Inclusion Insights - Behavior



In an inclusive classroom, we have students with all kinds of challenges!  Some of the toughest challenges deal with behavior.

As most teachers do,  I save my battles for things that are disrupting the learning environment.

So what do I do when someone is disrupting the learning environment?  Well, let me tell you about my new system.

In my class that has more students with challenges than not, I reward students every day with Dojo points for following our CHAMPS rules/procedures.  


Why every day?  
This is because students who struggle with behavior tend to forget the positive quickly.  Plus, since the time frame is short (just one class period), the reward feels much more achievable.  

What are the rewards associated with the points?
  Based on the points, I have a little raffle at the end of each period with the tickets I also pass out for grades, kindness and volunteering.  (Sometimes, I pass out tickets to students who are the first to finish gluing in their interactive notebook foldables!)  
I also have a weekly reward based on the percentage reports that the Dojo provides that the students really want:  computer time!


How many tickets do I draw each day?
Well, with this class, I hang up a "Mystery Student" sign at the front of my room and on the back is the name of a student.  




At the end of the period, I reveal that person and then we look to see how many Dojo points they have.  The number of points the mystery student has equals the number of tickets I will draw.  When a student's name is drawn, they get a treat from my jar.



When a student is disrupting our environment, they lose a Dojo point.  And if I don't have time to put it into the app at that moment, I write their name on the board.  If I have to redirect even more, then I will place a check (or checks) by their name.  

However, I have been trying to keep the focus on the rewards to spur students on and have been saying things like 
"How sad. I wanted you to earn a reward"  
when students do not participate appropriately.

Of course, for some students the "simple" loss of reward does not always cause the student to make a change.  For those students, I have to use our school-wide discipline steps.  

So far, we're off to a good start!  Hopefully this bodes well for the future!

What kinds of systems do you use with students with behavior challenges?  Let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for stopping by!