Participant Workbook
Understanding Behaviour – Responding Safely
He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka
A choppy sea can be navigated
A workshop for school staff
Contents
The purpose of this workbook .................................................................................................. 1 Overview of the modules .......................................................................................................... 2 Module 1 – Understanding behaviour....................................................................................... 3 Module 2 – Encouraging ready-to-learn behaviour ................................................................. 16 Module 3 – Responding safely ................................................................................................ 24 Module 4 Reflection and embedding ..................................................................................... 54 How you’ll apply today’s training – Planning tool template..................................................... 58 Inquiry process........................................................................................................................ 59 Spiral of inquiry ....................................................................................................................... 60 Appendix ................................................................................................................................. 62 Verbal de-escalation ............................................................................................................... 63 Verbal de-escalation when a situation is escalating ................................................................ 65 Ignoring inappropriate behaviour ........................................................................................... 67 Limit setting ............................................................................................................................ 69 Consequences versus punishment .......................................................................................... 71 Logical consequences ............................................................................................................. 72 Strategies for de-escalation .................................................................................................... 73 Just breathe ............................................................................................................................ 75 Teaching as an inquiry............................................................................................................. 76 STAR (Setting, Trigger, Action, Response) analysis .................................................................. 77 Support Plan ........................................................................................................................... 78 Teaching – a poem by Haim Ginott ......................................................................................... 86 Notes ............................................................................................................................................ 87
The purpose of this workbook
This workbook is for school staff participating in training on Understanding Behaviour – Responding Safely.
The training covers how to understand the ‘why’ of your own behaviour and the behaviour of the students you work with, so you can respond constructively to them.
A series of four modules make up the workshop.
School coaches will provide follow-up support
Your Principal will nominate one or two people in your school as coaches. They will support school staff to maintain skills and embed the knowledge into your school’s culture and systems. They will deliver the workshop at least once a year to all staff. And they will deliver parts of the workshop if specific topics need revisiting. The trainers will support your school’s coaches.
Overview of the modules
Module 1 – Understanding behaviour
Mā te kōrero, ka mōhio. Mā te mōhio, ka matau. Mā te matau, ka marama.
Through discussion comes knowledge.
Through knowledge comes learning.
Through learning comes understanding.
Notes
We can’t control the situation but we can control ourselves
|
Notes
Find reasons for the behaviour issues and solve it. There may be lots of reasons behind it for the child to behave differently. Talk to them and ask lots of questions to find the reasons behind it.
|
Notes
Monitor the child’s behaviour
Compare the behaviour with their history
Observe the child’s reaction towards behaviour
Talk to them and ask lots of questions
Building relationships with the learners to share about themselves
Spending at least 2 mins with each child.
|
‘He kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea”
‘The corners of the house can be seen but the corners of the heart cannot’
Notes
Understand myself first-What i value and believe will influence how i interpret situation
This is shaped by my individual experiences.
I should understand what is going to trigger me
|
Exercise 1.1: What pushes your buttons?
Think of an occasion where a student has triggered a significant, and unhelpful, reaction in yourself – such as dislike, aversion, prejudice or fear.
Exercise 1.1 a
What was it in you that triggered these reactions?
When a learner keeps nagging
When a learner not listening and distracting other learners
Telling tales about others and blaming others for their mistakes
When i had a bad morning before i come to school
|
Exercise 1.1 b
Think about a student, who you had just met, and who immediately triggered a significant negative reaction in you.
Who, or what stereotype, did the student remind you of? What was your worry or fear for the future? What conclusions did you jump to, or did you have to stop yourself from jumping to?
May be I immediately come to the conclusion that he could have done it.
I will start listening to the learners and ask all the learners who are involved in the incident. Try to analyse the situation and come to conclusion
Give feedback
Talk about the consequence they will face if they continue the behaviour
Risks involved in it
|
Notes
My own judgement about the learner may try to control me. I will try to listen as if it happened in the first time.
|
Notes
Understanding my situation will help me to understand the reasons for the issues.
|
Notes
Chest tightness and shaky when i have to deal with any isssues
|
Notes
Our body taking over during difficult situation. Our body just reacts automatically we don't have any control over the situation.
|
Notes
The learners will be having the impact after any shock, so they might not answer. May be i could wait for some time to calm down then i could ask
|
Notes
Understand the learner's background first then deal with the learners based on their situation. Reflect on my own behaviour, if i am not ready may i need to calm down before i deal with a child who has behaviour issue
|
Module 2 – Encouraging ready-to-learn behaviour
‘Whangaia ka tupu, ka puawai’
‘That which is nurtured, blossoms and grows’
Notes
As educators, we should understand the child's point of view and their emotional status to deal with their behavior.
