Beyond Behavior Plans: The Power of Effective Tier One in Transforming Classroom/School-wide Culture

Gregg Stoller MSW, BCBA, LBA

BTC Behavioral Consulting

btcbehavior@gmail.com

Link to Materials

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https://www.pbisvermont.org/training-resources/vtpbis-annual-forum/

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Introduction: Gregg Stoller MSW, BCBA, LBA

• Psychology (BA, 1986)

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• Social worker (MSW, 1991)

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• School Counselor K-8 (2005)

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• BCBA (2012)

Introductions

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“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” - Isaac Newton

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Expectations/Protocols

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• Only one person speaks at a time
• Be respectful/allow others to have a chance
• Raise your hand to be recognized (unless otherwise specified)
• Participate to the best of your abilities
• If you need a break (for any reason), just take it
• Technology use

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Goals for Today

For each of you to leave this training:

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• With new and helpful ways of thinking about student behavior

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• With new intervention ideas that you will find effective in building community and reducing challenging behavior in your classrooms and in your schools

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• With a new sense of hope about your work and an excitement about implementing changes in your practice and in your school community

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Disclaimer

‘The remarkable thing about television (replace with “the internet”) is that it permits several million(replace with billion) people to laugh at the same joke and still feel lonely’

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-T.S. Eliot

Despite the Promise of the Internet….

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• Our students are increasingly disconnected and lonely

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• And so are adults…..

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Our Students are Craving:

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• Physical and psychological safety

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• A safe learning community that they can be a part of

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• Adults who are stable and who are in charge

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Question: Thoughts About Your School

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How would you rate the current state of the behavioral issues that you are seeing in your school/classroom?

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1. Things are great, 2. Things are good, 3. Things are OK, 4. Things are difficult, 5. Things are very difficult

When Tier 3 Numbers Go Above 5%.....

Group Share

When you hear the words, “behavior problem” (or interfering behavior) what do you think of?

Let’s Start Here:

What We Teach Is Behavior

And We Assess Behavior…. Why Did They Do That?

Teaching Is All About:

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• Assessing Behavior

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• Teaching Behavior

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• Remediating Problems (errors)

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• Reassessing

If You Teach…..

You assess and teach behavior

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How we assess a behavior, has a huge impact on our response to a behavior

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For academics: Educators are trained in assessment

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For interfering behavior:?? …………………??

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In Lieu of Specialized Training in Assessment…

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When confronted with situations or behavior that we do not understand, we tend to rely on our learned mindsets as an explanatory tool

Mindsets

Mindset Research – Alia Crum PhD.

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• Mindsets: The lenses through which information is perceived, organized, and interpreted

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• Particular mindsets can alter objective reality through behavioral, psychological, and physiological mechanisms. 

Mindset

• The brain as a prediction machine

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• Saves us energy/more efficient

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• Leads us to make assumptions

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• Leads us to engage in behavior

Mindset Effects: Three Simple Examples

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• Anxiety treatment

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• COVID

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• Personal relationships

Two Typical Mindsets that People Have About Interfering Behavior – Patrick Friman BCBA

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• Pathological Mindset

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• Circumstantial Mindset

Pathological Mindset Example

Pathological Mindset

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• There is a pathology or a disease present

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• There is something “wrong” with them

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• Behavior is due to the pathology

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Circumstantial Mindset Example

Circumstantial Mindset

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• Behavior is due to environmental conditions, context and situations

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• Not about the person’s personality or character

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• Nothing is “wrong” with the person

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• Behavior is due to particular circumstances

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Pathological vs. Circumstantial

Pathological Mindset

• Can lead to stigmatization

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• Assumptions of weakness/fragility/danger

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• Locus of control is outside of the person’s abilities – They are “out of control”

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• Condition is static - or at least very complicated to shift….

