Help Wanted, An Effective Behavior Management System for High School Students

If you are a fan of music from the late ‘70s, “I’m sending out an SOS. I’m sending out an SOS. I’m sending out…” You get the idea.

Here is the problem. Behavior management. Behavior management is a common struggle for new teachers and a common topic to come up in a teacher job interview.

My main problem is the largest of the three classes I teach. The 19 students are all very high functioning. AND LOUD. I don’t have disruptive outbursts or any of the extreme behaviors you hear horror stories about in college and that fellow Reality 101 blogger Kaylie experienced recently. I just have students that like to talk and talk loudly.

In academic terms, I would define the problem behaviors as “off-task” and “talking out.” In classroom terms, I just call it “chaos.” Just about the time I can get one group quiet, another group starts up. When I move to quiet them, the first group is back at it.

I want a behavior management system that uses positive reinforcement for behavior and that also has negative consequences for negative behaviors. In the school-wide behavior referral system, principals give out punishments ranging from lunch detention, after-school detention, in-school suspension (ISS), and out of school suspension (OSS).

The system works for major disruptive behaviors, but for in-class behavior management you don’t want to spend your whole day writing behavior referrals every time your students talk without permission. Also, if you want to be firm on behavior management and follow the school policy with referrals, you run the risk of being labeled as “the new teacher who can’t control any of his students.”

I’ve mentioned before that I love the CEC Tool of the Week. The Tool on acceptable rewards/reinforcers was a good start in my hunt for a better system and got me thinking about rewards I could offer my students.

My question now is how can the students earn these rewards? Should students earn reinforcers on a weekly basis, daily basis or monthly basis? Should I make “prices” for the reinforcers that the students have to earn points towards (token economy system)? My only stipulation for a behavior system is no stickers. Any system that requires stickers will be rejected. My classmates during my undergraduate years can attest to the fact that I have a thing against stickers in my classroom. So stickers aside, I’m open to any and all suggestions.

Since I teach job skills, should I make a paycheck simulation type of system where students get a “paycheck” based on behavior? Do I have the students keep track of their own points earned or do I keep track of it (MORE PAPERWORK!!)? Should I use a tangible reinforcer like tokens or less tangible reinforcers like points on a sheet?

Reality 101 is supposed to be about sharing successes and failures of the first years of teaching. So here is one of the low points of my teaching. I am completely without suggestions or tips for future teachers in this area.

I asked an experienced teacher that I respect to observe me teach and give feedback. I even stooped so low as to explore Pinterest (GASP!) for suggestions on behavior management at the high school level and was told “No results match this search.” When Pinterest doesn’t have a suggestion for you, you know you are desperate.

I would love to hear examples of behavior management systems that work from teachers who have taught at the high school level or students who have done internships at the high school level. Or perhaps you have never taught in high school, but you have ideas or suggestions for me. I’m all ears. 

Comments

[John]

@Lauren Check out my update on behavior management to see how I tried to solve the problem. I really like how it has worked so far this semester.
http://www.cecreality101.org/2013/03/john-behavior-management-update.html

[Lauren]

You're pretty much my hero for being so honest about the situation. I'm i the same boat with classroom management and am looking for something to change, but not sure what. The culture of the school is one of negativity and consequences, and I don't want that to be my classroom!

[Muga Katoke]

I also work with high school students. My students are high functioning, for the most part, but can still be restless and disruptive. My classroom behaviors system is a self monitoring point system. The students have a total of five points and these points are defined. The expectations are set and all students start off with five points. The students are then given the opportunuty to rate their behavior at the end of class. The staff in the classroom room usually affirm or disagree with the student and this provides feedback to the student about their behavior as well as their perception of that behavior. This system allow me to have frank discussions with the students and these discussions usually lead to individual growth, which is the essence of education.

