placement
• The teacher desk needs to be in a place in the classroom that facilitates eye contact between student and teacher.
• The teacher desk needs to be arranged in a way that sends a message to the student about the teacher’s openness to a student who may need extra help.
• Teacher desks need to be well organized, clean where resources can easily be located.
Response to Behavior
As inclusive practices increase, educators find themselves dealing with behavioral issues more frequently. Two methods listed in Embry’s behavioral vaccines that have proven effectiveness
for dealing with classroom and individual child behaviors are based on the concept of reinforcement. Embry suggests:
• Use a team-based response-cost protocol for groups of children that rewards inhibition of inattentive, disruptive, and aggressive/bullying. Documented in approximately 30 studies to reduce short-term and long-term behavior problems as well as DSM-IV ADHD, and conduct problems, special-education placement plus substance abuse/initiation. Can be implemented from simple presentations or manuals.
• Incorporate special play into the day by using 15 minutes with simple things (blocks, buttons, pipe cleaners, blocks, scraps, junk) by the child in which an adult follows the lead of the child. Improves warmth and compliance while reducing aggression and agitation.
• Use response cost, a method where removal of token, money, or privilege for misbehavior w/o emotional displays. Works as well as stimulant medication for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Easily adapted at home.
• Use mystery motivators where random rewards using simple, lottery-like system for behaviors. Very powerful in changing child behaviors at home & school, parent behavior, and work-related behaviors.
• Provide responsible roles to all children in the classroom school, or home, which increases pro-social behaviors, instructional time, and achievement, and provides positive adult and peer reinforcement and recognition.
• Use response cards/slates, which are true and false, multiple choice, open response, etc. cards/slates substantially improve participation, reduce disruptions, raise weekly tests scores, improve standardized achievement allow for more feedback, praise, and recognition. Can be used at home too.