1
Imagine two fourth-grade classrooms. The day is just beginning. In Classroom A, the teacher and parapro welcome all of the students at the door, asking a quick “how are you doing,” to each student. In Classroom B, students walk in and wander around the room, greeting friends. The teacher and parapro are in the hall talking to other teachers and paras. The bell rings. In Classroom A, all the students are in their seats, but in Classroom B students are still deep in conversation with friends. One of these conversations turns into an argument, and the parapro from Classroom B comes back into the room, shouting, “break it up, break it up.”
Reflect
- What are some specific examples of “Go” behaviors in Classroom A and “Stop” behaviors in Classroom B? How could the adults in Classroom B support more “Go” behaviors?
- Think about a specific challenging behavior you’ve encountered in the classroom or the behavior mentioned in this unit’s scenario. How could you apply strategies to decrease “Stop” behaviors and increase desired “Go” behaviors?
- Knowing what you know now about antecedents and consequences, can you identify any potential antecedents (things that happen before) and consequences (things that happen after behavior) in Classroom A and Classroom B to improve the outcomes of the situation?
- How could having clearly defined behaviors (Stop and Go) help the teachers and students function and have more fun in their classroom in this scenario?