Case Study A: Bonnie*
Bonnie is a student who is disruptive, argumentative, has a quick temper and has been noted to scream, throw objects, push and shove objects and other students for minute reasons and engages in idle banter that distracts the other students and contributes to a negative classroom environment. Bonnie has been diagnosed with several disabilities including ADHD, Autism and Torrets which contribute to her behaviour in classes. Bonnie is also a very sporty girl and is considered one of the popular girls in school. Her teachers have connected dots between her social status and behaviour because of the difference in her behaviours when her friends are in class verse when they are away.
Bonnie's school has devised a behaviour management plan specified to Bonnie's need to enable her to obtain the best education possible while also keeping a positive and safe classroom environment. This behaviour management plan is broken up into Five stages, depending on the level of aggression or negative behaviour displayed.
The first step in the behaviour management plan is implemented if Bonnie is being loud and disruptive, yelling or walking around the room. If this is happening the teacher gives Bonnie clear direct instructions to settle these behaviours, move to a different spot in the classroom, or any other direction which will diffuse the situation. The teacher also uses take-up time while giving the instructions to provide weight and allow time for Bonnie to think about her actions and the consequences. If Bonnie does not comply with the instructions and continues, the teacher moves to stage Two of the plan.
Stage Two begins when Bonnie continues the loud and disruptive behaviour as well as argues with the teacher, uses abusive language and yells at other students or starts to push around furniture. In the event that this happens the teacher is required to use a calm, firm voice and restate the rules; send Bonnie to the "quiet room" in the school that has been decided by a number of staff members. If Bonnie fails to comply with the teachers actions, she will be removed by either the teacher or buddy teacher (teacher aide, or a teacher requested to retrieve Bonnie) to take Bonnie to her quiet room; Bonnie can use a "quiet card" to remove herself from the situation and make her way to the quiet room. In the quiet room Bonnie is given work from the class to complete as well as a reflection sheet which she is required to fill out about what happened in the situation and another way that Bonnie could have approached the situation. At the end of the class or when Bonnie has calmed down, she is required to return to her teacher to discuss the consequences that will be implemented because of her actions.
If Bonnie fails to comply with the actions and consequences of Stage Two, including refusal to go to the "quiet room", Stage Three responses and consequences are put into action. When Bonnie refuses to leave the class to move to her "quiet room" the teacher restates the directions in a calm, firm voice; calls a leadership member or behaviour management aide who will then walk Bonnie to her quiet room where she is to complete the work and reflection sheet discussed in Stage Two. This is followed up by a discussion with Bonnie and her teacher when Bonnie is calm about the consequences of her actions.
Stage Four begins when Bonnie does not settle in the quiet room and continues her disruptive behaviours with uncontrolled outbursts which continue with increasing frequency. In the event that this happens Bonnie is moved from the quiet room to the Administration office or another location allocated by the school. In this new location, it is required that Bonnie be kept in isolation for one school period and after this time if Bonnie is calm the same actions from Stage Two and Three will take place (Bonnie discussed with her teacher the consequences for her behaviour).
Stage Five is a worst scenario case and is put into action when Bonnie does not settle in the Administration office or new location. In the event that this happens, Bonnie is to be removed from the school for a designated period of time and is able to negotiate re-entry into the school at an earlier time with the principal, teacher and Early Phase Behaviour Support Team made up of staff members.
An example of this behaviour management plan can be cited in Appendix A
Bonnie's school has devised a behaviour management plan specified to Bonnie's need to enable her to obtain the best education possible while also keeping a positive and safe classroom environment. This behaviour management plan is broken up into Five stages, depending on the level of aggression or negative behaviour displayed.
The first step in the behaviour management plan is implemented if Bonnie is being loud and disruptive, yelling or walking around the room. If this is happening the teacher gives Bonnie clear direct instructions to settle these behaviours, move to a different spot in the classroom, or any other direction which will diffuse the situation. The teacher also uses take-up time while giving the instructions to provide weight and allow time for Bonnie to think about her actions and the consequences. If Bonnie does not comply with the instructions and continues, the teacher moves to stage Two of the plan.
Stage Two begins when Bonnie continues the loud and disruptive behaviour as well as argues with the teacher, uses abusive language and yells at other students or starts to push around furniture. In the event that this happens the teacher is required to use a calm, firm voice and restate the rules; send Bonnie to the "quiet room" in the school that has been decided by a number of staff members. If Bonnie fails to comply with the teachers actions, she will be removed by either the teacher or buddy teacher (teacher aide, or a teacher requested to retrieve Bonnie) to take Bonnie to her quiet room; Bonnie can use a "quiet card" to remove herself from the situation and make her way to the quiet room. In the quiet room Bonnie is given work from the class to complete as well as a reflection sheet which she is required to fill out about what happened in the situation and another way that Bonnie could have approached the situation. At the end of the class or when Bonnie has calmed down, she is required to return to her teacher to discuss the consequences that will be implemented because of her actions.
