8ection 6:

Discipline 8trategies and nterventions

Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
6.3
6. DISCIPLINE STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS
The Four Basic Practices
This section of the document addresses
students needing redirection and
positive discipline practices
(Category 2). These behavioural
challenges can usually be
addressed by home and/or school
management and discipline
practices. Many of these
difficulties can be addressed by
having well-developed school-wide
procedures in place. Interventions at
this level usually involve the Core Team
and the In-School Team.
As a school develops appropriate strategies and interventions for students with
discipline problems, these basic practices should be kept in mind.
1. Establishing a school-wide behaviour support system.
Elements of a school-wide system include school rules, teaching appropriate
behaviour, intervention plans, positive reinforcement for behaviour, and
teaching of social skills.
A school-wide behaviour support system as described in Section 2 of this
document is the first step to assist schools in the positive management of
behaviour.
2. Assisting students in the development of resiliency skills.
Resiliency is the ability to bounce back from adversity, to overcome the
negative influences or risk factors that often stop students from becoming
successful. Teachers can help students develop resiliency by providing
opportunities or using strategies that are supportive. They include:
Developing supportive relationships
with students
Maintaining positive and high
expectations for all students
Providing opportunities for children
to participate and contribute
Providing growth opportunities for
students
Ensuring that all students have a
caring adult in their lives (mentoring)
Teaching students they are capable and have strengths
5?D
Student
Core Team
In-School
Team
Teacher(s) Parent(s)
Principal
Special
Education
Resource
Teacher
School
Counsellor
Paraprofessional
ESL Teacher
or Consultant
For additional
information on
resiliency
research, please see
Benard, Bonnie. "Fostering
Resiliency in Kids:
Protective Factors in the
Family, School, and
Community, 1991.
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.4
Providing opportunities for self-assessment and self-reflection
Providing opportunities to work with other students (cooperative learning)
Programs such as mentoring, teacher advisory systems, school counselling,
and support groups all address resiliency issues.
3. Assisting students in developing prosocial skills.
Prosocial skills are proactive strategies taught to students to
ensure that they obtain the necessary skills required to
function socially in society, e.g., anger
management, conflict resolution, empathy.
A variety of programs and strategies are
available to assist students in finding
alternative ways to deal with discipline
and behavioural issues. These programs
are delivered in a proactive, preventative approach to classrooms or small groups
of students. Programs often used include conflict resolution, Second Step
program, anger management, Focusing on Control and Understanding Self
program, and Lions-Quest. Several prosocial skills are included in the Personal
and Social Management section of Kindergarten to Senior 4 Physical
Education/Health Education: Manitoba Curriculum Framework of Outcomes for
Active Healthy Lifestyles (Manitoba Education and Training, 2000).
4. Developing administrative procedures and policies for dealing with
behavioural concerns.
Many of the strategies and interventions used to address discipline issues at
the school or classroom level are administrative in nature. These strategies
and interventions involve the school principal or classroom teacher.
Examples of these strategies and interventions include suspension policies,
teacher proactive time out, contracts, daily communication, debriefing, and
family group conferencing. The staff and administration of a school need to
carefully consider the use of these procedures and develop policies for their
use.
Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention
In the sections below, the strategies and interventions best suited for students
needing redirection and positive discipline practices will be discussed under the
headings of Prevention, Intervention, and Postvention.
Prevention
Prevention activities are strategies that are used with students before the
behaviour becomes a major issue. Often prevention activities are delivered to an
entire school or classroom. Sometimes they will be delivered to a small group of
students or used on an individual basis. School-wide prevention practices and
activities can reduce major problems in the majority of students. Several
prevention interventions, programs, and strategies are discussed below.
Developing and teaching behaviour rules
One of the essential features of any school plan is to have clearly defined
expectations for behaviour. Often these behaviour expectations are in concert
with a divisional/district Code of Conduct. The rules are usually limited in
number to five to eight, and are expressed in positive terms. The rules need
to be developed with input from students, parents, and the community.
Once they have been agreed to, it is important that they are broadly
communicated and posted using a variety of formats.
Clear procedures need to be developed to teach the rules to students. Most
schools teach the rules at the beginning of a school year. It is suggested that the
rules be taught using a five-step procedure.
a. Review the behavioural
expectations.
b. Explain the reason for the
expectations.
c. Have students role-play
expected behaviours.
d. Provide feedback and
corrections as required.
e. Acknowledge appropriate
behaviours.
