Each student comes to school with unique learning styles and personalities. Research demonstrates that schools should teach positive school behaviors following the same methodology as academic subjects. In fact, instruction of academics and behavior should be viewed as seamless in classroom settings. If implemented, many of the suggestions below will impact academics and behavior simultaneously. This page will be updated monthly during the school year to provide suggestions for instructing all students of the triangle.
It is considered best practice to use a mini "warm-up" activity prior to beginning the academic lesson for the day. This "warm-up" activity should act as a bridge between the previous day's lesson and today's content. The key to success for this activity is the degree of difficulty. The activity should be challenging enough to engage all of the students, but not so difficult that it cannot be completed successfully. Higher level students will be bored if the activity is too easy and lower performing students will become quickly frustrated and give up. How students respond to the warm-up activity will set the tone for the rest of the class period.
Spring can be a stressful time of year for many students. When signs of student stress are recognized, strategies should be utilized to redirect stress towards positive learning opportunities.
The appearance of problem behavior is a great opportunity to recognize positive student behavior rather than increasing the punishment of negative behaviors. The four procedures below are considered best practices for addressing spikes in problem behavior.
Warm weather usually brings spikes in student behavior. A few simple steps will minimize problem behavior and maximize student learning.