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School behavior plans are often just a statement of how the educator wants the student to behave with rewards for production. This fails by a wide margin in being effective. When seeing such plans which are predestined to failure, it occurs that there are a few thoughts about how to better prepare.

When faced with any disability or challenge, one of the primary motivating factors is hope. Hope reflects the fundamental belief that there is a possibility to bring about significant change, which in turn leads to a more optimistic future.

True hope can only be achieved if there is solid evidence that real change will actually take place. What are the conditions necessary to provide hope?

The first comes from Feuerstein’s Theory of Structural Cognitive Modification and is the belief that the immutability of conditions produced by genetic, chromosomal, hereditary, or by acquired disability should be substituted by the concept of modifiability. The modifiability of cognitive processes and emotional conditions does not deny the existence of certain biophysical determinants of behavior. We recognize the effects of certain configurations in the individual, as well as the meaning of intrauterine and post-natal conditions of the child, but by the same token we believe that these conditions can become affected by modes of interaction with the environment, and in particular by ‘mediated learning experience’.

This preparation is aimed at strengthening the teachers’ belief in the idea that all students can reach higher levels of performance, the awareness that teachers can understand and facilitate (mediate) their growth, the development of skills they need as mediators, and the teachers’ commitment to do so.

Setting Elements

1. What goal does the child want to achieve?
2. What behaviors present barriers impede achievement of that goal?
3. What replacement behaviors would enhance achievement of that goal?
4. What intermediate rewards would the child like?

Implementation Elements

1. Extinguish the barrier behaviors by ignoring them, providing negative reinforcement or punishment.
2. Enhance replacement behaviors [or steps of behavior replacements] with negotiated rewards
3. Document trend toward new performance and achievement.

DISCUSSION

1. What goal does the child want to achieve?

This not a decision for the educator – it is a decision for the child. If the child is unable to identify a goal, the educator will need to add more information – knowing what to add will only come through questioning. The student may simply indicate that s/he wants you ‘off his/her back’ – this is a good goal, how might it be done? Help the student understand your role and how you are going to play it – at what point will you be “off his/her back”? Stick to your guns – you have a job to do and as long as your goal is to help this kid learn, you need to do what you need to do. But understand the student is who s/he is as well and needs to do what s/he needs to do. You have already agreed to disagree – now you are simply trying to find a win/win next best alternative. What is the measurable criterion? Does the child want to achieve this measurable criterion in order to reach his/her stated goal? How can you help him/her achieve this?

2. What behaviors present barriers that impede achievement of that goal?

In the case of the above goal, the barrier behaviors are probably the ones that got the child referred. Is s/he willing to give up these behaviors to achieve his or her goal? If yes, you have a contract. If not, more information may be needed. It may feel overwhelming – the barrier behaviors may need to be split up so that s/he can achieve them one at a time. How is s/he going to be rewarded for this achievement trend?

If s/he is not able to ‘get you off his or her back’ what are some of the likely consequences?

➢ s/he will probably get a negative reputation in school
➢ s/he may find that his/her grades erode
➢ s/he may lose friends
➢ s/he may have troubles at home with his/her parents
➢ etc., etc., & etc.

Are any of these consequences ones that s/he wants to avoid? Is the goal something s/he really wants to reach? What would it take? How much are you willing to give up in order to help this student achieve?

3. What replacement behaviors would enhance achievement of that goal?

Are there replacement behaviors that are acceptable to both the school and the student? Does the student know how to perform those behaviors? Can the student articulate a step-by-step process for implementing the replacement behavior? If not, can the educator teach the behavior and perhaps, provide the student with a step-by-step procedure that s/he can follow? Can the student self instruct with the procedure?

4. What intermediate rewards would the child like?

Is the replacement behavior worth the reward? How much of the behavior is required to gain what degree of the reward? Along with the reward reinforcement can the educator add an antecedent internal attribution of responsibility? How is the student going to be weaned from the rewards to the intrinsic pleasure of learning?

