Educative Time-Outs

 A time-out is often a technique used by parents when a child is displaying a behavior.  This is often a consequence of behavior that a parent has deemed unacceptable.  An educative time-out can be beneficial in the school setting when used appropriately.

The goal of an educative time-out is to remove the student from the stimuli causing the behavior.  The ultimate goal would be to eliminate the behavior.  An educative time-out needs to be used consistently in order for this to happen.

How to Implement a Time-Out Procedure in Your Classroom?

*Designate a space in your classroom.  Teach students what happens when you are in this space.

*Work with a fellow teacher to designate a space in their classroom.  You may need to remove a student from your classroom depending on the function of their behavior.  

*Time-outs should be short in length 1-5 minutes depending on the age of the child.  

*Have a conversation when the student returns to your classroom about their behavior and how they can work on improvement.

Check out this short video from Responsive Classroom about the time-out process.

Types of Reinforcement

 There are both positive and negative types of reinforcement.  When we want to reinforce a desirable behavior we need to provide immediate stimulus or reward to ensure that the behavior increases.  We can also accidentally reinforce negative behavior by giving the desired reaction to the behavior.  If a student is looking for attention for either teacher or their peers and we reinforce the behavior by giving that attention they are more likely to continue that behavior since they received the desired stimulus.  

We can set a schedule of reinforcement based on independent, dependent, and interdependent variables.  Group contingency is often used in classrooms where the class works towards a group reward.  Students will hopefully encourage each other to perform the desired behavior so the whole class can get the reward.

Causes of Challenging Behavior

 There is always a reason or cause for challenging behavior.  A student does not just want to create a bad day for you.  We have to get to the bottom of the cause before we can develop a solid intervention for this student.

Common Reasons Behind Challenging include an inability to form positive peer relationships, negative school experiences, and stressful life events.  Students may also have sensory processing concerns that lead to over or under-stimulation.  Educators and parents should work together to develop interventions to address concerns about challenging behavior in the classroom and at home.  A consistent plan with all team members on board will have more success in the long run.

References

American College of Education CI 5523 Module 2 Part 1

PBIS.org

What is MTSS/RTI?

 MTSS is an acronym that stands for Multi-tiered Systems of Supports.  Response to Intervention or RTI falls under the MTSS umbrella.   

In terms of RTI, we often discuss three different tiers:

The first tier is the universal tier.  This is what every single student in your school should be receiving.  Many schools have some version of a token economy where students collect tickets and can trade these in at a school store.  At this tier, all students are exposed to instruction which could be academic or social-emotional skill lessons.  

Tier 2 is a more targeted area that students who need additional interventions.  These students may receive small group lessons for academics or even with a school social worker.  The idea here is that these students receive this intervention and are still receiving the tier 1 intervention.  Eventually, our hope would be that this intervention works and the student no longer needs this tier.  

Some students will move to tier 3 which is a more intensive tier for students that are at high risk.  This tier may mean students are being referred to special education services to address needs that have exceeded the general education setting.   

Ideas for interventions at different tiers can be found here: https://www.pbisworld.com/