Once the rules have been taught, all staff should consistently enforce the rules
and use a common language in referring to them. Demonstrations, role plays,
and practice in different settings are important.
Positive versus punitive approaches
Research has shown that positive consequences have a greater effect on students
than punitive consequences.
See the following articles for additional research on
the value and importance of positive reinforcement.
Maag, John. Rewarded by Punishment: Reflections on the Disuse
of Positive Reinforcement in Schools, 2001.
Mayer, G.R., and B. Sulzer-Azaroff. Preventing Anti-Social
Behaviour in the Schools, 1995.
Additional information
on school-wide
approaches to
behaviour, see the following
resource:
Lewis, T., and G. Sugai.
Effective Behaviour Support: A
Systems Approach to Proactive
Schoolwide Management, 1999.
6.5
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
5
?
D

4
K
A
I
The school must also continue to use consequences when the school rules are
not followed. The consequences should be determined by staff. The problem
behaviours need to be sorted into three categories: classroom managed, office
managed, and outside agency referrals. The school should collect data to
provide feedback to staff and for future decision making.
Teaching social skills
Students with behavioural problems often require extra attention in the
development of social skills. These social skills can be taught to the entire
classroom, to individual students, or to small groups of students.
The goal of social skills instruction is to teach socially acceptable behaviours
that will result in better acceptance by classroom peers and their teachers.
Generally, social skills can be divided into two main groups. The following
skills are examples of social skills commonly addressed in schools.
Comparison of Punitive Methods and Positive Classroom Management Strategies: Taken
from Preventing Anti-social Behaviour in the Schools by Mayer G.R. and B. Sulzer-Azaroff,
Journal of Applied Behaviour Analysis 28. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Comparison of Punitive Methods and
Positive Classroom Management Strategies
Punitive Procedures Positive Classroom
Management Strategies
Rapidly stop behaviour Slowly stop behaviour
Provide immediate relief Provide no immediate relief to
the teacher
Teach the student and peers Teach the student and peers
what not to do what to do
Decrease positive self-statements Increase positive self-statements
(self-concept) (self-concept)
Decrease positive attitudes Increase positive attitudes
toward school and schoolwork toward school and schoolwork
Cause withdrawal (nontask, tardy, Promote enhanced participation
truancy, dropping out)
Cause aggression (against property Decrease likelihood of aggression
and others)
Teach students to respond Teach students to recognize
in a punitive manner the positive
Can harm student-teacher Can enhance student-teacher
relationship relationship
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.6
6.7
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
All of the skills listed in the Social Skills chart can be measured or rated by teachers
using rating scales or observation. Having identified skills that should be taught, the
teacher can begin an instructional strategy on a formal or informal basis. Thus,
rather than adopting any one social skills text, it might be better to find the resource
that best addresses the skills that are of concern.
For additional information on social skills instruction, see:
The Committee for Children, Seattle, Washington. Second
Step program. The Committee for Children.
Lions-Quest Program. Skills for Growing, Lions-Quest Canada, 2000.
Sheridan, Susan, and Tom Oling. The Tough Kid Social Skills Book, 1995.
McGinnis, Ellen, and Arnold Goldstein. Skillstreaming in Early Childhood:
Teaching Prosocial Skills to the Preschool and Kindergarten Child, 1990.
McGinnis, Ellen, and Arnold Goldstein. Skillstreaming the Elementary
School Child: New Strategies and Perspectives for Teaching Prosocial
Skills, Revised Edition, 1997.
McGinnis, Ellen, and Arnold Goldstein. Skillstreaming the Adolescent: New
Strategies and Perspectives for Teaching Prosocial Skills, Revised
Edition, 1997.
Peer Relationship Skills
Introduces self by name
Shares with others
Asks permission
Takes turns
Invites others to
participate
Assists others
Cares for physical
appearance
Demonstrates conversation skills
Displays control
Negotiates
Gives and receives compliments
Respects personal space
Displays empathy toward others
Identifies and expresses emotions in
self and others
Uses appropriate language
Social Skills
Academic Survival Skills
Complies with the teachers
request
Follows directions
Requests help when needed
Greets the teacher
Provides appreciative feedback
Nods to communicate understanding
Demonstrates listening skills
Demonstrates proper play repertoire
(Early Years)
Demonstrates problem-solving skills
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.8
Some students will require individual interventions to address their social skills
deficits. Social skills instruction is most effective when approaches are chosen
that are tailored to meet the students individual needs. Individual skills that
require attention are identified and prioritized by the teacher. The teacher then
uses a structured teaching process with the student. Teaching the student to
produce social behaviours is not enough. The focus of social skills instruction
must be the generalization of learned social behaviours across settings, time,
and behaviour.