[lorelei]

This is probably one of the most difficult things for a new teacher to try and figure out, and the worst part is that there is no "canned" behavior management plan because every class and every student you have will respond to and be motivated by completely different things. I think the most important things to remember are to involve the students in whatever plan you come up with. Their input can be very valuable and often helpful to teachers on what works for each individual student. Being at the high school level can make behavior management even more difficult because the plan needs to be age appropriate and motivating for older students. High school is also a huge time for transition so relating it to some sort of life skill is important for student learning, which is why I like your idea of a paycheck. Also, don't be afraid to have a candid conversation with your students! I struggled with one student in particular in my high school DCD class last semester and I finally sat him down and said "Look, this isn't working out you are disrupting the class, not getting your work done, and are being disrespectful to other staff and I know you are better than that. What can we do to help?" and he said I just need time to take a break during the day and if you could just use a signal to let me know when I'm being disruptive I think that would help. So we came up with a signal together and negotiated that he would get 15 minutes of free time during the day if he stayed positive during school, showed up, and got all of his homework in and it was like magic. I've also foun that having administrators on board with any behavior plan is so so helpful, especially with the more difficult behaviors. They can reinforce your classroom rules and provide consistency for your students (which is very important for students with special needs). I have found this to be crucial in my behavior management plan so that if a student is having a difficult time if they did not get enough points or their reward and need to be sent the office for some reason, administrators know exactly why the student is there and what your plan of action is. Hope this helped!

[Susan Burke]

I like a lot of the ideas that have been posted here. I work with students who have mild to moderate disabilities (mostly learning disabilities), and who are socially typical for their age. Something simple that I'm doing is to have them self-assess their participation points at the end of each class. Then I go around and tell them if I think they need to adjust up or down. They have the rubric, and can see whether they have come prepared with materials, participated in class discussions, stayed quiet when it is not time to talk, etc.

[Janet]

Thinking through what rewards you will give is the hardest issue for nondiploma students. Too old to give fun little gifts, so the motivator is the issue. Give it a try John. Worst case, it doesn't work. Best case, it works. Staying on that group with short breaks in between good behavior worked for me. That and the threat of looking up definitions to relevant math vocabulary (I taught math to them).

[Jossdeb]

Hi John, have a look at http://pb4l.tki.org.nz/Get-help-and-support/Programmes-and-training for programmes that are making a really big impact here in New Zealand.

[Brooke Quezada]

Hi John,
I am finding classroom management difficult in my inclusion class this year (high school as well). I really like your idea of a paycheck system. Currently, I have just been giving zeros for classwork when they act out or calling parents. I would like to implement a positive rewards system as opposed to just punishing negative behavior.

[Lauria]

I think that you need to stop, and take a step back. High school students want to feel acknowledged and that their voices are being heard. With this being said, I believe that you need to have them be part of the group "rules"...although you may want to discuss respect. I also noticed you mentioned positive and negative consequences, I believe that the emphasis on labeling good or bad, may be the reasoning behind the issues you are having. No one likes to be judged, especially high school student- classified. If you create an environment around earning (never losing), the anxiety of being a failure will disappear. For example, my students earn points throughout the day, and are able to participate in various events, free time, ect...throughout the day, I might remind them that they need two more points. If you wanted to utilize money, I would create it as a work overview...maybe 5 minutes before the end of the period, ask the students to self reflect, did you earn your full pay? How many times did you interrupt? Okay, How much should you receive? (Maybe give homework passes or free time out as rewards)

[Ella Hill]

Your idea of a pay check system could work but first you must identify which of your students will be motivated by this type of reinforcement. It will be wise to take a survey to determine what motivates them to do what is expected of them. All the things you mentioned could be part of the survey and what ever the students like more, will help with the behavior problems. The students will be willing to do what ever it takes to receive the reward. I also think positive and negative consequences should be determined both you and the students. Doing this will make the students feel they are a part of their own destiny (so to speak). If the students vote for the pay check point system, you will then have to come up with items they can purchase and even make a lesson of how to open a bank account or budget for household and personal items. A pay check system could work in a lot of ways if they are motivated by the thought of getting money on Fridays.