Giving emotional vocabulary will help them aware of their feelings and helps them to deal with it.
Modelling the behavior will help the learners to understand and follow it.
|
Notes
We need to work on safety as well as teaching. It will be good if we focus on teaching than focussing more time on worrying about safety. Teach the learner's to keep themselves safe and at the same time take risks.
There chances for LC to ask for help to deal with the child if I had a bad morning or not in a situation to deal with the child. Feel free to ask for support when needed.
|
Notes
- Explicit teaching the behavior patterns for the learners
- Teach positively
- Allow time for learners to practice
- Create environment for the learners to practice
|
Exercise 2.1: Knowing your students
Think about a student you find challenging and take a couple of minutes to answer the questions.
Exercise 2.1 a
When you set tasks, do you know for sure whether he or she can do it? If so, can they do it in the way you want or in another way?
Most of them can do it but some can't.
Mostly based on their own understanding
|
Exercise 2.1 b
If they can’t do the task, do you give them the opportunity to say they can’t do it in the way you want, or in another way?
I would encourage them to say or understand their non-verbal communication
|
Exercise 2.1 c
If you are unsure or don’t know about a student, what could you do to get a better understanding?
I would like to talk to them to understand how far they understood the concept by asking open-ended questions.
|
Notes
Understand the learner's situation and support them and make them feel comfortable by acknowledge their feelings
Go down to their level
|
Notes
Giving assurance the learners are important to the educators
Make the instruction very simple and the learners are able to understand
Break down into little sentences
|
Resource about Activity 2.2
The appendix in your workbook has a resource about ‘Verbal de-escalation – language to avoid or minimise conflict’.
Module 3 – Responding safely
‘Me he whakawhiti o te rā.’
‘Personify that of the sun. That which removes adversity, brings calm and provides light.’
Notes
Reflect on me, why the child is not focussing today?
Talk to parents to know more about the child and what is happening at home
|
Notes
Aware of my level before I deal with a learner who is having behavior issues.
|
Notes
Notes
Exercise 3.1: Ready to learn
Take a look at the slide titled ‘Ready to learn – I am seeing’. Write down how you might be feeling when you see these behaviours.
Exercise 3.2: Ready to learn
Get into groups of three or four.
Think about some of the key things you might need to do to maintain the ready-to-learn state.
Notes
Exercise 3.3: Out of sorts
Take a look at these words from the slide titled ‘Out of sorts – I am seeing’. Write down how you might be feeling when you see these behaviours.
Exercise 3.4: Out of sorts
Think of some of the key things you might need to do to get the student settled and back to ready to learn.
Notes
Exercise 3.5
Take a look at these words from the slide titled ‘Escalating – I am seeing’. Write down how you might be feeling when you see these behaviours.
Exercise 3.6
In your groups, think about some of the key things you might need to do to support the student and try and calm the situation.
Activity 3.3
List of statements to use to maintain calm
Exercise 3.7
Navy Seals’ strategies for managing stress
Brainstorm the strategies you’ve developed together for managing student behaviour. Make notes here.
Goal setting or chunking
|
Visualisation – mental rehearsal of the safety plan for the student
|
Positive self-talk
|
Breathing strategy
|
Notes
Exercise 3.8
Take a look at these words from the slide titled ‘Out of control – I am seeing’. Write down how you might be feeling when you see these behaviours.
Exercise 3.9
In your groups, think about some of the key things you might need to do to keep people safe.
Activity 3.5 – Strategies for de-escalation
Resources from the verbal de-escalation activity
The appendix in your workbook has a resource sheet with the five strategies:
• Active listening
• Clearly state
• Support
• Manage safety
• Exit.
Use them to keep on practising!
Notes
Exercise 3.10
Take a look at these words from the slide titled ‘Calming down – I am seeing’. Write down how you might be feeling when you see these behaviours.
