Staying Dry in a Stormy Climate:

The PBIS UmbrellaJean Lovelace, M.A & Jennifer Tachell, Ed.S.

Idaho Positive Behavior Network Conference

February 8, 2019

Find a seat, make a friend!

u Introduce yourself! uWhere do you work?

uWhat grade levels do you work with?

Introductions

u Jean

u Jen

Educators

u Educators are important!

u We spend the majority of each day with our students.

PBIS is:

u A framework, not a curriculum

u A process, not a program

u Takes 5-7 years to fully implement

u A paradigm shift for traditional adults

u Dependent on strong, focused team and leadership

u “Get started, then get better”

Academic Systems Behavioral Systems

1-5% 1-5%

5-10% 5-10%

80-90% 80-90%

Intensive, Individual InterventionsIndividual StudentsAssessment-basedHigh Intensity

Intensive, Individual InterventionsIndividual Students

Assessment-basedIntense, durable procedures

Targeted Group InterventionsSome students (at-risk)High efficiencyRapid response

Targeted Group InterventionsSome students (at-risk)

High efficiencyRapid response

Universal InterventionsAll studentsPreventive, proactive

Universal InterventionsAll settings, all students

Preventive, proactive

Multi-Tier Systems of Support (MTSS) Approach

Components of PBIS:

u Clearly defined expectations for students and adults

u Explicit social and behavioral instruction

u Positive and proactive discipline (not punishment!)

u Active supervision and monitoring

u Data-based decision making

Kids have changed…

It used to be:u Kids did as they were

told

u If kids didn’t behave, you could try to intimidate them into behaving with threats of punishment or calling their parents

Now:u Kids are empowered

u Kids don’t always have parents who support them or take an interest in what they do

u Threats and intimidation tactics don’t work anymore

Every Child Deserves a Champion

“To Do” List

u Learn and use names

u Greet at the door (handshake video)

u Appropriate touch***

u Smile

u Make eye contact

u Laugh and have fun! They’re kids!

Empathyu Feeling WITH the student, yet not taking on his/her

problem as your own

u Always lead with empathy, generated from the heart and expressed with kindness and understanding (NOT sarcasm!)u “How sad.”u “What a bummer.”u “I’m sure it’s hard to be you at times.”

u “If anyone can figure it out, it’s you.”

u Puts you and the student on the “same side” against the problem

Developing Positive Teacher/Student Relationships

u Tough kids cannot be coerced or bribed into behaving or learning

u Building positive relationships is the only thing that works with these students in the long term

u Tough students will do things for teachers they really like and respect

Love and Logic Approach

The 9 Essential Skills for the Love and Logic Classroom program is guided by five basic principles, each firmly grounded in research:

1. Preserve and enhance the child’s self-concept.

2. Teach children how to own and solve the problems they create.

3. Share the control and decision-making.

4. Combine consequences with high levels of empathy and warmth.

5. Build the adult-child relationship.

Neutralizing Student Arguing

u Too frequently we try to match wits with arguing kids and get sucked into a power struggle.

u Kids who argue with adults don’t care about logic or wisdom. They have one goal: to make you give in so they can get their way.

u Trying to reason with an arguing child is like fighting a fire with gasoline: every word we say makes it worse!

Neutralizing Student Arguing Part 1: Going Brain Dead

u Wise teachers go “brain dead” as soon as they sense an argument coming their way.

u If you think too hard about what a student is saying, you’ll be tempted to either reason with the child or make a threat that you can’t back up.

u Commit a one-liner to memory and say only that one-liner, over and over, no matter what the student says.

Neutralizing Student Arguing Part 2: One-Liners

One liner: a word or short phrase that becomes our calmly delivered default response any time a student begins to argue with us.

u It has to fit your personality

u Must be delivered with sincerity and compassion, NEVER sarcasm

I know. Thanks for

sharing…and what did I say?

I care about/respect you too much to

argue.

Could be. And what did I say?