[Kelsey]

I start my student teaching next semester, and this is something I'm definitely a little nervous for. Behavior management is one thing I feel like my college has not prepared me for. I think it is one of the hardest things to get skilled at in special education, thanks for your input.

[Courtney]

John,
I teach special education on the High School level. However,I teach a self- contained class which might be different from your class. I have 12 students and teach them functional life skills and job skills. My students love to talk with each other daily as does yours. When I started in this classroom there was a behavior management system already in place. I called it "red light, green light." to me this was not reinforcing enough for the kids. I felt it was more for elementary students. I changed the system a little but to before reinforcing for the students. I have a pocket chart hanging on the wall with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 going vertically up and down on the chart. The number 5 is at the top, descending in order with number 1 at the bottom. Each student's name is on a piece of paper that is laminated (1" by 2"). Keep in mind my chart is small so the size of the names and numbers can vary depending on the teachers preference. Once the names are printed out. Sit down with the students no explain the process of the new behavior system ( I will explain later). Have them help you out the chart together so they feel some empowerment. Then hang it on the wall post it however necessary.
Process:
Each student starts on the number 3. If you notice a student exhibiting appropriate behavior then you tell them to move their name up to a 4 and then 5. If they exhibit inappropriate behavior then tell the student to move their name down to a 2 then 1. Make sure that the students know that a 5 is the best and a 1 is not good at all. For my students I send home a daily homework sheet that explains the homework for each night. At the top of each day is a spot to write in the number they earned that day. This paper is to get signed each night by the parent and sent back to school with the homework. The students hate taking their paper home if they are on a 3 or below. Even though a 3 is not horrible a 5 is the best and they want to please their parents.

If they need more of a reinforcement then on Fridays if they got a 4 or 5 everyday tha week they earth a prize. ( free prizes for teachers like pencils, kids meal toys, etc) I would not give the end of the week reinforcements unless it is necessary.

Hope this helps!! Let me know if you have questions

[Nick]

John- This is an aspect of teaching that I am a little nervous for. I start my student teaching next semester and I'm hoping I can learn some strategies throughout that process to help with this issue. I can see myself being very firm, but at the same time I want my students to respect me and feel comfortable in my classroom. It looks like there are some great ideas here on how to help you. Thanks for sharing!

[Kelsey]

I am having the same struggle as I go through my student teaching in a high school this semester. It was difficult for me to find not only something that would work for my students but something that was appropriate for high school students as well. I started off the year by having the students come up with some basic rules of the classroom. I have found that they often can name or list appropriate classroom behaviors but have a lot of difficulty following them but I like the fact that they came up with the rules and the consequences for broken rules so that when they are broken I can remind them of what THEY said was appropriate. As the semester is coming to an end my students participate in a trip to a nearby mall to purchase christmas gifts and other items. As a motivation my teacher and I have set a point system for their job skills class that will allow them to earn up to $35 for the upcoming trip. Amount of money earned is based on total points per week. This seems to be a huge motivator for students and they can see their progress on a simple point chart that is filled out by the para who runs the job skills class. Other motivators that I have found to work in high school include skipping one homework assignment if all students are respectful and responsible for a weeks time, free time on the computer, or a "fun friday" for good behavior (my students often use the fun friday to pla Uno because it allows them to "punish" each other (using draw 4, skip, reverse cards)in an appropriate way. Hope this helped and good luck!

[John]

@Emma thanks for the information. That sounds similar to something I would like to do. I might change it up a little but to make the green slips some form of a paycheck so they have to practice spending money and adding/subtracting etc.

[John]

@Jo I always thought I would have a pretty firm grip on behavior management when I went into student teaching and now as a teacher, and for the most part I do. But you have good reason to be a little nervous about it. It is hard. It is one of the biggest concerns about new teachers for a reason. Good luck next semester!

[John]

@Leila thanks for the information. I sent you an email and look forward to hearing back from you.

[John]

@Dee Thanks for the encouragement!

