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How does PBIS best practices work?

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
PBIS is a behavior management framework that focuses on promoting and encouraging positive behavior.

How does PBIS best practices work?

  • PBIS uses positive behavior interventions to reinforce behavior rather than punish unwanted behavior.
  • PBIS Tiers provide interventions based to groups of students based on their needs.
  • PBIS also focuses on treating the root cause of disruptive behavior to holistically address challenges.

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

How does PBIS best practices work?

  • PBIS uses positive behavior interventions to reinforce behavior rather than punish unwanted behavior.
  • PBIS Tiers provide interventions based to groups of students based on their needs.
  • PBIS also focuses on treating the root cause of disruptive behavior to holistically address challenges.

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Presenter

Deiera Bennett is a freelance EdTech copywriter with a background in marketing and 6 years of experience as an educator. When she’s not writing, you can find her binge-watching The Office for the 5th time, spending time with family, or looking up recipes on Pinterest.

About the Event

How does PBIS best practices work?

  • PBIS uses positive behavior interventions to reinforce behavior rather than punish unwanted behavior.
  • PBIS Tiers provide interventions based to groups of students based on their needs.
  • PBIS also focuses on treating the root cause of disruptive behavior to holistically address challenges.

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Register Now

About the Event

How does PBIS best practices work?

  • PBIS uses positive behavior interventions to reinforce behavior rather than punish unwanted behavior.
  • PBIS Tiers provide interventions based to groups of students based on their needs.
  • PBIS also focuses on treating the root cause of disruptive behavior to holistically address challenges.

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

PBIS is a behavior management framework that focuses on promoting and encouraging positive behavior.

How does PBIS best practices work?

  • PBIS uses positive behavior interventions to reinforce behavior rather than punish unwanted behavior.
  • PBIS Tiers provide interventions based to groups of students based on their needs.
  • PBIS also focuses on treating the root cause of disruptive behavior to holistically address challenges.

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Learn more about the author, 
Deiera Bennett
 
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

PBIS is a behavior management framework that focuses on promoting and encouraging positive behavior.

How does PBIS best practices work?

  • PBIS uses positive behavior interventions to reinforce behavior rather than punish unwanted behavior.
  • PBIS Tiers provide interventions based to groups of students based on their needs.
  • PBIS also focuses on treating the root cause of disruptive behavior to holistically address challenges.

As a result, students receive the support, empathy, and understanding needed to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

PBIS Examples

To understand what a PBIS behavior plan looks like in action, we’re sharing these six PBIS examples to help inspire the many ways you can implement PBIS in your school. Or if your looking to scale up your program you check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide.

1. School-Wide Routines

Implement PBIS into your school by establishing straightforward, easy-to-follow routines. When students are unsure about what will happen next, it opens the door for them to get off task or participate in unwanted behaviors. There are lots of opportunities for routines throughout schedule! Think about a morning routine and how it sets the tone for the day: 

The morning bell rings signaling the beginning of the school day followed by the recitation of the pledge over the intercom. Next, the students listen to the daily announcements, learn an SAT Word of the Day, and hear a motivational quote. 

The students know to have their class materials ready by the end of the morning announcements because that’s when the teacher will begin class. In this case, the morning routine sets a positive tone for the day and fills the transition time between when students arrive in class and when instruction begins. 

As an administrator, you can also encourage teachers to create routines within their classrooms and write the routines on the board for students to reference if they forget. If you're looking to establish routines for younger students you should try our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.

2. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are fair consequences that are directly related to a specific behavior. They give students the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn from their behavior and develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect. 

Here’s a scenario to help you think about how you can use logical consequences in your school:

Two students are causing a disruption in the classroom by arguing loudly with each other. 

Instead of assigning after-school detention or in-school suspension, give the students a logical consequence. 

Since they wasted class time and disrespected each other by yelling at each other, a logical consequence would be that the students have to spend recess time with the guidance counselor learning about effective communication and conflict resolution. 

In this case, PBIS interventions students have the opportunity to reflect on their actions, learn strategies to improve their communication, and resolve the initial conflict.

3. Positive Environment

Creating a welcoming environment for students doesn’t have to be a tedious task. A few small adjustments can eliminate visual chaos which can help students focus, think more clearly, and improve their mood, resulting in an increase in positive behaviors. 

Ensure the hallways are clean and free of clutter, open windows to let in natural light, and place live plants throughout the school to produce fresh air. 

You can also add personality to the hallways by displaying motivational posters, adding bright paint, and displaying a mural of the school mascot. 

pbis poster

By making the school a more inviting place, you can instill a sense of community into the students can decrease the chances of them intentionally causing disruptions.

4. Tangible Rewards

Tangible rewards are a form of positive reinforcement that encourage students to continue exhibiting the desired behaviors. Tangible rewards can serve as a mirror of how the “real world” works like with a token economy. They can motivate students to exhibit positive behaviors in the same way that paychecks can motivate people to go to work. You can even beef up your Tier 1 System by implementing some classroom rewards.

Tangible rewards should be based on the students’ interests and developmental level and should reasonably align with the desired behavior. For example, stickers would probably be an underwhelming reward for a middle school student who achieved one month of positive behavior, whereas a pair of inexpensive earbuds might excite them. Platforms like LiveSchool make it easy to assign points to behaviors that can be redeemed for tangible rewards. 

5. Clear Expectations

School and classroom expectations can work wonders for promoting positive behavior among students. Some schools choose to make it fun and memorable by using an acronym where each letter stands for the desired positive behavior (for example S stands for Support Others). 

In order to use expectations as a PBIS example, the expectations should emphasize positive behaviors. Focus on the behaviors you want them to exhibit instead of the behaviors you want them to avoid. For example, instead of saying “Don’t throw trash on the floor,” you can say “Throw trash in the trashcan.”

School-wide expectations make it easier for everyone in the school to be on the same page about what behaviors are acceptable and desired. Be sure to include the expectations in parent communication documents such as school welcome letters and the code of conduct. 

Post them throughout the school and encourage teachers to review them frequently. Take it a step further by encouraging your teachers to create and display classroom expectations!

6. Praise

Many attention-seeking behaviors that can cause disruption are often reinforced when school leaders spend more time addressing negative behaviors than praising positive behavior. PBIS encourages educators to get to the root of misbehavior and address it rather than punishing students for the behavior. 

Reinforcing positive behavior encourages students to perform that behavior more frequently, and praise is one form of positive reinforcement that can be effective in all grade levels. 

When using praise as positive reinforcement, be sure to do so consistently. 

A common mistake that educators make is to praise a student who usually misbehaves when they show improvement, but fail to acknowledge the students who consistently exhibit positive behaviors. 

An example of how to do this on a school-wide level is by having a student-of-the-week or student-of-the-month award. Students and staff members can nominate students who display predetermined positive behaviors and good deeds. A name can be chosen at random from the list of nominees to receive a tangible reward, and the other names of the other nominees can be displayed on a poster or bulletin board for everyone to see.

Your Turn

Whether you’re a teacher who wants to use positive behavior support in the classroom or an administrator implementing PBIS on a school-wide level, or you're ready to set up a PBIS Store you can start by using these simple yet effective PBIS examples today. Or if your new to behavior support you should take a peek at our resources on how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.

To learn what other educators are saying take a look at our PBIS reviews. How do you unlock the full potential of PBIS? Check out our resources on harnessing the power of PBIS for your school district.

Providing behavior support in today's schools requires that we address behavior problems holistically. Check out how The Dulles School of Excellence is doing just that by blending PBIS and SEL.

Learn more about the author, 
Deiera Bennett
 

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