PLC - Classroom Management

Course Question

What classroom management strategies work effectively for students with disabilities?

Study Guide

Complete this study guide Download study guide

to help you focus on the most important aspects of the readings.

Download

MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS

So far we have discussed academic goals and assessments for students. Another key area of support for students is behavior. Managing students behavior is a challenging skill for all teachers and can be particularly challenging for new teachers who are working with students with disabilities in their classes. In the graphic above, you can see that there are also multiple tiers of support for students in the area of behavior. The name of the strategy for providing multiple tiers of support in behavior is called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). The professional learning community works together to assess any concerns they have with behavior and providing interventions at the three tiers for students who struggle in this area. After you have completed the readings for this lesson, you will work with your PLC to develop a common behavior plan.

WHAT IS PBIS?

The following article and video will give you an overview of a classroom management approach called Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Rather than training you on classroom strategies that you can implement as a teacher in your class, this approach recognizes the value of changing the school social climate to be a positive and instructive environment that creates the opportunity for all students to choose to behave appropriately and to be recognized for making those appropriate choices. Although this is a school wide model, the principles can be implemented on a smaller scale in your individual classroom. This school wide method is proving to have outstanding results and is becoming very popular in school settings.

Article:San Jose Unified School District Website on PBIS

What to look for:

What is Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports?
What is the intended outcome of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports?
How is PBIS different from management systems of the past?
What school age level is PBIS designed for? What students in the school is it designed to support?

Video: What is PBIS? (11/6/2020: Original video is not working, so I found a couple other videos that provide similar content. Sorry!)

What to watch for:

What is included in each tier of the multi-tiered system for support in behavior?
What is the real reason for positive reinforcement of the behavior expectations?
What are common functions or reasons for problem behavior?
What are the three factors that help make this approach a success?

WHAT DOES TIER one LOOK LIKE IN A PBIS MODEL?

Just as we talked about with Response to Intervention, PBIS is a multi-tiered model of support. Most students in the school, about 80%, will manage their behavior with the tier one supports in place. This article will outline what the tier one supports will look like in a PBIS model.

Article: Tier One Links to an external site.

What to look for:

What does the primary level of prevention, or tier one, look like in a PBIS model?
What is the process for developing school wide expectations? What are the specific features of school wide expectations?
What is the purpose of labeling areas of the school where the inappropriate behavior could occur? How are appropriate behaviors taught and reinforced?
How does PBIS help prevent the major problem behaviors we read about in the news?

WHAT DOES TIER TWO LOOK LIKE IN A PBIS MODEL?

Much like Response to Intervention, the tier two supports in the PBIS model are intended for a small group of students. These procedures are primarily teaching sessions in which students learn the importance of the school-wide expectations and how to better meet them. These small groups may include plans for interventions and more individualized reinforcement that might be selected by students.

Article: Tier Two Links to an external site.

What to look for:

What does the secondary level of prevention, or tier two, look like in the PBIS model?
How does a school team determine who needs the tier two strategies?
How will the school team determine if tier two strategies are effective?

WHAT DOES TIER three LOOK LIKE IN A PBIS MODEL?

In order to learn about the third level of support in a PBIS model, you will read about a specific case study. One of the features of third level of support is that it targets individual students who have not been able to manage their behavior within the tier one and tier two levels of support. The team works together to meet the needs of this student and help him or her find success at school and in other areas of his or her life.

Article: Tier Three Links to an external site.

(If the link does not work, here Download here

is a print-out version)

What to look for:

What are some of Alex’s characteristics?
What is Alex’s problem behavior?
What are the tier one and tier two supports that the team has in place for Alex?
What did the team determine was the function of Alex’s problem behavior?
What will the team do to support Alex in changing his behavior?

PLANNING INTERVENTIONS

There are many positive and proactive strategies that can be used with students to increase appropriate behaviors. There are seven positive strategies listed below. Please choose three strategies to read about and learn how to implement them. You may use these strategies in your group assignment later. Each of these strategies have been researched and shown to be effective in managing students, including students with difficult behavior.

Strategies:

What to look for:

What is the strategy?
What is the benefit of using the strategy or why does it work?
When should you use the strategy?
How is the strategy implemented?

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Before you begin your assignments, watch this video about how teachers at Riverview Junior High worked as a PLC to discuss positive behavior interventions. This video will prepare you to work with your group members on your assignment for today’s lesson.

ASSIGNMENTS

Complete the closed book, closed notes quiz.
Complete the PLC - Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Plan with your PLC group.
Complete the self evaluation of your PLC participation.