5 Tips for Preventing Challenging Behavior You Can Start Using Tomorrow
Summary
All students deserve a safe and supportive learning environment. Some students require specialized behavior programming to provide this environment. Not all solutions to challenging behavior need a complex behavior program. We can often make small changes that have big impacts for staff and student safety. Here are five tips to preventing challenging behavior you can start using tomorrow.
1. It’s All About the Environment. Learning spaces should be comfortable, uncluttered, and organized. Take a look around your learning space. Are there file cabinets or extra furniture that can be moved to provide more space or dangerous items that should be put away for safety?
2. Use Do vs. Don’t Statements. Words such as “calm down!”, “stop!”, or “quit it!” can provoke additional or more intense challenging behavior. Tell the student what to do instead of what not to do. Instead of saying, “don’t touch that” say “put your hands in your lap”.
3. Catch Them Being Good. It is easy to focus on challenging behavior only. Instead of focusing on the negative, “catch” students being good and let them know. Even small behaviors that students “should” do or already know how to do deserve acknowledgement. The more praise and reinforcement we can provide for positive student behavior the better.
4. Avoid Power Struggles. Our job is to support, not control, our students. Avoid physical intimidation, threatening consequences, and nagging. Instead, manage our own emotional reactions. Staff should model appropriate student behavior.
5. Don’t Get Mad, Give Space. If you are having a difficult time remaining calm while managing a student’s challenging behavior, don’t get mad, instead give the student space. Take a pause, manage your own emotional reaction, and plan for your next step.
These five tips for preventing challenging behavior help staff to provide a safe and supportive classroom environment. Identify one of these tips to implement in your classroom over the upcoming week. Notice the changes in your students’ behavior as you practice one simple prevention strategy. Sometimes it is the smallest changes that make the biggest impact.
5 Tips for Preventing Challenging Behavior You Can Start Using Tomorrow
All students deserve a safe and supportive learning environment. Some students require specialized behavior programming to provide this environment. Not all solutions to challenging behavior need a complex behavior program. We can often make small changes that have big impacts for staff and student safety. Here are five tips to preventing challenging behavior you can start using tomorrow.
1. It’s All About the Environment. Learning spaces should be comfortable, uncluttered, and organized. Take a look around your learning space. Are there file cabinets or extra furniture that can be moved to provide more space or dangerous items that should be put away for safety?
2. Use Do vs. Don’t Statements. Words such as “calm down!”, “stop!”, or “quit it!” can provoke additional or more intense challenging behavior. Tell the student what to do instead of what not to do. Instead of saying, “don’t touch that” say “put your hands in your lap”.
3. Catch Them Being Good. It is easy to focus on challenging behavior only. Instead of focusing on the negative, “catch” students being good and let them know. Even small behaviors that students “should” do or already know how to do deserve acknowledgement. The more praise and reinforcement we can provide for positive student behavior the better.
4. Avoid Power Struggles. Our job is to support, not control, our students. Avoid physical intimidation, threatening consequences, and nagging. Instead, manage our own emotional reactions. Staff should model appropriate student behavior.
5. Don’t Get Mad, Give Space. If you are having a difficult time remaining calm while managing a student’s challenging behavior, don’t get mad, instead give the student space. Take a pause, manage your own emotional reaction, and plan for your next step.
These five tips for preventing challenging behavior help staff to provide a safe and supportive classroom environment. Identify one of these tips to implement in your classroom over the upcoming week. Notice the changes in your students’ behavior as you practice one simple prevention strategy. Sometimes it is the smallest changes that make the biggest impact.