Exercise 3.11
In your groups, think about some of the key things that might assist the student to feel safe and what might re-establish your relationship.
Ready to learn
Notes
Notes
Module 4 Reflection and embedding
‘He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.’
‘What is the most important thing of the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.’
Exercise 4.1 a
List key points that have stood out for you during this training.
Exercise 4.1 b
With a partner, decide on your top combined key points.
Exercise 4.1 c
Join with another pair. Share your top key points and explain the following reasons.
• Why you have selected your top key points.
• Why they have stood out for you.
Exercise 4.1 d
Think about how you might use this learning in your role and then begin to complete column one of the Planning tool template overleaf.
Exercise 4.1 e
Then use this discussion to fill out step 1 of the Spiral of Inquiry on the page that follows – ‘Scanning – what’s going on for my learners’.
Exercise 4.1 f
In your group discuss steps 2 and 3 of the Spiral of Inquiry and use this to guide your ideas.
Exercise 4.1 g
Fill out the corresponding parts of your Planning tool.
He moana pukepuke e ekengia e te waka A choppy sea can be navigated
How you’ll apply today’s training – Planning tool template
Focusing – where can I apply this?
Identify a situation where you can apply today’s training.
|
One way in which I am going to use this training is ...
|
Developing a hunch – what’s leading to this situation?
What learning might be best to use?
|
|
Taking action – what will I do differently? What do I need to do?
What are my first steps?
Describe these in order.
|
What do I need?
|
New learning – what do I need to learn more about?
What else do I need to get this done?
Do I need more resources, information or support? Where from?
|
|
Checking- Have I made a difference?
How will I know it has worked?
What will have changed?
What is the first thing I will notice?
|
|
What are my timescales?
|
Start by?
|
Inquiry process
Spiral of 
inquiry
Appendix
Verbal de-escalation
Language to avoid or minimise conflict
• Avoid ’it’s me versus him‘ and aim for the student to think ‘he’s trying to help me‘
• Create win/win scenarios with two winners:
- seek common purposes or mutually achievable purposes
- avoid creating competing purposes that result in conflict with a winner and a loser
• Use your manners – they make the world go around
• Talk to students with compassion
• Talk to students like you would ‘treat a guest’
• Avoid humour like sarcasm, inappropriate remarks or mocking – be polite!
• Address private or sensitive issues in private
• Take the student seriously and address issues
• Give focused attention rather than ignoring or prioritising other activities.
Occasionally it might be appropriate to use humour – laughing together is the opposite of conflict; laugh at yourself – not the student and avoid anxious laughter.
Use language that separates you from the problem:
• ‘This has made you pretty angry hasn’t it’ (try not to take things personally)
• ‘The school rules can seem a bit pointless but I guess some kids need more guidance than others’.
Use language that associates you with help, support and your ‘good’ actions:
• ‘I want to help’–‘How can I help?’–‘My job is to help, so if you want some, I’ll do my best’
• ‘I was thinking about what you said, and I wanted to do this ... for you’
• ‘Well, I asked the big boss, and I got approval for us to ...’
• ‘Hmmm, why did I give you that to do! Here let’s fix it, does this look better ...?’
Use language that highlights your agreement with the student and highlights a win/win pathway forward:
• ‘That sounds like a good idea, I agree – how about we ... (compromise position)’
• ‘I was thinking the same thing ... how about you start getting everything ready while I finish up ...’
• ‘That’s just what I wanted to do ... but then I realised we needed to do ... first
• ‘We’re thinking the same thing ...’ then reframe lead to new option
• ‘Who wants to ...?'
• ‘OK, what do we need to do to ...’
Use language that reflects your acknowledgment of the individual’s autonomy and status:
• Quietly and in person: ‘Hey guys, can you do us a favour and tone it down a bit?’ Note the ‘us’ = ‘me’ but lessens the personal identification. Also note that you will get other advice to not frame directions as questions. Consider when it’s good to and when not.
• ‘Let me know when you’re ready.’
• ‘I’ll come back in a couple of minutes.’ (Give time).
Partial agreement – a simple technique
‘Partial agreement’ is simple technique that is surprisingly powerful.