Based on the work of Ellen McGinnis and Arnold Goldstein in their
Skillstreaming books, a four-step process is needed to teach social skills.
The steps include:
Modeling
Role-playing
Performance feedback
Transfer training
In addition, the Skillstreaming resources contain a Student Skill Checklist to
assist teachers in determining strengths and weaknesses in social skills.
Teaching conflict resolution skills
All students, including students with behavioural challenges, need to develop
the skills necessary to avoid physical conflict. Students from the Early Years
through the Senior Years can learn the basic skills required to resolve a conflict.
Specialized programs can be developed by schools to teach the conflict
resolution strategies and to conduct mediation sessions. The following examples
are programs with widespread usage in Manitoba.
Conflict resolution mediation programs: Secondary students are trained to
resolve conflicts between individuals. In some schools, conflict resolution is
used as an option instead of having a school administrator resolve a problem
or dispute between two students.
Playground conflict managers: Elementary students are taught to assist
students in resolving disputes on the school playground. Students are trained
in a conflict mediation process prior to becoming involved in student
mediations. Students usually wear playground managers vests and carry a
clipboard while on duty on the playground. Playground managers do not
resolve physical confrontations.
Talk-it-out corner: Students in the Middle Years are trained in mediating
their own conflicts. Initially the teacher may be involved, but as the students
become skilled in the process, the teacher may withdraw. A corner is
selected in the classroom where a cubicle or table is placed and posters are
put up to act as visual prompts in the conflict resolution process. Students
involved in a conflict are sent to the talk-it-out corner to resolve the issues
between them.
6.9
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Teaching anger management
Many students get in trouble both in school and in the community when their
anger takes control. All students, including those with behavioural problems, can
be taught the skills necessary to manage their anger. One strategy is included in
the Lions-Quest program, Working Towards Peace. The three-step process
is known as RID.
The Lions-Quest program contains many life skill
instructional units. The program can be used for all grades
and the materials are organized into three areas.
KindergartenGrade 5: Skills for Growing
Grades 68: Skills for Adolescence
Senior 14: Skills for Action
Some schools teach the program as a supplement to Physical
Education/Health Education curriculum or as part of a teacher
advisory program. It can also be used with small groups of students. Staff require a
comprehensive training program to be able to utilize the materials provided in this
program.
Lions-Quest program www.lions-quest.ca and www.quest.edu
FOCUS program
FOCUS is an acronym for Focusing on Control and Understanding Self. It is a
comprehensive, social-emotional skills development program for students. The
program teaches the life skills of self-esteem, tolerance, coping, self-discipline,
collaboration, communication, responsibility, and conflict resolution. The skills
are delivered to students using hands-on materials, games, activities, role plays,
and problem solving. The program assists students in learning about behaviour,
self-control, and conflict resolution. The program can be utilized with class
groups, advisory groups, small groups, or individualized counselling. The
program is based on the theoretical concepts of Dr. William Glassers Control
Theory/Reality Therapy. There are two kits available: FOCUS Grades 47 and
FOCUS Grades 7Senior 4. Each kit also has a facilitators guide that allows the
teacher to utilize the kit without extensive training (Doucette and MacDonald,
1993).
Second Step program
Second Step is a violence-prevention curriculum that is designed to reduce the
development of social, emotional, and behavioural problems and to promote the
development of core competencies. The program was developed by the
Committee for Children of Seattle, Washington. The program is delivered to
students by classroom teachers or counsellors from preschool to middle school.
R
ecognize your anger
signals and accept
that you are angry.
D
o something
constructive to
calm down.
I
dentify a positive
way to think about
the situation.
RID: Taken from Working Toward Peace by Lions-Quest. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.10
The key competencies addressed
in the program include empathy,
impulse control, and anger
management. The strategies used
by staff to deliver the program
include discussion groups, role
playing, and opportunities to solve
real classroom problems. Training
sessions are provided to all
teachers and parents so that the
skills can be modeled and
reinforced with the students.
