Category Archives: Behaviour

Positive Behaviour Supports

Positive Behaviour Supports

Parents, teachers, leaders: Most of us know that changing a challenging behaviour requires consistency and an adult that is calm. Positive Behaviour Supports and Interventions (PBS or PBIS in the education world) are positive and proactive systems for encouraging and reinforcing desired behaviours. When you have a plan in place ahead of time it is SO much easier to be consistent and calm!!

In one of the courses I participated in this year, I stumbled on this resource and I want to remember it! This interactive website is full of ideas, plans, and links for dealing with challenging behaviour (some links within are old and don’t work but still very worthy of bookmarking).

Polk Elementary School BPS Behavior Intervention

(It may be helpful to understand what Tiers 1, 2, and 3 are in behaviour intervention).

Tier 1 supports of positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) consists of rules, routines, and physical arrangements that are developed and taught by [school] staff to prevent initial occurrences of behavior the school would like to target for change.

Tier 2 support is designed to provide intensive or targeted interventions to support students who are not responding to Tier 1 Support efforts. Interventions within Tier 2 are more intensive…

Tier 3 level support is provided to the 1-5% of students who may have very serious problem behaviors and may require more intensive and individualized supports.

(from http://www.pbis.org)

It’s been awhile…

It’s been awhile…

Yup, this blog has been dormant for a season. I am coming to the end of a one year sabbatical. It has been a time of self -reflecting,  healing, and refreshment.

I have tried on this blog to keep the writing short and the resources free. I’m ready to start sharing again!

If you instruct groups of people, in any kind of setting, this will be helpful to you. Because of the type of learner I often encounter, I compiled a downloadable list of ‘easy ways to engage your students’. Students that are engaged pay attention, learn more, remember more, are more likely to enjoy learning, and are less likely to have behavioural issues. Hope you find these helpful!

Easy Ways to Engage Your Students

Self Esteem – the Mental Health of Teens

I had the opportunity today to talk to the grade eight class about self esteem.

Here is part of the handout I created.

When I did the first session I had a student hold a mason jar of water to show that our problems get heavier over time if we don’t deal with them.  I also broke a ceramic jar and had a student glue it back together to show the cracks in our lives and how light can shine through.  Today while I talked I had a student assemble a ‘Vision Board’ for the class.  It was a lot of concepts to throw at the students in a short amount of time and I was so passionate I was hoarse afterwards!  Hopefully the students will find some concepts to help them through emotional struggles.  I tried to stress that integrity is the values and standards we find most important and then sticking to those standards.  Our worth and self esteem does not have to be measured by culture’s standards but by the standards we have set by our values.

Christ's Light in Jars of Clay

 

Having Trouble Handling an Angry Child

Having Trouble Handling an Angry Child

I created Loving Through the Anger as a reference for parents and teachers.  It is a short version of things that have ‘stuck with me’ and really ‘struck a chord with me’ through the years of coming alongside children that struggle with strong emotions.  Each reference given, points to so much more information.  This is one of my passions right now.  I truly believe that behaviour from a child is communication and our behaviour can communicate so much back to the child.  There are times [weird, I know] when I am glad to catch moments of anger, etc. because these become teachable moments and times when I can congratulate self regulation and efforts towards self control.  Of course, ask my own children if I always handle these issues ‘properly’….  on second thought, probably better not to ask my own children – just read the reference sheet instead.

Visual Incentives

I used this kind of system to encourage my young son (quite a few years ago 🙂  ) to come downstairs each morning dressed and ready for school.  He had a picture of icecream and earned a choice of icecream for the family’s dessert. Much better than resorting to nagging.

Easy Social Narrative for Behavioural Concerns 

Social narratives are used proactively to visually review routine and expectations.  They are written to reflect positive choices.  This site contains a ‘visual engine’ to easily create a narrative.  I had fun making this!!

 

img_0484    img_0485

 

img_0486

 

Helping with Emotional Intelligence

20150228-081813.jpg

I have been meeting with the second grade class, boys and girls separately (which is another topic all its own), about managing their feelings. This is the Five Point Anger Scale. We used it to discuss anger and stress and then brainstormed ideas of how to help yourself come down the scale.

It was funny to ask adults how they come down (I did not add all their answers 🙂 but my favourites were have a glass of wine and eat chocolate.

A Think ‘N Roll

One of my students really likes this thingy called a “Think ‘N Roll”. It is a tool for fidgeting feet.
It can make noise so I have cautioned students that when that happens it is no longer an effective tool helping them to listen and will be put away for a time.
This is discreet, keeps kids from tipping the chair, and it is simple to add or remove. It costs $9. at School Specialty Canada. Unfortunately shipping and handling can add a chunk but I was ordering a bunch of stuff since there are some neat tools available.

20140925-180519.jpg

A Girls’ Group

Salvaging Sisterhood 1

 

Salvaging Sisterhood 2

 

I am just completing 8 sessions of Salvaging Sisterhood with the grade seven girls of our school.  What a privilege to have a chance like this to get to know these girls in a time spent away from math and reading.  The lit candles were our candles of confidentiality (battery operated) and the box contains affirmation sentences that the girls take with them after each session to help them battle the negative things they may tell themselves.

It has been busy, but well worth the time.  Highly recommend this curriculum.

A Way To Relax

20140412-223801.jpg 20140412-223817.jpg 20140412-223829.jpg

 
I made a relaxing jar and it really works! I adjusted the contents so that when the jar is shaken it takes approximately 3 minutes to settle. Our kindergarten teacher made one too. It can be used to diffuse a temper or distract a child that is upset. I have students that find it very soothing. Thank you to my colleague that sent me the link.