Behavioral Contracting

Behavior Contracting is an excellent strategy used by teachers for reducing an individual student's disruptive behavior. A behavioral contract is a written contract that specifies a student's behavioral obligations. The contract also details the expectations of the teacher in carrying out the intervention plan. Because the student is an active participant in developing the contract, the student is more likely to be motivated to abide by the terms of the contract. During this video, Dr. Tim Knoster of Bloomsburg University will discuss the components of a behavioral contract and demonstrate how to write a contract with a student.

Handouts for Dr. Knoster's session can be found on the PaTTAN website at: http://www.pattan.net/resources/request.aspx?UniqueID=05148

Please note that the video is in two parts. Part 1 represents the first 1/2 hour of the presentation and part 2 the last.

Additional information on behavioral contracting will be in our next post!

Behavioral Contracting Video Part 1

Behavioral Contracting Video Part 2

Teachers' Desk Reference: Classroom Management

Welcome to Behavior Support in PA! This blog contains tips and resources to support the implementation of positive behavior support in the classroom.

A difficult aspect of teaching is effectively managing a class full of diverse students. This first post will provide you with some pointers on how to address the various behaviors your students might be presenting.

• Teaching and managing social behaviors directly and proactively (positively and preventively) is a critical step in the process.
  
• One way to manage social behaviors is by teaching your classroom expectations just like you would teach reading, math, physics, music, etc.
  
• Be sure to explicitly state what students are expected to do - show them how they are to do it - and then reinforce the behavior when it's done correctly.
• Consider designing the structure and functions of your classroom to increase predictability and to accommodate individual and collective needs of students.

Research shows that teachers who organize space, manage time, materials and paperwork efficiently increase the amount of instructional time in the classroom. Teacher’s Desk Reference on Classroom Management will guide you through teaching expectations, creating the routines and structure necessary to effectively manage a classroom as well as the A, B, C’s of behavior and understanding the power of reinforcement.

The Teachers Desk Reference can be found at:
http://www.pattan.net/files/effInstruct/TDR-ClassrmMgmt080609.pdf

Please provide comments related to our resource, questions regarding classroom management and feedback in the blog comments. We will answer questions and post comments so that we may all benefit from the lively discussion that inevitably occurs as teachers and classroom staff share ideas and suggestions!