Teacher advisor programs
In order to foster a sense of belonging, many schools have adopted a teacher
advisor program. Teacher advisor programs assign individual students to a
teacher advisor who acts as a support and personal advisor to the students
assigned. The advisor will try to get to know his or her assigned students on a
personal level, assist the students with problem solving, monitor behaviour, and
provide advocacy and advice as required. This one-on-one contact can benefit
all students and can have a significant effect on a student with behavioural
difficulties.
Stress management
Many students find that the stresses of school and everyday life increase as they
reach the higher grades. To teach students positive ways to reduce stress, many
schools offer small-group instruction and/or relevant print materials.
Safe and caring schools
Both in Canada and the United States, violent incidents in schools have led to
the production of many resources related to the creation of safe schools. Many
of these resources are available to Manitoba schools either in print or online.
One example of a program that has recently been produced is the Province of
Albertas Supporting Safe, Secure and Caring Schools in Alberta. It provides
resources on issues such as bullying, harassment, and managing anger.
Manitoba has recently initiated the Manitoba Safe Schools Council, which will
develop safe schools resources.
Appendix A contains a listing of many of these violence prevention resources
and Internet sites.
Intervention
Intervention activities are those activities or strategies that are used when
difficult behaviour has become an issue. Because prevention activities have not
been successful in reducing the behaviour, more direct intervention is needed.
For additional
information on the
Second Step
program see, "Second Step:
Preventing Aggression by
Promoting Social Competence
by Frey, K., M. Hirchstein, and
B. Guzzo. in Making Schools
Safer and Violence Free: Critical
Issues, Solutions, and
Recommended Practices, 2001.
6.11
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Reinforcement schedules
For some students, token or reward systems can be effective in teaching the
student replacement behaviours. Often, the student chooses a reward from a list
provided by the teacher/and or parents. A target behaviour is identified for
change over a specified time period. If the student can demonstrate to the
teacher that the behaviour is improving, then the token or reward is given
to the student. Once the behaviour has been internalized, the teacher will
move from an external to an internal reward system.
Quiet time
When students are continually disruptive in a classroom, the teacher might have to
remove the student from the present environment. It can be as simple as asking the
student to put his head down on the desk, sit in a special area in the classroom, or
move to an area out of the room. The concept of proactive time-out should be
dealt with in a positive way. Teachers should tell students that they require a few
minutes of quiet time in order to regain control. Time-outs should be of short
duration, with the student being welcomed back to the main classroom area.
Proactive time-outs should occur in the classroom whenever possible. The main
benefit of this procedure is to provide students with a quiet period to regain
control or to remove them from a reinforcer. (See isolation procedures). In some
situations, the student may initiate the quiet time.
Daily communication devices
When behaviour problems escalate, it is very important for
the school and parents to communicate on a daily basis. This
communication can take a number of forms including
phone calls, communication book, email, and
communication or monitoring forms. The purpose of all of these
communication devices is to ensure that information from both parties is
being shared between the home and school. By working collaboratively,
the behaviour difficulty can be dealt with effectively.
Contracts
Another way to focus attention on a students behaviour is through the use of
contracts. Contracts will usually involve the teacher, student, and parents, with
other school personnel being added as necessary. The contract should contain a
statement of the expected behaviours, a timeline for use,
an agreed-upon positive consequence for reaching the
objective (selected by the student), a negative
consequence for not meeting the objective, and a signing
component. Some examples of contracts are found at the
end of this section.
Self-monitoring
This process is used to involve students in monitoring their own behaviour. The
students are asked to record and keep track of specific behaviours. Disruptive
behaviour will often decrease and appropriate behaviour increase when students
monitor themselves. Teachers assist the student in defining the behaviour(s) to
be monitored, selecting the monitoring tool, determining time limits, selecting a
reinforcer, and reviewing the self-monitoring forms. An example of a self-
monitoring form is found at the end of this section.
Support groups
Small groups of students are often formed by counsellors or clinicians to
address issues of concern that have been raised, such as mother-daughter
relations, womens issues, drinking/drug issues, or family relationships
concerns. These groups should be led by a staff member who has training in
group facilitation.
After-school programs
Some schools have been successful in developing after-school programs for
students who require additional assistance with their academic work and
social skills. Successful after-school programs often combine academic
enrichment with recreational activities. Students are chosen to participate
in these programs which usually occur at the end of the school day.
