide academic periods into equal intervals

10. Step 3: Self-Monitoring Form • Select an appropriate self-monitoring form • Should be easy to use • List appropriate goals at top • Well-defined behaviors • Specific goals • List item ratings below • Consider age of child

11. Step 4: Begin to Rate Student • Collect baseline data • Use student’s self-monitoring sheet

12. Step 5: Teach the Student • Review behavior definition and baseline data • Describe and teach self-monitoring procedure • Allow practice opportunities for teacher/student rating agreement • Trial period • Determine reinforcement and criteria

13. Step 6: Begin Intervention • Ask student to rate own behavior at end of each chosen rating interval • Continue to rate student’s behavior • Compare two ratings • Within 1 point--student earns points • More than 1 point difference--student loses points • Exact agreement--earn point PLUS bonus points

14. Step 7: Supply Reward(s) • Self monitoring only changes behavior temporarily • It is important to have a contingency plan and gradually withdraw over time • Goal is to TEACH appropriate skills in conjunction with self-monitoring system

15. Whole Class Tracking…

16. Whole Class Self-Monitoring • Adaptation of individual self-monitoring techniques developed to increase self-control in all students

17. Why Whole Class Self-Monitoring • Helps prevent the problem of targeting specific students • Model students also benefit from learning self-control • Classroom structures that develop from self-monitoring benefit all students

18. Suggestions for Whole Class Self-Monitoring • Adjust class schedule if necessary • Decide on a cue (i.e., timer) • Design a flexible and simple tracking sheet • Begin the program • Teach and model appropriate behaviors • Plan for extinction (i.e., graduation)

19. Challenges, Solutions, and Helpful Hints…

20. Challenges to Self-Monitoring • Student may refuse to self-monitor the behavior • Student keeps missing occurrences of the behavior to record • Dishonest recording of behavior

21. Possible Solutions • Offer the student an incentive or reward for using the program appropriately (i.e., classroom privilege) • If the behavior is missed, point it out to the student and prompt him/her to record it. • Check the definition of the behavior • Make sure the definition is specific • If necessary, model for the student • If totals do not match closely (determine criteria ahead of time) then a reward will be missed

22. Fading to Self-Monitoring • Fade frequency of comparison of ratings • Continue to record ratings at end of each interval • Comparing ratings drops from 100% to 0 • Lengthen rating interval • Fade frequency of receiving backup reinforcement • Stretch out time period between when points earned and when exchanged for backup rewards

23. Helpful Hints… • Avoid any other conduct systems at the same time • Rules and consequences should be maintained • Praise honesty in self-reporting • Never change a mark a student has given him/herself • Teach and model appropriate behaviors • Allow students to model appropriate behaviors to peers • Gradually increase time/frequency • Work towards extinction • Make a big deal about extinction • Let parents know what is going on • Give the system time to work

24. Self-Monitoring Tools…..

25. Example: Individual Student Recording Sheet

26. Example: Weekly Summary Sheet

27. Example: Individual and/or Whole Class Recording Sheet