I bet it feels that way. And what is the rule? Ohhhhhhh…

Neutralizing Student ArguingPart 2: One-Liners

u One-Liners are NOT designed to get even with a student or put him/her in their place.

u One-Liners delivered with sarcasm or anger are guaranteed to make the problem worse.

u When it comes to neutralizing student arguing, every successful teacher has a slightly different approach.

u What we say in response to arguments is not nearly as important as establishing the fact that every time it happens, we respond in a predictably firm, yet empathetic way.

Setting Limits with Enforceable Statements

u We only ever have control over OUR OWN behavior

u The way we conduct ourselves in the classroom can influence the way our students behave

u We can up the odds that they will do as we ask by using “thinking words” instead of “fighting words”

“Fighting Words” vs “Thinking Words”

Fighting Words are a call to battle and include:

u Telling the child what to do: “You get to work right now!”

u Telling the child what you will not allow:“You’re not going to talk to me that way!”

u Telling the child what you won’t do for him/her: “I’m not going to line you up until everyone is quiet!”

“Fighting Words” vs “Thinking Words”

Thinking Words include:

u Telling a child when he/she can do something: ”Feel free to go to the restroom during quiet work time.”

u Telling the child the conditions under which the adult will do something: “I’ll be glad to accept all papers that are turned in on time.”

u Describing the choices a child has: “Would you like to wear your coat or carry it?”

Handout

Turn Your Word Into GoldThe Art of Enforceable

Statements for the School

Guiding Students to Own and Solve Their Problems

u Start with a strong dose of empathyu Hand the problem back to the student

u ”What do you think you’re going to do?”

u Offer choicesu “Would you like to hear what other students have tried?”

u List 2-3 options (lead with the terrible ideas)

u Have the student state the consequences for each optionu “And how would that work?”

u Give the student permission to either solve the problem or not solve the problemu “I wish you success with this. Please let me know how it works out.”

Choices and Questions

u Use choices and questions to help students get back into their “thinking brain”

u Some power struggles are all about a child feeling like he/she has no say in anything, ever – offering choices is a way to empower the student to feel like he/she has SOME control over his/her life

Turn and Talk

uWhich of the Love and Logic strategies could you experiment with in your setting?

Communication

Sarcasm

Principal’s Role

u Idea person - if you believe in PBIS so will they

u Trainer - these tools will help the adults

u Accountability - this is what we’re doing

u Evaluator - I see you doing / not doing PBIS

u RTI and PSIT - this is how to support the student

u Consequences, not punishment

Train Outside of the Box

u Hire subs to cover classes or responsibilities

u Use PLC times

u Use Schoology for book studies

u Make videos or power-points to share

u Use teacher training days

u Give comp time

Resources You May Find Useful

Toolbox

Building Resilience with Toolbox

Conscious Discipline

Love and Logic

Restorative Practices

7 Habits/Leader in Me

Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids

Outrageous Behavior Modification

Kristin Souers & Pete Hall

Mindfulness

Brain Rules/Brain Rules for Baby

Poverty

Communication

Structures, Routines & Procedures

Procedures and Routines Create Structure

u When we have procedures and/or routines to follow, our brain allows that pattern to “run in the background” so we can process new information in the foreground.u Like a computer running one program in the background

while you use another program

u Driving home without thinking about it

Procedures and Routines Create Structure

u Arrival and dismissalu Going to the restroomu Sharpening pencilsu Walking down the hallwaysu Eating in the cafeteriau Turning in homework

Model the procedure, use visuals,

andpractice

often!

Visual Reminders are Key

u Young children’s brains use images (mental models) to govern behavior.

u Children encode visuals into their prefrontal lobes and ultimately internalize them as mental models.

u Auditory reminders operate differently in the brain and do not create strong mental models.

Bailey, 2015

Websites

• www.loveandlogic.com• www.consciousdiscipline.com• www.dovetaillearning.org• www.iirp.edu• www.search-institute.org• www.acestoohigh.com• https://smartsocial.com/• https://csi.boisestate.edu/ipbn/• www.pbis.org• www.pbisapps.org• https://www.weareteachers.com/