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Introduction to Teaching Interactions

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Pre-Service Workshop: Treatment Foster Care

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If You Want It, TEACH IT

“If a child doesn’t know how to read, we teach.

If a child doesn’t know how to swim, we teach.

If a child doesn’t know how to multiply, we teach.

If a child doesn’t know how to drive, we teach.

If a child doesn’t know how to behave, we…”

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        • Tom Herner (National Assoc of State Directors of Special Education President)

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Teaching Interactions

  • Definition: Step-by-Step interactions to effectively praise, preventively teach, correct inappropriate behaviors and de-escalate behaviors.

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  • The steps to the teaching interactions were observed, studied and researched. They have been proven to make interactions more effective.

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  • Every parent does them. The Teaching Family Model takes effective learning and teaching tools and puts them on paper for consistent use – increasing the effectiveness of teaching skills.

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    • They answer the question, “What do I do now?”

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EFFECTIVE PRAISE

PREVENTIVE

CORRECTIVE

General praise statement

General praise or empathy

Get their attention and stop the problem behavior

Describe specific behavior

Give them a reason to practice

Use praise/empathy statement

Youth centered rationale

Describe the specific behavior

Describe the problem behavior

Optional reward

Give a youth centered rationale

Give negative consequence

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Model the skill/desired behavior

Describe appropriate alternative behavior

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Have the youth practice the skill/desired behavior

Give a youth centered rationale

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Praise and give feedback

Model the skill/desired behavior

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Give reward and preventive prompt

Have the youth practice the skill/desired behavior

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Praise and reduce the consequence

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Which Teaching Interaction Should Be Used?

(Effective Praise, Preventive Teaching,

Corrective Teaching or Guided De-Escalation)

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  • Donny asked nicely if he could wear another outfit?
  • Marie took one of Donny’s purple socks without asking.
  • Donny could not find his purple socks and so he was yelling and screaming at people.
  • Donny was often jealous of Marie and they would be working together later that day on a song.
  • Marie threw a microphone at Donny after being told by her manager that she needed to calm down and finish the song. She refused to finish the song and the manager continued to try to work with her but she continued to be non-compliant

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FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

  • Look at the person
  • Say OK
  • Do the task immediately
  • Check back

ACCEPT FEEDBACK/CONSEQUENCE

  • Look at the person
  • Calm face and voice
  • Say OK
  • Fix situation
  • Check back

DISAGREE APPROPRIATELY

  • Look at the person
  • Calm face and voice
  • State both sides
  • Listen, say decision
  • Stop talking about it

ACCEPT NO

  • Look at the person
  • Calm face and voice
  • Say OK
  • Stop talking about it

STEPS FOR SKILLS

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��� �Why We Use Steps: ����

For the youth

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For the Adults

1. Help respond, and not react

2. Know what to do next instead of relying on emotional response

3. Stay focused on positive behaviors

4. More effective

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1. Help the youth understand a better way

2. Highlight specific behaviors

3. Set the youth up to be successful

4. Provide positive motivation to listen and to learn

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Quality Components

  • What are Quality Components?
    • Non-verbal communication
    • Voice tone, proximity, humor, appropriate touch, eye contact,

body position, gestures, and enthusiasm

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  • MOST communication is non-verbal (80-90%)
  • Shows concern for youth and strengthens the relationship
  • Builds trust/ helps youth feel safe

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Quality Components:

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  • Use youth’s name, Pleasant facial expression
  • Calm voice tone, Proximity, Same physical plane
  • Appropriate physical touch, Eye contact