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 differences you notice between Classroom A and Classroom B?
- What behaviors are the students in each classroom exhibiting?
- How are the adults in each scenario behaving?
- What outcomes might you expect based on how each classroom started its day?
In this module we will define behaviors based on the following two questions that educators and paraeducators ask themselves when they are thinking about student behaviors and trying to determine if those behaviors are worth changing and supporting (McGuire & VanUitert, 2024):
- Is the behavior physically, academically, or socially-emotionally harmful to the child? How do you know?
- Is the behavior physically, academically, or socially-emotionally harmful to the child’s peers? How do you know?
Think about these two questions when reflecting on your own students’ behaviors. Are they worth supporting and changing?
Generally speaking we do one of three things to help support the behavior and or make a change (McGuire & VanUitert, 2024):
• Check the environment: what changes can be made to the environment to support the child?
• Check yourself: what changes can the teacher make to support the child?
• Check the child: what supports can be provided directly to the child?
McGuire and VanUitert (2024) have a questionnaire available from their research on behavior. This questionnaire can help you and your team determine your next steps as you make a plan to change and support behavior. Find the article with the questionnaire on page 5 … McGuire and VanUitert Article and Questionnaire