Mentoring programs
Several schools have developed effective mentoring programs in which
individuals from the community agree to spend some quality time with students
identified by the school as being at risk. The
community mentor commits to meeting on a regular
basis and to sharing life experiences with the student.
This one-on-one contact can be very helpful for a
student with behavioural difficulties. Training and
awareness sessions for the mentors are necessary
prior to individual sessions with the students.
Restitution
Restitution is a process by which participants learn self-discipline. It is based on
the work of Diane Gossen and is related to her work with Dr. Glasser and
Control Theory. One of the key principles is that people are internally
motivated. Restitution focuses first on the person. Individuals are asked to self-
assess their behaviour within a framework of needs (safety, power, fun,
freedom, and belonging). The individual is then assisted in reflecting on how
the behaviour affects others, within the context of a school or classroom belief
statement and related to how that community interacts with one another
(Gossen, 1998).
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.12
Family group conferencing (restorative justice)
A family group conference or restorative practice is a powerful and different
tool to use when a member of school staff is seeking to respond meaningfully to
victimizing behaviour. It is proactive and seeks to minimize the negative impact
of hurt, anger, helplessness, labeling, stigmatization, and alienation. Current
research findings suggest conferencing/restorative practices assist the school
community in becoming a safer and more supportive place where students can
learn and grow. While a family group conference is not intended to be
therapy, it can have a very healing and therapeutic effect on participants.
A formal family group conference brings together the offending
student, the victim, and others affected by the offenders behaviour,
such as both families, school staff, friends, and even other agencies.
To begin a conference, the offender must take responsibility for his
or her action, and both offender and victim must be willing to
participate. The formal conference is a fully scripted process led by a
trained facilitator. It focuses on three steps: what the offender did, who
was affected and how they have been harmed, and a group discussion of
how to repair the harm. After a formal conference, a breaking of bread
follows and allows for further reintegration, healing, and closure. Conferencing
is appropriate for students from Grade 3 to Senior 4.
Developmental intervention program
A developmental intervention program emphasizes the sequential mastery of
social-emotional-cognitive objectives. It is a growth model which recognizes
that a childs behaviour and personality evolve through the cumulative sum of
daily experiences. The program helps provide the student with essential social-
emotional growth. Strong and healthy relationships with teachers who are using
developmentally appropriate techniques can decrease and eliminate severe
problems that interfere with a childs ability to relate to others, communicate,
behave, and learn.
Children are grouped for the program according to their stage of development in
four areas: behaviour, communication, socialization, and pre-academics. Within
each of these areas is a series of measurable developmental objectives that are
sequenced into five developmental stages. A childs placement in each of the
four areas is determined through completion of the revised Developmental
Therapy Objectives Rating Form. The form is completed by a team of
individuals who know the child well (Wood et al., 1996).
Working Effectively with Violent and Aggressive Students (WEVAS)
This training program has been offered across Manitoba in most school
divisions in order to provide strategies and interventions to use with students
with behavioural difficulties. The training program focuses on ways for teachers
to help students move from a problem state to an effective student state, or from
an incompetent to a competent state.
6.13
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.14
Non-Violent Crisis Intervention (NVCI)

The Crisis Prevention Institute offers a variety of resources and training for
schools on strategies for safely diffusing disruptive and assaultive students.
Many schools have had staff members trained in using the techniques of Non-
Violent Crisis Intervention. The program contains a number of strategies for
diffusing violent and aggressive students using nonverbal and verbal resolution
techniques. It also focuses on ways to recognize warning signs that allow for
early intervention. There is also a component that teaches staff the techniques
for the use of physical restraint. Divisional policy and procedures on the use
of restraint are necessary prior to the use of physical interventions.
Alternate work areas
As the behaviour of a student in the classroom begins to escalate, the teacher
searches for ways to address the issue. Often it is necessary to remove the
student from a reinforcer within the classroom. This can be accomplished by:
planned ignoring by the teacher
removing the student to an alternate work area (in or out of the classroom)
Placement in an alternate work area should be for a short duration, to be sure
that the major goal, the socialization of the student, can be realized.
Postvention
Postvention activities are those activities that occur after a student has been
involved in a major behavioural incident. The postvention strategy allows the
school to re-establish connections and involvement with the child. The strategy
can vary from a short process to a complex process involving several
individuals.
Debriefing
This strategy involves a teacher, administrator, counsellor, or clinician reviewing
a major incident with the child. It involves asking the student to re-live the
incident to determine what was involved, why it began, how it affected the other
individuals involved, and how it can be avoided in the future.