1. You make a request and the student objects / argues.
2. You simply respond with ‘Maybe... [pause a beat] and I need you to ... , thanks’ then leave.
The ‘maybe’ bit temporarily confuses the brain (it sounds like you’re agreeing). Then you insert a clear direction into this space. Finally you say ‘thanks’ and leave, giving the impression that you expect them to follow the direction.
Verbal de-escalation when a situation is escalating
Remember, you are in charge of how you react. Keep your attitude positive at all times. To verbally de-escalate conflict takes patience, tact and the ability to control one’s own pride and ego.
Safety first – create space
• Remove the audience – ask other students to take their work and move away
• Give physical space
• Make sure you have an exit
• Wait
• Remove items that could be used as weapons
• Talk quietly even when the person is loud
• If escalation occurs – move further away
• Keep your body language open and non-threatening
• Try to remain calm and respectful
• Send message for assistance
What not to do
• Threaten the student
• Argue, interrupt, or contradict what the student says (even if they have got it wrong)
• Challenge them
• Order or command them; for example ‘Calm down’ (the likely response is an escalation as the normal response is ‘I AM CALM’ at the top of their voice
• Try to shame them or show your or disrespect for them
• Make rash judgments
What to do
• Use active listening. Clarifying, paraphrasing and open-ended questions all help to let the person know that you have understood their frustrations completely
• Name the emotion in a calm even voice ‘You look really angry’, ‘I can see that you are very frustrated’
• Get them to say yes. It is very hard for someone to stay angry with you if they are agreeing with you, so say: ‘So you are feeling angry because ... is that right?’
• Slow down and show empathy – even if you do not agree with the person’s position
• Acknowledge and show respect for the other person’s opinions and feelings
• Be polite – it is hard to react negatively to a person who is being consistently courteous
A sample exit plan
You could use it as the basis for a plan of your own.
Rationale:
An exit plan minimises risk to other students and staff in an emergency.
Having an exit plan that enables the safe removal of other students is essential.
Practicing an exit from the class does not have to be linked to a student who is out of control – in fact it should be practised just as an emergency precaution.
You may never need to use it, but developing and practicing it means that it is in place if ever required.
This also alleviates some anxiety for others, not just the distressed student. It is helpful for the rest of the class know there is a plan to get out so that they are safe.
The exit plan is to be used when all strategies to de-escalate the situation have not worked.
Example of the sample plan
Prepare these signs: A laminated sign on red paper that says ‘time to exit’.
A laminated card on red paper to use as a token to show assistance is needed.
Practise this process
1. Stick the ‘time to exit’ sign on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom to signify an emergency.
2. Ask one student to take the red ‘assistance needed’ card to the office.
3. Ask all students to walk quietly out of the classroom using the safest door and meet at a
designated place outdoors.
4. The student who took the card to the office joins the class outside.
5. The class remains outdoors until the situation is under control.
6. When you’re all back in class, praise the students for following the exit plan.
Ignoring inappropriate behaviour
Rationale
All behaviour serves a purpose
Problem behaviour can enable a student to get what they want, such as an object, attention, or a social connection. Or it can help them to avoid what they find uncomfortable, difficult or even boring.
Understanding why a student behaves the way they do – the function – is fundamental to choosing the most appropriate adult response.
Often as teachers, when we pay attention to inappropriate behaviours, we are inadvertently reinforcing those very behaviours we are trying to reduce. If a student is looking to gain attention from a peer or an adult and they do not have the skills to gain it through appropriate behaviour, they will misbehave, believing any attention is better than none at all. Therefore, ignoring minor problem behaviours is a more appropriate response for addressing the function of the behaviour.
Which behaviours to ignore:
• Low level attention-seeking behaviours like calling out, protests, non-verbal gestures, talking out of turn
• Behaviours that are generally brief and may not disrupt the student’s learning or the learning of others.
An adult response therefore should be as unobtrusive as possible. Do not embarrass or identify the student. Do it quickly to minimise disruption to the learning time.
If the behaviour continues, you’ll need to do more tactical ignoring, coupled with other strategies such as ‘Ignore/ attend/ praise’. For example, the teacher praises an appropriately behaving student near to the inappropriately behaving student serving as an indirect prompt.
