Behavior Plan

My son, practicing mindfulness on the playground.

Behavior plans are complex and typically need to align with the vision and practice of the individual school. But in each teacher's community, classroom meetings are a great place to establish guidelines using student input. By inviting students to participate in the discussion, they feel a greater sense of ownership in the process, and the hope is to increase their commitment to the guidelines as well.

The following rules encompass nearly every imaginable behavior in the classroom while maintaining positive language.

• Golden Dragons are safe. 
• Golden Dragons show respect. 
• Golden Dragons are kind. 
• Golden Dragons do their best.

When behavior does not meet these expectations, students will feedback from the teacher or their peers that is friendly but firm. It may be a gentle tap on the shoulder, a quiet look, or simply saying their name out loud. The least disruptive intervention is the best intervention, so as to continue learning and avoid shaming a student who has stepped out of line. A follow-up conversation about behavior may be necessary, for example, after the lesson is complete, or when students are transitioning to recess.

If students do not respond to the simple and subtler interventions, the classroom is equipped with a comfortable Thinking Zone, used to “hit the reset button” on a student’s body and/or words. A "think sheet" may be used to guide reflection and to document the student's perspective on the situation (Koetje, 2017). The effectiveness of time-out is controversial, but I believe this is a productive way to help get students back to learning in a way that is gentle and without stigma. The teacher’s tone of voice is a huge factor--my goal is to always deliver intervention without anger or contempt in my voice.

My go-to interventions include:

1. Compliment a student who is making a great choice (loud enough for all to hear!). Pointing out the role models draws attention to the good behavior rather than the less-than-perfect. Not useful if the entire class has fallen apart and there is no role model in sight!
2. “Frozen fish!” All students freeze like a sardine. Useful for when lots of bodies are moving in the classroom and more information is needed or when students need to check their body safety. May not work when the class is entirely too rowdy.
3. Lights out. This is a visual cue that helps students know to take their volume down to a whisper level (once taught). May not be a great option if students are scattered around the room--not enough teacher visibility could be problematic.
4. “Show me you understand.” This is a magic sentence. If a student refuses to comply with a direct request, replying with this sentence instills instant motivation in many reluctant learners. May not be effective when the misbehavior stems from actually not understanding.
5. “You’re a kind friend, and the choice you’re making doesn’t seem like you.” Reminding students that the teacher knows and believes in their best gives them a chance to return to better choices without shame. Kindness begets kindness, and encouragement seems to beget cooperation.
6. “Are you listening with your eyes, your eyes, and your hands?” Whole body listening is a strategy that helps students understand the subtleties of nonverbal communication. Not only is this a useful tool in the classroom, it is a great interpersonal skill that will benefit students for the rest of their lives. Sometimes the abstract language can be confusing for some, so a more direct, “Your body is not facing the speaker” may be more useful.
7. “Be mindful of your body.” Mindfulness is woven into the social-emotional learning curriculum as well as checkpoints throughout the day. Remembering to take deep belly breaths, count slowly, and use a calm-down bottle (dish soap, glitter and vegetable oil in a recycled water bottle make for a mesmerizing and soothing pause)--these all help students gain physical control when they are overstimulated or upset. Sometimes a student’s emotions are too significant for these strategies, in which case I would seek the support of the school counselor in the classroom.

Check out this tutorial on a quick and easy calm-down bottle.