Planning for re-entry
This strategy involves a meeting of the parents, administration, teacher, and
student upon the students return to school from a suspension. The purpose of
the meeting is to review the incident, to discuss emotions, and to consider ways
to avoid the incident in the future. A plan to monitor the students behaviour is
often put in place.
All students
have gifts, they
just need to open
them on different
occasions.
Council for
Exceptional Children
6.15
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI)
This strategy allows teachers and other professionals working with children and
youth to use a classroom conflict as a springboard to insight and responsible
behaviour. The skills of LSCI empower the teacher to convert a conflict into a
meaningful learning experience for the
student by discovering what drives his
or her behaviour and by defining clear
outcome goals. Life Space Crisis
Intervention requires a staff training
program that includes using conflict as
opportunity, understanding the conflict
cycle, and the six stages of LSCI
(Wood, et al., 1991).
Building bridges
After a student has been suspended from school or been included in a major
incident, it is important for the school to find ways to build bridges with the
student. This might take the form of mediation between the teacher and the
student. It could be in the form of an intervenor sitting down with the parties
involved and discussing the issues. The key point is to find ways to help the
student return to the classroom.
Preventing Behaviour Problems in the Classroom
There are many techniques and strategies to manage behaviour difficulties that
can be used by teachers in the course of their regular instructional activities.
Some of the most useful strategies are listed below.
The teacher ensures that the classroom operates in a professional manner.
Provides lessons that are relevant and of high interest
Respects individual differences
Provides a positive classroom environment
Establishes high expectations for achievement
Respects the rights of individuals
The teacher utilizes interventions involving physical space:
Provides an area designated for students to use when calming down is
required
Provides special seating arrangements for students who are prone to
behavioural difficulties
Maintains close proximity to students who are beginning to show
inappropriate behaviour
Honours the personal space of the student
Removes distracting objects from students until the end of the day
Additional information
on life space crisis
intervention is
available from the Centre for
Effective Collaboration and
Practice at:
www.air.org/cecp/interact/aut
horonline/april98/2.htm
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.16
The teacher is careful about verbal communication.
Utilizes a supportive language tone
Avoids language that is overly authoritative or condescending
Utilizes a rate and rhythm of speech that is even and smooth
Delivers warnings and reminders in a calm manner
The teacher is aware of nonverbal communications.
Uses eye contact effectively
Uses non-verbal cues as warnings when behaviours are escalating
Is aware of the impact of tone, volume, cadence, positioning, and stance.
The teacher provides the necessary classroom management system to
manage behaviour.
Provides structure and support through the use of regular routines
Establishes classroom rules with student input
Teaches appropriate behaviour to the students in a variety of ways, e.g., role
playing
Establishes and teaches classroom routines
Establishes effective transition procedures for students moving between
activities and areas within the school
Utilizes planned ignoring of a behaviour until the child performs as
requested
Makes use of natural consequences
Fades out the use of an external reward management system with a verbal
praise system
Provides goal-setting opportunities with students to remind them of the
behaviours they are working on
Ensures that special preparation of students occurs for non-structured time
Provides an arrangement when the identified goal is not attained (Lets try
again tomorrow.)
Uses graphs, charts, and other visuals to show behavioural change
The teacher promotes the development of responsibility.
Utilizes special jobs or privileges as a reward for responsible behaviour
Encourages students to monitor and correct their own behaviour
Provides opportunities for all students to take risks and try new tasks that
require responsible behaviour
Provides opportunities for success
Encourages students to work as part of a team
Private Reminders
Private reminders
are an effective way
of helping students
remain on task.
Private reminders
can be:
quiet words
signals or cues
6.17
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
The teacher utilizes a positive approach to behaviour.
Utilizes a reward system with students for
good behaviour
Communicates with students using
positive language
Provides individual notes to students to
remind them of their behaviour goals or to
applaud their use of a replacement
behaviour
Provides positive feedback when rules are
followed and behaviour is appropriate
The teacher communicates with parents regarding their children.
Provides positive notes and phone calls to parents to provide positive
feedback on a students behaviour
Collaborates with parents in determining rewards and consequences
The teacher understands the nature of behaviour and the conflict cycle.
Avoids power struggles in the classroom
Understands that behaviour can be taught
Assists students in understanding conflict
The teacher provides opportunities for informal discussions with students.