I couldn't agree more with what you said about why students lose jobs. I tell my students all the time that they will lose a job because of behavior before they lose it for lack of skills. Thanks again for the encouraging words.

[John]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I've gotten a lot of good information that I think will help.

[Emma]

I like the idea of a paycheck for the students. I know it would be a lot of paper work, but you could have them track what they think they did and deserve and make your own observations. Then through that collaboration give them a paycheck on fridays. I would set it up so that they could earn something with that money every week for a while and gradually bump it up to every two weeks, then three weeks and so on. I would try it for a couple weeks and if that doesn't seem to help, I would bring it down to be more immediate to every day or (hopefully not) every hour. This is probably the worst thing to put up, but food is always a great motivator for students to behave differently. In the school I'm at now, it's not a high school, but this could be adapted to fit any school, the students work to get so many green slips for good behaviors. Once they reach the desired number of green slips, then they get some sort of edible reward of their choosing from our food stash. Chocolates, candy bars, anything that we don't provide on a regular basis. Then once they've reached that goal so many times, then we increase the number of green slips they are required to get in order to get a treat. We also have it set up that if they get a yellow slip (which are for off task behaviors), then they have to make it up in one of two ways. One way is that they earn two green slips from two different teachers at two different times in one day (I've yet to see this happen) or they can do extra work around the classroom or school to make up for the yellow slip. I've seen students help the janitors, lunch ladies, clean white boards, help in the office, or do some, we call them challenge sheets, which are small tests almost with problems from all areas that they are studying in school. We have it set up that even if they have the required amount of green slips, if they have yellow slips, they have to make those up before they can get their reward. It's a lot of work, but it's been successful for us so far. Hope that helped!

[Jo]

I think this is one area that I will be really nervous about when I begin my teaching career (I start student teaching next semester). You want the students to feel comfortable in your classroom, but on the other hand, when it's too loud is definitely a problem! I like Leila's idea of a token system. I also like that the students are responsible for the tracking - I think that puts the outcome in their hands.

[Leila]

Hi John. I found you because, for some reason, your blog links to my blog when it's not supposed to. It probably has something to do with specialeducationtoday.com. Anyway, I guess it's perfect that I found this site because I use a token classroom economy. I have my students keep a time sheet which is based on the 4P's (Prompt, prepared, productive, polite- all great traits to have in order to get and keep a job). If you would like a copy, you can email me @ specialedandme@gmail.com.

Leila

[Dee Cucinotta]

Hi! Since you're teaching job skills to high school students, your paycheck idea is fantastic! Teenagers lose more jobs because of bad behavior and bad attitudes than poor skills.... Also, payment is a huge motivator for adolescents. This is a very important skill these kids must learn in order to be successful...and it will give them an edge over their peers in the workplace.
Now you need to get your confidence back and realize you have more answers than you think you do... You sound completely overwhelmed by a situation you know isn't as bad as it could be.... Make your classroom a workplace, the students' behavior either earns them or loses them part of their "salary". And feel free to "fire" and "promote" students.... It's the way it is in real life. I'm not just speaking as an experienced special education teacher....but as a parent of two kids that went through a number of jobs as teenagers until they "got it". (they're doing great now!).
Trust your instincts and follow through on your creativity! Good luck!

[Jane Idell M.S. NYS Certified School Psychologist]

Hi,
When working with teens with emotional and behavioral challenges I developed a series of 6 basic proactive lessons that form a framework for problem solving. I teach them to teachers and counselors for free. They are quite effective. You can browse information regarding the lessons at my website www.counselingessentials.com

If you are interested, I can demonstrate how to conduct the lessons for you at no cost. I just want to share what worked for me.
You can e-mail me at janeaidell@prodigy.net
Jane

[Elaine Mulligan]

Classroom behavior management plans need to "fit" the personalities of both the teacher and the students. Check out NICHCY's "Behavior at School" resources to find ideas that will work with your personal style: http://nichcy.org/schoolage/behavior/atschool