Sample scenario
Paul is slow to respond to a teacher direction. The teacher briefly ignores Paul, and specifically praises a student who is nearby: ‘Well done Hemi, I like to way you have showed responsibility by getting your book out quickly and heading up your page. You are ready to learn’. When Paul begins his work, the teacher then immediately, praises him, ‘Thanks Paul for being ready to learn’.
If the behaviour continues, maintain consistency as the behaviour often escalates before it improves. It will help to engage the co-operation of your colleagues and the other children in the class, praising them for following the plan you will have outlined to them earlier.
‘While Jan is learning to sit quietly on the mat, I really liked the way you kept your eyes and attention on me. That was really helpful’.
If these techniques do not result in the desired change in behaviour, more direct instructional approaches can be used.
Which behaviours not to ignore:
• Dangerous and abusive behaviours including hitting, verbal abuse, running off site, damaging property, and self-harm.
• Bullying or stealing which provide the student with immediate benefit, while inconveniencing or harming others.
References:
Colvin, G. (2009). Managing noncompliance and defiance in the classroom: A road map for teachers, specialists, and behaviour support teams. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
PB4L-SW (2015). Class room Management Resource Booklet - Supporting Positive Learning and Behaviour.
Webster-Stratton, C (2005). The Incredible Years: A trouble shooting Guide for Parents of Children ages 2-8 years). Incredible Years Publications. USA.
Limit setting
When to use it?
Limit setting is an option when you are seeing escalating behaviour: when there is a marked reduction in the student’s ability to attend to, take on, and benefit from, advice and support.
Why use limit setting
When a student’s behaviour and emotional reactivity is escalating, their ability to take on information and make good decisions is reducing.
In this situation, limit setting can help orient the student to some safe, simple, behavioural choices, and to possible outcomes.
How to do it
This process has three aspects:
• orienting the student to desirable, or at least OK, choices: outlining OK behaviour
• describing what will happen if undesirable behaviour continues: outlining the consequences of exceeding the limits of OK behaviour
• following through: action follows talk – ‘limit setting’ is different to ’limit saying’.
The first two parts can be done together, introduced sequentially, or you might only use ‘orienting‘. Stating consequences can provide motivation to comply, or it can further escalate a situation. Knowing the student helps you predict which is more likely.
‘Follow through’ can also further escalate a situation. Do not set limits you are not able and prepared to follow through on. Following through is also more of a preventative measure than a de-escalation strategy – it teaches that you ’do what you say you will do‘.
That said, having certainty about what is happening may help a student stop escalating their behaviour further, or de-escalate it.
The three steps for limit setting
1. Think:
What are some behavioural choices that I would like the student to make, or at least that I could live with?
What can I control in this situation, what actions can I take?
Should I describe what happens if the choices I give are not taken up? (Think of the pros and cons for this particular student).
2. Use a calm manner and a few simple words to:
Outline a couple of appropriate choices for the student, for example: ‘Paul, I think you need to either go outside or calm down at your desk’.
And then (this is optional)
Describe what you or the school will do if the student does not follow one of the options, for example: ‘Paul, I need you to act safely, otherwise the school needs to phone your father.’
3. Then:
Display self-confidence and start to act in line with the limits you set. As you do this, be prepared to offer another chance to allow the issue to be solved, for example: ‘How can I help you, so we don’t have to phone your father?’ Consequences versus punishment
Punishments make young people suffer for their mistakes rather than learning from them. This shifts the focus from the lesson that needs to be learned to a focus on ‘showing’ who is in control.
Punishment is usually given when an adult is angry, frustrated or just plain ‘fed up’ with a student. So the punishment most often has no relationship to the problem behaviour. That’s confusing for students who will likely see the punishment (quite possibly correctly) as unfair.
The problem with punishment is that if the student doesn’t understand what to do instead, or how to do it, the same behaviour will continue. Then, when the behaviour happens again the punishment has to get harder to have effect.
Where will it end? The result of most punishments is fear and resentment. Most importantly, it has little if any effect on future behaviour.
Consequences are different from punishments because consequences teach students to learn from their mistakes. Delivering negative consequences for problem behaviour is a necessary but insufficient strategy for reducing problem behaviour. Always define, teach and acknowledge what you want before you focus on negative consequences and make sure the consequence ‘fits the crime’.
