Level 4 Somewhere Else to Plan
- Change the environment to help the student: Find out before the first day of school what administration procedures are at your school for when you refer a student to the office. The teacher needs to know the office procedures in order to be fair to both the student and the parents of the student (Wong, pg. 160, 2009).
- Work to minimize the punitive impact: Instead of forcing the student outside, phrase it so the student is in control of the situation. Ask questions like Would you like to take a walk. This gives the student power, and makes leaving the classroom their choice, and therefore they are in charge of their discipline (Kohn).
- Send student on a task when misbehaving: Ask student to run a note to another teacher's room. Have a prior arrangement set up with the other teacher, so that they are not surprised. Getting the student out of the room momentarily to “run a task” will distract the student, so that they can come back to the classroom on a new foot.
- Allow the Student choice: Talk to the student about where they would like to go cool down when they need to. This could be taking a walk or going to a quite room with another teacher. Or come up with a plan such as allowing the student to go outside and listen to a song that helps them calm down and refocus.
- Seek Counseling for student: Allow student to go to the counselor and let the student know they can go at any time.
- Thinkery Form: Both the student and teacher fill out this form outside of the classroom. The form helps student reflect on behavior and creates solutions that both the teacher and student can work together on.
Level 5 Wraparound Support
- Give students a Plan that makes them accountable: “My Action Plan” is a plan in which the student creates a behavior contract between him/herself and his/her teacher and parents. The plan contains three key concepts in which student problem solves, takes responsibility for actions, and has a self discipline strategy (Wong, 2009).
- Call home: this ensures that the student, parent and teacher are all on the same page and can create a plan for the behavior issues.
- Collaborate with Parents to find solutions: The teacher should seek out parents of the student to find solutions to the student’s behavior issues. Kagen’s Win-Win discipline provides that the student, teacher, and parents, approach the situation on the “same side” as one another and values parent involvement as an effective tool for behavior solutions (Kagen, 2004).
- Have strategies for diffusing student confrontations: Explain to a student their inappropriate behavior instead of focusing on the student themselves. When talking to the student be firm with expectations, but still friendly. Do not show emotions or anger when dealing with student behavior, always act composed (Albert, 1989).
- Call their Bluff: Say “Let me get this straight, I asked you to_____ and you are refusing. Is that correct?” (Albert, 1989).
- State Both Viewpoints: Let the student know that you understand how they may be feeling by telling them what it may seem like from their viewpoint (Albert, 1998).
- Hold a private conference with student: If student repeatedly violates the teacher's rules that the teacher can hold a private meeting with the student to discuss solutions. In the conference, the teacher should not blame the student for the issues, but instead create solutions with the student (Albert, 1998).
- Use a Conflict-Resolution Plan: The “6 D Conflict Resolution Plan” requires the teacher sit with a student and objectively name the problem without emotion words, and explain to the student why there is a problem and need for the behavior to stop. Next, the teacher describes to the student the feelings experienced during the re-occurring issue (on both sides) and a resolution that names both the pros and cons of the potential resolutions. Finally, follow up meetings with the teacher and the student are necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of the resolution plan (Albert, pg. 214, 1998).
- Make a plan including the student’s other teachers to create a support system: Have the student’s other teachers sign off on their behavior that day before coming to the next classroom. Use weekly communication with those teachers to keep the student accountable and keep all of their teachers in the loop regarding student progress .