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• Others’ responses: Defensiveness/High emotion/Fear

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Pathological vs. Circumstantial

Circumstantial Mindset

• Less stigma

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• Circumstances change so there is intrinsically more hope

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• Locus of control is within the person, within support systems and the environment

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• Instills empathy/less defensiveness/more openness from others

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Resistance to Using a Circumstantial Mindset

• Despite the inherent power and positive aspects of the circumstantial mindset, there is resistance to using it

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• For some, it’s a real shift in thinking

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• In schools: Places responsibility on the environment, which includes structures, schedules and staff behavior

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• Asks staff members to change their structures/behaviors

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Circumstantial Mindsets Are the Basis of Effective Behavioral Interventions

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• Behavior is due to context, circumstances and history

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• By altering the circumstances in the present, we work to teach new behaviors

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• We create an effective environment for learning and for healing

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A Circumstantial Mindset is a Trauma-Informed Mindset

• Create an environment that is perceived and felt as safe

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• Provide an opportunity for students to successfully self-regulate their behaviors in productive ways and create a sense of belonging to the communities around them

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• Install routines, schedules, structures and rules that are predictable and allow the individual to establish a sense of competence and achievement.

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Pathological Mindset Traps

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• 2008 - Poverty focus in my school district

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• Ruby Payne: A Framework for Understanding Poverty

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• Focus on PD around the effects of Poverty on learners, etc.

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Result

• Staff’s understanding of poverty and its effects on learning grew

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• Did not see this understanding translate into student impact

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• Unintended consequence: “The reason they are not meeting the standards is because they are poor.”

Is the Same Thing Happening with Trauma?

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• I’ve already had many teachers tell me that the reason that a student can’t ___________ is because they are traumatized

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• I’ve also heard: “Oh, that’s a trauma kid.”

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David Melnick Quote:

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“How you see me, affects the way I see me.”

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The Circumstantial Mindset

• Is the most hopeful, helpful and positive mindset to have when it comes to working with students

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• Must be cultivated on both an institutional and individual level

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• And we must accept that the circumstances surrounding our communities and our students has been changing for many years - not just since COVID

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The Secret to Cultivating a Circumstantial Mindset in Schools

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Focus energy on Tier one or “Universal” interventions

Tier One

Turn and Talk

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How would you rate the quality and efficacy of your school’s tier one interventions?

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Share-out

Tier 1 = “How We Do Things Here”

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A Strong Tier 1 Is The Foundation for a Positive Classroom and School Culture

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In Order to Have Effective Tier 1:

• Must be a “top-down” approach

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• School-wide

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• Every classroom

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• Every staff

Potential Barriers to a Strong Tier 1

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• Lack of school-wide agreement on Tier 1
• Lack of training for new staff on the school ‘s Tier 1 interventions
• Pressure on educators
• No plans for assessing and reassessing Tier 1
• Lack of cohesiveness between classroom teachers, paraprofessionals and other staff (custodial/cafeteria/etc.)
• Acceptance of “Pockets of Expertise”
• Not understanding The “Honeymoon”

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Other Barriers

• Failure to target classrooms early in the school year

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• Failure to teach to competency

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• Accepting a lack of competency due to a pathological mindset

The Overall Result of Poor Tier 1

More Students Being Identified as Tier 2 or Tier 3

Systems Becoming Overwhelmed

Revert to Pathological Mindset

In Order For Tier One to Be Effective….

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Strong Tier 1 Has to Be at Both a Classroom and a School Level

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100% Fidelity should be the goal

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Quick Assessment of a Class and a School’s Tier 1

• Classroom doors

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• Radio calls - Crises?

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• Attendance by administrators in workshops/trainings/PBIS team

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• Transitions - the “Litmus test”

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Clarification of “Top-Down”

Tier One as the Key to Creating a Positive and Effective Classroom Culture

Prerequisite to a Positive Classroom Culture is Effective Classroom Management

Group Discussion

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What is “Classroom Management?

Classroom Management (Tier one)

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• Classroom management is a preventative….

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• How students get things done in the classroom/school - Tier 1 again!

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• Creation of effective and appropriate procedures/routines that ensure that all students are successful

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• Teaching these procedures until they are mastered

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Share-out: List of Some Procedures/Routines?

• School-wide

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• Classroom

Effective Classroom Management

• Foundation of all teaching

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• Not much training/coursework specifically on this topic

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• I’ve had the most success teaching new teachers using an instructional coaching model in order to improve classroom management skills

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Assessment and Teaching of Procedures

• The teacher’s assessment of the behavioral needs of a particular cohort - example
• Teaching of the skills necessary for a cohort to be available and ready to learn
• Teaching these skills just as rigorously as teaching academics

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The Teacher’s Lament

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They Should Know This By Now

Teaching Procedures

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• Is an ongoing process throughout the year
• First taught under your low pressure situations and before high preference activities
• Embedded into more academic situations
• And taught and retaught continually
• Until 100% proficient - really?