We can’t ‘make’ students learn or behave but we can create environments to increase the likelihood students learn and behave.
Logical consequences
It’s essential to logically relate consequences to the behaviours they are intended to discourage.
Use logical consequences to help teach students alternative, positive behaviours to those we are discouraging. This also helps the wrong-doer to repair some of the problems their behaviour has caused.
Students are more likely to accept logical consequences as being just and fair. But remember also to teach the likely consequences for inappropriate behaviours to the whole class, before they are needed to be applied for a specific incident.
Strategies for de-escalation
|
Active listening (out of sorts)
|
Support (out of sorts)
|
Clearly state (escalating)
|
Manage safety (escalating)
|
Exit (out of control)
|
When to use
|
When a student is just starting to get out of sorts
Can also can be effective when the behaviour is starting to escalate
|
When a student has just started to exhibit mild signs of agitation
If the challenging behaviour doesn’t happen very often
If it’s more important to manage the dangerous behaviour right now than it is to avoid reinforcing it
|
If the Support strategy has not been effective or is not appropriate
When the student can understand instructions and is likely to comply with a simple request
|
If the Support and Clearly state strategies appear to make the situation worse
If you want to avoid all reinforcement of crisis behaviours
When nothing else is working
|
If the situation is becoming or has the potential to become dangerous quickly
|
Steps to follow
|
1. Focus all your attention on the student – listen to what they are saying and how they are saying it
2. Restate what they have said and acknowledge the emotion – ‘I can see you are really frustrated’, ‘You think the job I’ve asked you to do sucks and I can see you are getting angry’
3. Ask clarification questions once in a while. ‘Can I just check that what you are saying is...?’
4. Remain calm and if the student settles, acknowledge that and praise them
|
1. Approach the student (be aware of your body language) and use a calm neutral tone
2. Ask how you can help (see using words to create calm activity for examples)
3. Allow 5–10 seconds for the student to process your request
4. Repeat if necessary
5. If the student makes a reasonable request, comply with it and praise the student for asking appropriately
6. Stay calm and if the student settles, acknowledge and praise
7. If the student does not settle, shift your focus to the Clearly state strategy
|
1. State the desired behaviour in a calm, neutral tone, giving simple, clear direction – visuals and gestures can help
2. Allow 5–10 seconds and give physical and emotional space for the student to process your request
3. Repeat the statement if needed
4. Praise any compliance
5. If they don’t comply, give a choice: state the desired behaviour first and then the next step if that does not happen; make the consequence simple, clear and enforceable
6. Allow 5–10 seconds and physical and emotional space for the student to process the choice
7. Repeat process if needed
8. Praise compliance, or follow through with the consequence
|
1. Create space – redirect other students in the class and make sure that other staff or students won’t accidentally intrude
2. Position yourself where you can monitor the student without putting yourself at risk
3. Avoid reinforcing the student’s behaviour (for example, don’t talk, give eye contact, or respond to provocations)
4. If the student behaves more calmly, consider switching to the Clearly state strategy
5. If student continues to escalate then consider the Exit strategy
|
1. Stay calm
2. Calmly ask the other students to leave the class by an exit that’s away from the student
3. Call for support from wider school networks
4. Create as much physical and emotional space around the student as possible
5. Wait
6. Be calm; keep your language and body language calm and supportive
7. Wait
8. When the student is calm enough, let them leave the class. Let them go to another staff member with whom they have a positive relationship
9. Return class to room
10. Only return student when back to a ready-to-learn state
|
|
Just breathe
Calm breathing is a technique that helps slow down our breathing when we are feeling stressed or anxious.
When we are anxious our breathing changes and we often take shorter or shallow breaths. This can increase our anxiety even more.
We can use calm breathing ourselves. It’s also a valuable tool to teach our students.
Two alternative methods for calm breathing
Balloon: Breathe in for 7 seconds – blow into a balloon for 11 seconds
Hand: Hold your hand in the air and breathe in for 7 seconds – lower your hand while breathing out for 10 seconds.
Teaching as an inquiry
New Zealand Curriculum, page 36
‘...effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students’.
• Inquiry into the teaching and learning relationship can be visualised as a cyclical process that goes on moment by moment (as teaching takes place), day by day, and over the longer term.