Provides advice and guidance based on the teachers own personal experiences
Uses humour to reduce tension
Utilizes own personal experiences to explain concepts to students
Provides opportunities to listen to students
Treats students as persons capable of dealing with their own problems
Use of suspension
Schools use suspension when infractions of school rules occur. Often,
suspensions result in students being removed from school for a short period of
time. Suspensions provide the school and staff with an opportunity to re-group
and re-tool for the students return. It provides the student an opportunity to
think about what has led to the suspension. When students are out of school,
they miss classes, often cause problems for families and the community, and
sometimes students do not regard suspension as a consequence. Thus, more and
more schools are using the concept of in-school suspension. Students are
removed to a designated area away from their peers. They receive close
supervision and are expected to complete their school work. This is positive for
students who do not view a suspension as a consequence. Suspensions should
be followed up with a re-entry meeting and a plan for facilitating the positive
return to school.
For additional
strategies for
students
requiring redirection and
positive discipline, see also:
Sprick, Randall, and Lisa
Howard. The Teachers
Encyclopedia of Behavior
Management: 100
Problems/500 Plans, 1995.
Additional considerations for the use of suspension
As school officials consider the use of suspension, the following questions
require consideration:
What is the purpose of the suspension? Would other alternatives produce
better results? Is the suspension effective in improving student behaviour?
Where are the behaviours occurring? Is there a pattern to the behaviour?
Can the suspensions be managed within the school? Where and how can the
suspension be supervised in the school?
What steps can be taken to ensure that academics are not compromised
during the suspension?
Has an individual behaviour plan been developed for repeat offenders?
Teachers are constantly challenged to find ways to intervene with
students with discipline problems. School and classroom rules and
procedures should be clearly explained to students and parents.
The development of resiliency skills, the teaching of pro-social
skills, and the development of administrative strategies can all
assist the teacher in dealing with discipline issues. As well, there
are many prevention, intervention, and postvention strategies and
interventions that can be used to assist students in dealing with
their behaviour. Early attention to a students behavioural issues can
prevent the problem from becoming a serious and long-term issue.
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.18
8ection 6 8upport Materials
Contract with Parental Involvement
Students Contract
Daily Self-Monitoring Form
Monitoring Form
Goals of the Day
List of Positive Consequences for Individual Students
RID
6.21
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Taken from Orchestrating Positive and Practical Behaviour Plans by Dawn Reithaug. Vancouver, BC: Stirling Head
Enterprises. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.22
Taken from Orchestrating Positive and Practical Behaviour Plans by Dawn Reithaug. Vancouver, BC: Stirling Head
Enterprises. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
6.23
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Taken from Orchestrating Positive and Practical Behaviour Plans by Dawn Reithaug. Vancouver, BC: Stirling Head
Enterprises. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.24
Monitoring Form
Name: _______________________________ Date: __________ Day: ____
Period 1
Period 2
Period 3
1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
Period 4 1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
Period 5 1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
Period 6 1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
Period 7 1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
Period 8 1. Brought supplies to class
2. Started assignment
3. Completed assignment
4. Satisfactory behaviour
Lunch
X No ! Yes N/A Not Applicable Homework to do
For Home Use Homework completed: Yes No
Comments:
Parent Signature:
Goals of the Day
Name: _____________________________________ Date: ___________
1. My academic goal for today is:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. My behaviour goal for today is:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. My evaluation of my day:
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
6.25
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.26
List of Positive Consequences for Individual Students
Have students circle or highlight reinforcers that are meaningful for them.