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Accepting Less Than 100% Proficiency

• Can lead to a domino effect
• Students who were demonstrating proficiency, may begin to falter in their skills
• Choral responding example
• The message you communicate: “This is really not that important”

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Intervention Break

My “Intervention Decision-Making” Flowchart

This Intervention is Based on the ABA Strategy: “Proximity”

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• A strategy in which the staff reduces the physical distance between themselves and students as a way to remind students of behavioral expectations

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• Research show that it reduces behavioral issues

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• Allows staff to observe warning signs and intervene early

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This Intervention…..

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• Is guaranteed to significantly reduce your school’s behavioral referrals

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• If you haven’t yet done this intervention, I like to say you’ll get at least a 30% reduction in behavioral referrals………but that’s a general figure

The Intervention

• Everyday

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• Every available staff

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• And an administrator

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• Attend all recesses/lunches- are in the hallways and near bathrooms during passing time/breaks/outdoor time/lunch

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• Thoughts about this?

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Back to Procedures

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Transitions

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The Most Important Procedures

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What is it About Transitions?

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• A transition is very complex chain of behaviors that an entire group has to all do at the same time, all within a particular time frame

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• Can be the most difficult procedure to master

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• What makes transitions so difficult?

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• How many transitions occur in a school day?

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Transitions are Anxiety Provoking

Three Parts of a Transition

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• Stop what you are doing
• Includes the act of actually stopping (perhaps something you really like doing)
• Putting away/cleaning up
• Move to another activity
• All students moving at the same time (typically)
• Preparing/starting a different activity
• Getting materials/preparing
• Starting a new activity

How Poor Transitions Contribute to Behavioral Issues

• Pacing - Bogs down lessons/activities

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• Creates a disinhibiting environment

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• Sets the stage for future behavioral issues

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If All of Your Transitions are Seamless….

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• I guarantee that you will have fewer behavioral issues in your classroom/school

How To Create Seamless Transitions

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• Clear expectations
• All hands on deck
• Keep the group moving - Pacing
• “Clock” students in need of extra help
• Goal = 100%
• Practice, practice, practice

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Thoughts About Transitions at Your School?

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The Transition Game

Moving From Classroom Management to Positive Classroom Culture

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What I have Learned From Watching Great Teachers

Reminder: Effective Classroom Management is the Prerequisite to a Positive Classroom Culture

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Effective Procedures Must Be in Place

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Classroom Culture

• How a classroom “feels”

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• How students feel

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• How the staff feel

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• How everyone who walks into the room feels

Who is Responsible for the Classroom and School Culture?

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Administrators and Staff

Characteristics of a Positive Culture

• Safety
• Classroom seems to “run by itself” (effective procedures)
• Focus on authentic relationships
• Positive group identity
• Consistency
• Sense of belonging/acceptance of all students
• Accountability to the group
• Goal-oriented
• High expectations

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Creating Safety

• Structure/Organization
• Consistency - Responses and emotions
• Predictability - Few surprises
• Boundaries - Adults are in charge
• Rules - What are the rules? Are the adult responses consistent and appropriate?

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Routines and Positive Culture

In a Positive Culture, Routines are Turned Into Rituals

Routines versus Rituals

• Routines focus on the “what”

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• Rituals focus on the “why” - teaches group ‘s values

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• Routines make the ordinary invisible

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• Rituals make the ordinary extraordinary.

Routines versus Rituals

The difference between a routine and a ritual is the attitude behind the action. While routines can be actions that just need to be done—such as cleaning your desk or finishing your work—rituals are viewed as more meaningful practices which have a real sense of purpose.

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Routines get things done. Rituals build connection

Turning a Routine into a Ritual

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• Focusing on the outcome of the routine and how it affects everyone
• Connecting the routine to group goals
• Naming the routine
• Creating a history of the routine - stories from the past…..
• Artifacts
• Celebrating the routine

Creating a Positive Group Identity

• Another proactive intervention

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• Being in the group = Safety, sense of belonging, connection

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• Being in the group = comfort/support/”fun”

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• Being out of the group = no fun

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Using The Positive Group Identity

• Being in the group is where you get the “good stuff”

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• Each student is taught that they represent the group while in the community

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• Being out of the group is never preferred (time-out, reset, behavioral issue, etc.)