If Bonnie fails to comply with the actions and consequences of Stage Two, including refusal to go to the "quiet room", Stage Three responses and consequences are put into action. When Bonnie refuses to leave the class to move to her "quiet room" the teacher restates the directions in a calm, firm voice; calls a leadership member or behaviour management aide who will then walk Bonnie to her quiet room where she is to complete the work and reflection sheet discussed in Stage Two. This is followed up by a discussion with Bonnie and her teacher when Bonnie is calm about the consequences of her actions.
Stage Four begins when Bonnie does not settle in the quiet room and continues her disruptive behaviours with uncontrolled outbursts which continue with increasing frequency. In the event that this happens Bonnie is moved from the quiet room to the Administration office or another location allocated by the school. In this new location, it is required that Bonnie be kept in isolation for one school period and after this time if Bonnie is calm the same actions from Stage Two and Three will take place (Bonnie discussed with her teacher the consequences for her behaviour).
Stage Five is a worst scenario case and is put into action when Bonnie does not settle in the Administration office or new location. In the event that this happens, Bonnie is to be removed from the school for a designated period of time and is able to negotiate re-entry into the school at an earlier time with the principal, teacher and Early Phase Behaviour Support Team made up of staff members.
An example of this behaviour management plan can be cited in Appendix A
Case Study B: Adam*
Adam is a very temperamental teenager who arrives to classes late, dawdles from one class to another, disengages in the learning environment, talks back to teachers and speaks in a very rude manner to teachers and other students. Adam's relationship with his parents is not good, however Adam's parents are trying to rectify the break in the relationship, but constantly hearing negative comments from the school is not helping. Adam has been diagnosed with Opposition Defiance Disorder (ODD) and because of this his teachers have put into place a positive behaviour management plan.
The behaviour management plan that Adam's teachers have put into place is setting two goals for Adam to try and reach everyday and for every class. The two goals that have been set for Adam are:
Because Adam is always arriving late to classes and not being prepared, he finds himself in trouble for majority of his classes because his actions are not appropriate for a high school and distracts the teacher and students who are trying to learn when he engages in these behaviours. With these two goals in place, if Adam arrives to class on time, or if he brings all of the equipment necessary for his classes, his teachers have been instructed to praise his good behaviour to try and reverse the psychology in his brain that says "everything I do gets punished so I won't bother" and replace it with "being praised feels good, I will do good things."
His teachers have also been engaging with a shared Google Doc which includes a blank timetable with all of Adam's classes on it. After every class his teachers have been asked to write something positive that Adam has done in class, whether it was meeting the two goals or something else and at the end of each week a copy of this timetable gets emailed to his parents so that they are seeing positive behaviours from their son instead of the constant negatives. There is an example of this timetable in Appendix B.
It is apparent to Adam's teachers that he does not want to be removed from the school and has an intent to learn but his negative behaviours and the punishments he receives for these behaviours have been over-ruling the positive student Adam can be. Because of this Adam does not receive the punishments that another student would if they displayed the same behavioural problems because the school is intent on helping Adam receive an education and make something of himself.
The behaviour management plan that Adam's teachers have put into place is setting two goals for Adam to try and reach everyday and for every class. The two goals that have been set for Adam are:
- Arrive to class on time
- Have everything you need for your classes.
Because Adam is always arriving late to classes and not being prepared, he finds himself in trouble for majority of his classes because his actions are not appropriate for a high school and distracts the teacher and students who are trying to learn when he engages in these behaviours. With these two goals in place, if Adam arrives to class on time, or if he brings all of the equipment necessary for his classes, his teachers have been instructed to praise his good behaviour to try and reverse the psychology in his brain that says "everything I do gets punished so I won't bother" and replace it with "being praised feels good, I will do good things."
His teachers have also been engaging with a shared Google Doc which includes a blank timetable with all of Adam's classes on it. After every class his teachers have been asked to write something positive that Adam has done in class, whether it was meeting the two goals or something else and at the end of each week a copy of this timetable gets emailed to his parents so that they are seeing positive behaviours from their son instead of the constant negatives. There is an example of this timetable in Appendix B.
It is apparent to Adam's teachers that he does not want to be removed from the school and has an intent to learn but his negative behaviours and the punishments he receives for these behaviours have been over-ruling the positive student Adam can be. Because of this Adam does not receive the punishments that another student would if they displayed the same behavioural problems because the school is intent on helping Adam receive an education and make something of himself.
What causes challenging behaviours and what are practical approaches to manage them? Discussion in Appendix One.
* The names provided in the Case Studies above are not the students real names. They have been changed for safety and privacy concerns.