“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
PBIS strategies are proactive approaches that explicitly teach positive behavioral strategies to promote change.
.jpg)
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
Katherine Neumeier has spent the last 8 years in education working with Title I schools to build strong classroom practices and close academic gaps with English Language Learners and Special Populations. She has taught across multiple grade levels as well as coached educators, served as a reading specialist, and built an intervention program from the ground up. Integrating EdTech platforms as well as utilizing behavior management tools such as Liveschool have transformed and supported her role as an educator. She earned a bachelor's degree from St. Mary's University and a M.Ed from The University of St. Thomas.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar?
“I don’t know what to do, Sam just won’t stop hitting or pushing his friends at recess”.
“Tamara and Leslie keep blurting out in class, I can barely get through my math lesson!”.
“The students in my third period are out of control. How do I get my students to stop having side conversations and focus on what I am teaching?”
Maybe you have first-hand experience with similar behavioral issues at your school or have observed them in classrooms. You are not alone!
Educators everyday experience a wide range of social, emotional, and academic behaviors that they must meet head-on to ensure student success.
If classroom management strategies are lacking, academics will also fall short. So what can we do to ensure our students have the behavioral support they need?
This is where PBIS comes in.
PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Sounds complex, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. It is a three-tiered framework that offers differentiated behavior support so that students are met where they are.
With PBIS Tiers, every student receives Tier 1 behavior interventions support, which is also called universal support. If students need more specialized or targeted interventions they then would move into Tier 2 and possibly Tier 3, dependent on their needs.
PBIS interventions work because they are a proactive approach to behavior management. Students are only able to meet our behavior expectations if they know what they are and then consistently held to that standard.
Where many schools fall short is leveraging punishment or consequences in an attempt to get students to behave in the way they would like them to. This is not the best practice.
You are right in thinking that holding students accountable for behavior is crucial. But consequences alone do not actually teach kids the skill sets they need to positively improve their behavior.
At its core, PBIS best practices encompass a proactive approach that calls for the explicit teaching of positive behavioral support to ensure a lasting change.
So what does this actually look like in the classroom? Here are 10 strategies you can use to bolster your PBIS behavior plan.
Just as teachers use anchor charts to refer back to previously learned concepts, the school-wide expectations should also be posted in the classroom as an easy point of reference for behavior.
Having different expectations for every classroom is not the best practice. Instead, developing school-wide expectations that are used and referenced daily within every classroom creates a unified vision for appropriate behaviors.
This also helps students as they transition to other spaces in the school throughout the day. Consistency is key!
Students work best in classroom environments that have predictable and consistent classroom routines. These routines should be explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced throughout the school year.
Studies have proven that students perform better and are prone to more positive behaviors within structured environments.
These are used to help students and educators communicate while also minimizing distraction during instructional moments.
The signals could be for needs such as using the restroom or to support classroom engagement and participation.
This strategy only works if taught explicitly, modeled by the teacher, and practiced daily. Similar to classroom expectations, it would be helpful to have a visual of these signals posted for students to refer back to. Here’s an example from The Happy Teacher:
Just as teachers set academic goals with their students to address gaps and respond to data, the same should happen with behavior.
How? As students and teachers have conversations about behavior (which happens on a daily basis) teachers are able to turn any observed negative behavioral pattern into a goal.
These goals should be tied to the PBIS reward system so students are positively recognized when they work towards meeting each goal.
Observed Behavior: Students are consistently having side conversations during the lesson.
Goal: We can show our understanding of “time and place” by talking and playing with our friends at the right time.
As mentioned earlier, most students are prone to acting out or showing disruptive behavior during unstructured moments in their day.
A way to combat this is by having both the school day and academic lessons broken down into meaningful and well-executed chunks that are planned and paced out. The less downtime students have, the more likely positive behaviors will be maintained throughout the entirety of the school day.
This does not mean students should not have time to decompress and take breaks. It simply means these times should be planned out in advance and a part of the student’s daily routine. If your working with younger students you should see our guide to PBIS in Elementary Schools.
Redirection is a very effective PBIS strategy to regain a student’s attention, but only if it is implemented correctly. The more respectful and general the redirection is, the more likely students will respond positively.
Instead of…“It doesn’t look like some of the class is paying attention”.
Try…“I notice some students are distracted. Let’s take a minute to regain focus.”
Instead of…“I still don’t have all eyes, Pam and Carlos are you ready?”
Try…“I’ll be ready to teach as soon as I have all eyes on me. 3, 2, 1.”
Instead of…“Claire, I already gave directions multiple times. Why are you not following along?
Try…“Can someone raise their hand and share the direction again? Some of us aren’t ready yet.”
A simple way to be proactive in the classroom with behavior is to know what is going on and be aware of the learning and conversations taking place. Consistently move around the room, check for understanding, scan to ensure all students are following directions, and interact with individuals or groups.
This strategy helps to ensure that every member of the learning environment is safe, engaged, and learning.
More commonly known as ‘positive narration’, this type of teacher talk is popular among educators who use responsive classroom techniques.
It is used to show that they notice their student’s positive behaviors while also encouraging the rest of the class to follow suit.
When using reinforcing language, make sure…
Here are examples of positive narration:
This classroom necessity is both a system and a PBIS strategy. To put it simply, the calming corner is a physical space set up in a quiet area of the classroom to help students de-escalate when upset and work through their emotions before rejoining the class.
Calming Corners are not a punishment or a form of timeout. Instead, they offer a safe space for students to go to self-regulate and restore their self-control and focus.
Similar to other systems within the classroom, calming strategies and the purpose behind the Calming Corner should be explicitly taught, modeled, and practiced. Here’s an example from @nic.ole.day on Instagram.
When students are not meeting behavioral expectations and logical consequences have been given, teachers should then initiate a restorative conversation. These enable teachers to maintain positive behavior supports and relationships with their students, even when there are behavioral missteps. The best practice is to model and use ‘when-then statements’ which communicate to students the expectation and the positive consequence that will come from making a better choice.
Classroom PBIS strategies are proactive, responsive, and support students as they grow socially, emotionally, and behaviorally. The implementation of these best practices will transform your classrooms and ensure both educators and students are successful and supported. Then if your looking for peers to bounce ideas off outside of your school can check out our resources on taking PBIS district-wide. Or if your new to behavior support we have you covered with a handy guide on creating a PBIS Store, creating rewards that rock, and even how to start your PBIS program. Want to learn all you can possibly learn about PBIS? Check out our Complete PBIS Field Guide.
Looking for a place to start your school culture journey? Check out our free PBIS template where you can download a sample to get started. 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.
Every day, the LiveSchool Vision becomes reality.
