Time Out
Time out is used when a student needs to be separated or removed from the environment where inappropriate behaviour is occurring until he/she can demonstrate appropriate behaviour. It should not be used as a punishment, but rather a time for student self-reflection. It is as a pro-active strategy to support self-monitoring. It is important for the student and teacher to resolve the issue before the next class.
Primary student
- 1 to 2 minutes in class or 3 to 5 minutes supervised elsewhere.
- A timer should be set.
- Times can be longer depending on the state of the student. If the individual is very angry, hurt or upset they may need more supervised time alone.
- Time out can have different names (eg. thinking place)
Intermediate or Secondary student
- An arrangement can be made with learning assistant, librarian or other personnel for a quiet space into allow a student time out.
- There should be a known criteria and an agreed upon time frame between student and teacher.
- Time out can be followed by "payback" for wasted time - an opportunity for positive interaction with the teacher.
See appendix 12
Providing Recognition
Opportunities
Students benefit from improved self esteem when they have a chance to be leaders or helpers. Being given the opportunity to demonstrate competence, teach a skill to a peer, assist a younger or less able student, or generally receive attention for making a positive contribution can help to decrease negative attention or power seeking behaviours.
Students can:
- assist coaching school teams and managing equipment. provide computer help. read to peers or provide other peer tutoring services. share out-of-school expertise or personal knowledge. Examples may include sharing camping lore, mechanical knowledge or naval expertise. participate in creative and behind the scenes aspects of music, drama and fine arts activities.
- get involved in service tasks in the school or in the community by working with boys and girls clubs or volunteering at a seniors home.
See appendices 13 and 14
See appendix 15
|
Classroom Management
 Acquiring appropriate group interaction skills to address behaviours such as:
- speaking out,
- disrupting classroom activities,
- using inappropriate language and gestures, and
- moving inappropriately around the classroom
Strategies
- Speak to the student privately to establish expectations and consequences.
- Use proximity or eye contact to the target student when addressing the large group.
- Create alternatives to unacceptable behaviour. For example, provide the student with constructive reasons to move around.
- Be consistent in use of consequences.
- Use "time outs" judiciously.
Developing appropriate social interaction skills to address behaviours such as:
- defying authority,
- arguing,
- manipulating,
- domineering, and
- causing a disturbance for which others are blamed.
Strategies
- Acknowledge acceptable behaviour.
- Avoid confrontations.
- Interact with students constantly. Consider being present before the class starts and moving around the room.
- Give the student leadership responsibilities such as coaching or tutoring younger students.
- Apply consequences consistently.
Discontinuing cheating on tests.
Strategies
- Discuss feelings of pressure to succeed.
- Ensure that the student's learning needs have been adequately addressed.
- Confront the student with facts.
- Establish consequences and apply them consistently.
Learning to control impulsive behaviour such as:
- difficulty thinking before acting.
Strategies
- Help the student set up a method for self-monitoring.
- Establish a private signal to remind student to stop and think.
- Provide opportunities for the student to practice self-monitoring with positive reinforcement for effort. For example, teach the student to use self-talk to slow down reactions to stressors.
Decreasing physically aggressive behaviour such as:
- pushing to get to the front of a line, and
- poking those sitting nearby with pen.
Strategies
- Discuss the reasons for limits to tolerance of aggression with the student.
- Identify the problem with the student in a private conference to decrease peer attention which may reinforce the behaviour.
- Teach the student the concept of the right to personal space. This may not be a known concept.
- Consult with parents to try to find the cause of the aggressiveness.
- Try to provide positive ways for the student to get attention and appropriate sources of needed status.
- Use firm, unemotionally applied consequences.
Managing defensiveness such as getting upset or withdrawn in response to constructive criticism.
Strategies
- Focus on the positive aspects of the student's work or behaviour first.
- Approach problems with the student from a problem solving rather than a blaming point of view.
- Avoid overreacting to this student's behaviour. Give the student a quick way to correct the problem ("Fast chance").
- Provide choices so the student who feels insecure can practice small experiences with accepting responsibility.
Developing skills to relate to peers and adults, especially for students who are withdrawn.
Strategies
- Be friendly, in a quiet way, and model warm interactions with students and teachers for the student to observe.
- Create opportunities for the withdrawn child to contribute to small group activities.
- Gently urge, but do not force, the student to participate in group activities.
- Consider setting the student up with a mentor, either a teacher/role model or an older student in the school.
Resolving difficulties when the student has:
- problems with attention, and/or
- difficulty focusing in oral activities or group work.
Strategies
- Seat student in an area of the classroom that will minimize distractions.
- Locate the student to maximize the positive effect of role models in the class.
- Establish private cueing system to remind student to attend to activity.
- Teach student to self-monitor attention behaviours.
- Provide individualized accommodations such as allowing a target group to work in a separate setting to block out extraneous stimuli.
- Break period into smaller units of time with a plan or goal to increase on-task behaviour.
- Pair student with a learning peer.
- Teach a strategy, such as LISAN to listen and participate actively. Provide opportunities for students to practice the strategy
Acquiring skills to complete assignments.
Strategies
- Be sure that students understand the expectations of the assignment.
- Break long term tasks into smaller units with corresponding due dates and teacher feedback.
- Teach the independent use of a personal assignment planner and provide opportunities for guided practice in its use.
- Monitor progress frequently and coordinate this with other staff supporting the student.
- Keep parents informed about assignment expectations and ways they can support students.
- Maintain a calendar of assignments with corresponding due dates in the classroom as a constant reminder to students.
Developing skills to organize materials.
Strategies
- Directly teach the skills necessary to manage instructional materials.
- Encourage the use of one main binder to organize notes for all classes.
- Encourage the use of a pencil case that can be affixed to binder and is large enough to hold all necessary equipment.
- Encourage student to develop a locker list of required materials for each class.
- Consider issuing one text for home and one for school.
- Teach time management strategies.
Learning to start work independently.
Strategies
- Establish time lines.
- Alternate tasks between popular and unpopular.
- Use contracts.
- Provide models of completed task so the student can visualize a completed project.
- Maximize the most productive times of the class/day.
- Talk through procedures necessary to complete the task.
- Help the student develop self-talk strategy as prompts to start tasks. For example, "I need to ____."
- Break the task down into manageable parts and provide reinforcement after the completion of each part.
- Provide successful experiences to build self-esteem.
|