Focusing the inquiry
What is important (and therefore worth spending time on), given where my students are at?
• Establishes a baseline and a direction.
• Uses all available information – what students have already learned, what they need to learn next.
Teaching inquiry
• What strategies (evidence based) are most likely to help my students learn this?
• Evidence from research and past practice (own and colleagues) to plan teaching and learning opportunities aimed at achieving the outcomes prioritised in the focusing inquiry.
Learning inquiry
What happened as a result of the teaching and what are the implications for future teaching?
• In learning inquiry, the teacher investigates the success of the teaching using the prioritised outcomes and a range of assessment approaches.
• Inquiry is done while learning activities are in progress and as longer-term sequences or units of work come to an end.
• The teacher then analyses and interprets the information to consider what they should do next.
Participant Workbook: Understanding Behaviour – Responding Safely 76
STAR (Setting, Trigger, Action, Response) analysis1
Zarkowska and Clements (1994)
Aims: 1. To identify events, activities, objects, people in the child’s environment which draw out the undesirable behaviour.
2. To identify what the communicative function of the behaviour is.
3. To decrease undesirable behaviour and increase desirable behaviour.
|
Setting
This column is for recording where and when a particular behaviour occurs: time of day, classroom conditions including activities, what adults and children were doing, sensory information, child’s health and mood, and what was happening immediately before the incident.
|
Trigger
This column is for recording what appears to have triggered the particular behaviour: a sensory event, a misunderstanding, movement by someone, something the child is frightened by or wants to avoid or ‘the last straw’ emotionally.
|
Action
This column is for recording the resulting behaviour of the child here. What did they do?
|
Response
This column is for recording the detailed outcome from the child’s point of view. What did the child, peers, and adults do next? What did the child find rewarding or gain from their behaviour, making it more likely to re-occur?
|
|
|
|
|
Analysis: What is the child trying to communicate with this behaviour? What is the child trying to achieve by behaving this way? What triggered the behaviour? What kept it going?
|
1 Upchurch, S. (2006)
Using this plan
This plan corresponds with the levels of the escalation scale identified in the Understanding Behaviour – Responding safely workshop.
Work with the team around an individual to put together a plan that will enhance understanding of what the challenging behaviour looks like at each level and what strategies and responses would most likely to de-escalate at each level.
This plan is designed to help to recognise each level and respond at respond at the right time and at the right intensity.
|
|
|
Emotional and cognitive level
|
Signs and symptoms of emotional state
|
Staff response
|
Ready to learn
|
|
|
Triggers
|
Prevention
|
Out of sorts
|
|
|
Escalating
|
|
|
Out of Control
|
|
|
Calming down
and
returning to
ready to learn
|
|
|
Teaching – a poem by Haim Ginott
I’ve come to the frightening
Conclusion that I am the
Decisive element in the classroom
It’s my personal approach that
Creates climate.
It’s my daily mood that makes
The weather. As a teacher
I possess a tremendous power
To make a child’s life miserable
Or joyous. I can be a tool of
Torture or an instrument of
Inspiration. I can humiliate
Or honour, hurt or heal.
In all situations it is my response
That decides whether a crisis
Will be escalated or de-escalated
And a child humanised or
Dehumanised
Notes
Acknowledgements
The designers of this programme thank the students of Tamaki College, who allowed themselves to be filmed acting out the de-escalation strategies. They did a great job.
They also thank Matthew Willey, Ministry of Education Palmerston Nth, who drew the waka that represent the different stages of behaviour escalation.
Understanding Behaviour-Responding Safely was developed by a cross sector team.
With thanks to:
Amber Grant, RTLB
Bruce Cull, Regional PB4L Manager
Di Thomas, Practice Leader High Risk
Edwin de Ronde, Special Education Advisor
Emma Woodward, IWS Psychologist
Hamish Allan-Caney, Allenvale Special School
Jo Turner, RTLB
Judith Nel, Principal Parkside School
Karen Keene, Regional Practice Advisor Complex Needs
Lea Woodward, Psychologist
Leah Vennell, Special Education Advisor
Paul Prangley, Psychologist
Richard Bishara, Kaitakawaenga
Richard Etheredge, IWS Psychologist
Shane Winterton, Practice Leader Behaviour