Activities for students:
be a group leader
be a hall monitor
be a teachers assistant for ____
minutes (in own class/in another class)
be a tutor in class, or with a younger
student
be dismissed five minutes early from
class
be excused from homework for one
night
be the teacher for a specified period
be in a class play
chew gum at lunch
choose a gym game for the class
choose a story for the teacher to read
colour or draw
create a picture or story on the
chalkboard
create or select an indoor recess game
decorate the classroom
demonstrate a hobby to the class
do puzzles for ____ minutes
draw cartoons for ____ minutes
earn a field trip for the class
earn more recess time for the class
earn a movie for the class
help teach a 15-minute lesson
help the custodian
help the librarian
help the teacher make a visual aid to
use with a group of students
help run the school store, before or
after school, for ____ minutes
lead class pantomimes
listen to music for ____ minutes
while working
listen to cassette tapes for ____
minutes
make a phone call home to describe
successes
make a videotape over ____ days
make paper airplanes
participate in craft activities
participate in an assembly
pass out supplies
pick out a class activity
play a game
play an instrument
play with friends
play video games for ____ minutes
play with your best friend for ____
minutes
continued
6.27
Section 6 Discipline Strategies and Interventions
List of Positive Consequences for Individual Students
go for a swim
go to lunch three minutes early
have a free period of creative activity
have 15 minutes of computer time
have five minutes of free time
have 10 minutes of free time in the
library
have 15 minutes of playing a sport
(outdoors or indoors)
have 15 minutes of story time
have five minutes to discuss
something
with the teacher
have 15 minutes with a favourite
person
have 30 minutes of music in the
classroom
have extra gym time for ____ minutes
have extra recess for ____ minutes
have free time to use specific
equipment
have free time to use supplies
(magic markers, art supplies ...)
have lunch with a teacher
have the class try to make you laugh
within 30 seconds
help another teacher for ____ minutes
read a comic book or a magazine
for ____ minutes
read a story to the Kindergarten
class
read to a friend or the principal
serve as a messenger for the office
sit at a teachers desk for a specified
period
sit by a friend
sit where you want to for 10 minutes
take pictures of your peers
teach the class for ____ minutes
tell ghost stories with no lights on
tutor another student
use a tape recorder for ____ minutes
use a stopwatch
visit the principal (planned visit)
for ____ minutes
visit the school library (individual or
group)
watch a video in another classroom
wear a hat for one period
work with clay
work as a lunchroom server
write on the chalkboard with
coloured chalk
continued
Taken from Orchestrating Positive and Practical Behaviour Plans by Dawn Reithaug. Vancouver, BC: Stirling Head
Enterprises. Copyright 1998. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.
Discipline Strategies and Interventions Section 6
6.28
Using RID to Reduce Your Anger
RI D i s a three-part process for a ski l l that you can use to hel p manage your anger. You can al so appl y the
RI D process i n si tuati ons i nvol vi ng such emoti ons as frustrati on and di sappoi ntment. Look for ways to appl y
thi s process to a whol e range of anger-provoki ng or stressful si tuati ons i n your l i fe.
R
ecognize your anger
signals and accept
that you are angry.
Anger si gnal s mi ght i ncl ude
sweaty pal ms, gri tted teeth,
shaki ng hands, i mpati ent atti tude,
upset stomach, fl ushed face, ti ght
muscl es, or a headache.
D
o something
constructive to
calm down.
Constructi ve thi ngs to cal m
down ri ght away mi ght i ncl ude
counti ng to 10. caki ng a deep
breath. aski ng for ti me to cal m
down, or l eavi ng., the scene.
Constructi ve thi ngs to cal m
down when there i s more ti me
mi ght i ncl ude tal ki ng about -
our feel i ngs wi th someone not
i nvol ved. l i steni ng to musi c.
Beri ng some exerci se or doi ng
somethi ng el se physi cal .
wri ti ng a l etter to the person
expl ai ni ng how angry you are
and then destroyi ng the l etter,
hel pi ng someone el se. watchi ng
a funny movi e. spendi ng ti me
on your favori te hobby, doi ng
somethi ng creati ve, or
spendi ng ti me wi th a pet.
Remember these tips when dealing with anger.
When you're angry, accept i t. Anger i s normal .
Stop and stay cal m. Tel l yoursel f that you are i n control and can
handl e the si tuati on. You have control over your thoughts, so thi nk
cal ml y and posi ti vel y about the si tuati on. Your thoughts determi ne
how you feel and react to the si tuati on.
Deci de whether the si tuati on i s one that you can change. I f you can
change i t, determi ne how. I f you cant change i t, l et i t go.
Act i n ways that wi l l make you and the si tuati on better.
RI D: Taken from Working Toward Peace
by Li ons-Quest. Repri nted by permi ssi on.
Al l ri ghts reserved.
I
dentify a positive
way to think about
the situation.
Dependi ng on the si tuati on,
you mi ght say to yoursel f
I m not goi ng to get upset
about thi s.
I know I can work thi s out
wi thout getti ng mad.
I can stay cal m i n thi s
si tuati on.
I wi l l not take thi s
personal l y.
Thi s i s a chal l enge, and I
enjoy a chal l enge.