Notes from Behavioural Course

Individuals are more likely to grow, develop and make progress when they are in a postive environment that provides safety, support, structures and consistency.

The consequence can re-start the circle again if it is negative and done before student has desculated.

When a child says leave me alone …. leave them alone.

When you are upset and say to someone to leave them alone, you expect them to do this … the situation is the same for the child.

Positive responses

• Ignore inconsequential behaviours (annoying and repetative)
• Walk away and then re-engage - sometimes it is beeter to yet a staff member intervene. At other times, a brief cooling off period is more advantageous than an immediate response.
• Share feelings - but don’t show - acknowledge that you the individual need to cool down before discussing the situation
• Script a response - identify your ‘buttons’ and script a response to each
• Remain focused on the individual’s behaviour - keep conversation on the behaviour and not the student
• Self-talk - use an internal conversation to guide you eg ‘don’t take it personally,’ is the situation as bad as it appears,’ ‘ what is the individual wanting?’ and ‘what should I do.

AND

Stop - mentally interrupt any internal conversation before responding

Think - consider options and responses that have been pre-scripted

Analyise - decide on which strategy to utilise in this situation

Respond - choose the strategy and act

Response to Oppositional and Defiant Behaviour

• Making deals - Do not bargin
• Needing to have the last word (a strategy to have control where the individual tries to stop the conversation from ending) - Let them have it
• Blatant rule violation (an attempt to get you into an argument and/or seek attention)  - temporarily ignore the behaviour and then give consequences later
• Constantly questioning ‘Why” (an attempt to control and prolong the conversation and sometimes challenge authority) - agree to answer but in their time not yours
• Playing one staff member against another (pointing out inconsisitencies and using it to rationalise their behaviour) - follow the schedule and communicate with colleagues
• Refusal to comply (trying to take control by challenging you; a very difficult behaviour to understand as the indivdual’s pointn of view is correct (they cannot be made to comply) - review their choices (3 choices are good as they really have to think)
• Loopholes (complying with the letter of the law but not its spirit) - provide specific instructions

The kids who need to most love will always ask for it in the most unloving way -  Russel Barkely