“It’s not easy teaching these kids. One child equals four kids here. They need more attention and care, and some lose concentration very easily.”
-Kenny Mjili

Unshakable 

Throughout my ongoing observations in the Head Start Pre-K classroom I have been placed in, I have witnessed plenty of misbehavior from the students, but there is one student in particular who constantly gives the teacher a hard time. He consistently does not listen, is disruptive during circle time, and runs away during recess.  Head Start has adopted and implemented PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) strategies to help combat behaviors like this.

Watch this video for a better incite into the PBIS  basics:

PBIS Training for Head Start Volunteers

Description

My co-op teacher may be young, but she implements these strategies like a champ. However, when it comes to this particular student, it seems like she crumbles and forgets what to do. 9 times out of 10 she sends him to the class’s “calm down” corner, which takes away from his learning. 

This continual observation of misbehavior has left me with the big question of…

How do you deal with classroom management using PBIS? 

Let’s get help from the smart guys…

According to the article written by Scott D. Gest  titled Teacher Management of Elementary Classroom Social Dynamics: Associations With Changes in Student Adjustment, they claim their approach to these issues follows a long tradition in educational and social psychology taking the view that teachers can and should shape the peer ecology of their classrooms.

“Classroom ecology studies focus on the classroom micro-system, seeking to describe and explain the interactions of students’ thoughts and behaviors with teachers’ management of academic goals and learning tasks.”

In the case of coaching within the educational context, a coach is one who works with teachers to provide support in the implementation of their duties as a teacher; this could include providing instruction, engaging in effective classroom management, or addressing the needs of a specific student. My  mom  works for a Head Start classroom in Harrisburg as a PBIS coach. I have not seen one in the classroom I am observing in.

Click on the image above if you need  further explain of the function and benefits of having a PBIS Coach

In another scholarly article,  Hershfeldt, Patricia writes in response to concerns regarding the effectiveness of training for teachers implementing classroom-based curricula. More recently, there has been interest in the application of coaching models to behavior management—both at the school and classroom levels. Research on professional development models suggests that situated learning (i.e., professional development and learning that takes place in its natural context) promotes greater outcomes than discrete training that occurs outside of the day-to-day context.

Collaborative approaches to professional development not only instill learning in a more effective manner but also create professional networks that serve to sustain newly acquired skill implementation. Providing teachers with opportunities to reflect on newly acquired skills and to work collaboratively with other teachers renders professional development far more effective and sustainable than traditional models.  All of this information connects the ideas to help regulate successful classroom management in the classroom.

Reflection

A new teacher is faced with many difficulties, and one of those may be behavior’s in the classroom. As with any tough situation, you must be unshakable. As a future teacher, I plan to incorporate what I learned from these articles into my teaching. Collaboration is a powerful way to help with classroom management and behavior problems. In class today, we learned that most behavior problems stem from the student not understanding what they are being taught. I hope I am the type of teacher who understands not only my students, but how to help them achieve and perform at a high level of academics. I will leave you with this picture of my mom (right) doing her thing as one of the PBIS coach’s at Capitol Area Head Start. This could be your classroom!

Also… here is yet ANOTHER resource to help you understand the importance of both collaboration and the PBIS way of education:

 

References 

Hershfeldt, P., Pell, K., Sechrest, R., Pas, E., & Bradshaw, C. (2012). Lessons Learned Coaching Teachers in Behavior Management: The PBIS plus Coaching Model. Journal of Educational & Psychological Consultation, 22(4), 280–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/10474412.2012.731293