If all of these elements are met, the educator and student can write up a behavior contract that indicates exactly what is expected on both sides [with the possible exception of the attributions which can b e covert]. The contract is intended to help the student be successful, therefore every effort must be made to ensure that the expectations are within the control of the student. Lack of social competence occurs because of either distortion or deficiency. Distortion of ‘inner logic’ requires the addition of new information. Deficiency may require specific mediated learning experiences. A student who is mentally retarded cannot be expected to have the cognitive strategies to learn effectively unless these are specifically taught. This is also true for certain ‘learning disabled’ children. These two approaches [providing more information and mediated learning experiences] are not mutually exclusive and may go hand in hand. This negotiation process can be a mediated learning experience if you are able to mindfully discuss exactly what your mental processes are as you negotiate and encourage the child to become aware of and identify his/her thinking processes as well. “When you say you want me off your back this causes me to question my own adequacy and makes me feel vulnerable – perhaps I respond from that and sound too harsh – what do you think about when you feel that I am on your back?” “Does your stomach get tight when I am around?” “What goes through your head?”

Discuss exactly what is expected and what the consequences will be of success and failure. Failure to achieve should be discussed along with the problems that may arise that might interfere with the student being successful. Anticipatory planning might be done so that the student and educator will know when to prompt and what consequences might be implemented. Much more energy should be spent on the negotiation of the contract than its implementation.

1. Extinguish the barrier behaviors by ignoring them, providing negative reinforcement or punishment.

The best process is to ignore barrier behaviors. However, this might not be possible, and the educator might start with prompts based on a prior discussion of anticipated problems. “I am going to ignore these behaviors – but I will say to your ‘Is it getting warm in here?’ when I first see them. This is our own personal secret code. It means ‘I see the behaviors I don’t like and I expect you to stop them’. If you stop, nothing more will be said. If you continue, I will take the following four steps.

Negative reinforcement is removal of an onerous condition when the behavior is completed. If the student refuses to abandon the barrier behavior, s/he does not get the elimination of the ban to go to the lunchroom. Punishment is not a good strategy and often backfires.

2. Enhance replacement behaviors [or steps of behavior replacements] with negotiated rewards

The important aspect of replacement behavior is that the child must be able to do the behaviors. A hyperactive child must be able to sit still if that is the requirement. S/he can practice with a timer to see how long s/he can sit without moving or talking. If s/he does not demonstrate a capacity to sit for the expected period of time, s/he can be taught through operant behavior modification [one M&M for each second sitting still], meditative or relaxation techniques]. But until s/he has demonstrated the skill at least once, it is unfair to base the contract on a behavior that s/he cannot, at present fulfill [check at home, however, if s/he is sitting still in front of the television for hours, s/he does have the skill. Another approach is to ‘ladder’ the behavior – you must sit for 10 seconds, then 20, then 30, etc. The move to the next step occurs only after repeated success at the earlier level. What you are essentially doing is allowing the student to practice sitting and getting used to the reinforcement.

3. Document trends toward new performance and achievement.

The goal is continuous quality improvement. The concept of 80% appropriate behavior is an invalid and inappropriate concept. The only goal for the student is 100% academically and interpersonally. Of course, we do not behave appropriately 100% of the time, but that should still be our goal. Zero defect is perfection and no one is perfect, but we always want to move toward perfection. Thus the performance is worded in such a way that the student is seeking mastery. He performs better today than s/he did yesterday. Thus, the trend is always moving closer to 100%. The contract should be written in such a way as to indicate that mastery is the expectation and that each defect is identified and discussed so that the student learns each time what s/he is doing wrong and what s/he can improve. Obviously at some point, the learning becomes self-learning as the replacement behavior is sufficiently in place and the barrier behaviors never occur in their original form, and the issue becomes moot – except that the student is always encouraged to continually improve.