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• Being out of the group always results in a response from the teacher…. and potentially the group

Caveat: Farming Out Your Responses to Behavioral Issues

• Creates a disconnection between you and the student

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• May send the message that the student doesn’t “belong”

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• May send the message that you can’t “handle” the student

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• May lead to a lack of trust/connection

Intervention Break

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Intervention for Teaching Procedures/Rituals/Positive Group Identity

ABA Techniques Utilized

• Modeling
• Group contingency - sort of
• Planned ignoring
• Positive reinforcement

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The Modified Hero Procedure

Speaking of Punishment..

Discipline

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• Discipline: Creation of rules to control how students behave, with a focus on “punishment” to exert this control

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Discipline

• Wanes in importance when there is a positive classroom culture

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• Discipline without effective classroom management /positive culture is a recipe for disaster

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• Much of the “crisis” behavior consulting that I’ve done is due to poor classroom management combined with a teacher who only wants to focus on discipline

Positive Group Identity and Punishment

• Punishment, without a positive group identity, is a one dimensional intervention that can breed resentment/anger toward adults and may teach students that the way we teach people is through aversive responses

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• When a student feels a sense of belonging to a positive group, punishment can move beyond being an aversive response from adults

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In the Context of a Positive Culture, The Meaning of Punishment Moves Beyond Being an Aversive to Fostering a Sense of Accountability

(T. Roach/KF)

Discipline will Be Necessary, But You Need a Plan

• Need a continuum of responses that occur when procedures/rules are not followed

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• Must be explained and taught to the students and staff

Do You Have a Discipline Plan For Your Classroom/School? What is it? Is It Effective?

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Discuss Your Classroom’s/School’s Take on Discipline - What’s the Plan?

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Share-out General Thoughts

Discipline Plans Should Be:

• A continuum - least to most

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• Individualized - for students/cohort

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• Effective - need to be evaluated on a regular basis

Intervention(s) Break

Time-out!

• The most overused and most misunderstood behavioral intervention used in schools

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• Also called “Reset” or “Teacher directed break” or ??

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• Created as punishment procedure

Time-out

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• Procedure invented by Arthur Staats in the 1950’s

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• Was a ground-breaking idea as it asked parents to refrain from spanking , hitting or yelling at their children for misbehavior�
• A punishment procedure that is predicated on the child being able to be isolated and kept away from “reinforcing activities”

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Time-out in Schools

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• Many times, time-out (or whatever it is called) results in reinforcing activities (escape/attention) for the student
• Teaches student that if they want to avoid or escape an activity, they know how to do it…..
• Results in a loss of allocated teaching time
• Repeated use of time-out means it is not working
• Can lead to what I call the “negative reinforcement cycle”

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Alternatives to Time-Out

• Time away - article

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• “Time for Time” rule

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• Buddy room

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• Pass program - “Class pass” plan

The Key To Any Effective Punishment Procedure: Teacher Follow-up

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• Leaving the group due to behavior must be viewed by the group members as a major issue

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• As the group leader, every time one of the group members has a major behavioral incident, the teacher must take the time to follow up with that student

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When Students are Unresponsive to Intervention

• Relationship is key

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• “Connect before you correct” (see Asset Based Feedback Handout)

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• Reassessment process, remediation, etc.

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The Thing To Remember About Punishment….

• Punishment is defined by what it does, not by what it is

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• If you “punish” a student and the behavior continues, then what you did is not punishment

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• “Punishing” a student repeatedly without seeing a change in behavior is inappropriate and unethical

What About “Regulation” Breaks?

• Not Punishment

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• Students leaving the classroom for “breaks” to “regulate”

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• If they are being used, comprehensive data should be be kept and plans should be in place for decreasing this need

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RIP Arthur Staats - 2021 (age 97)

In Conclusion: Tier One as The Key to Creating a Safe and Effective Classroom and School Culture

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• Effective and comprehensive Tier one is the key to reducing behavioral issues in schools

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• It is the responsibility of all staff members and administrators

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• Cohesiveness, agreement and fidelity among all staff cannot be a choice

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I’ve come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool for torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or deescalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.

~Haim Ginott

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Thank You!

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Gregg Stoller MSW, BCBA, LBA

BTC Behavioral Consulting

btcbehavior@gmail.com

(802)258-0276