Behaviour Management Program
Stop Think Do – A whole school approach teaching students to manage their own behaviour in a responsible and respectful way.
Rationale
At Sacred Heart School we recognise the importance of peer relations and social acceptance for the personal well being and academic success of children. The main aim of the Stop Think Do Program is the prevention of personal and social distress for children through the development of social skills and pro-social attitudes in students, and healthy social–learning environments in classrooms. Specifically communication, cognitive problem solving and behavioural skills are taught and practiced within supportive class groups. A sense of individual confidence, power and control is encouraged in students, together with shared, responsible commitment to group membership.
Managing student behaviour is seen in a social problem-solving context. Teachers utilise communication and problem solving skills to manage student behaviour and relate with students generally. They also teach the same skills to students for resolving peer conflicts in a democratic, ‘no lose’ way. In this approach the children are taught how to think about, evaluate and choose solutions to their social problems before they initiate behaviour. This method is called Stop Think Do and a traffic light symbol is used to remind children of the process.
All teachers have been in-serviced in skills training for this program so that teachers like students acquire power through self-control, reducing the stress and distress of their increasingly demanding role. Taking a whole school approach also ensures continuity in the behaviour management strategies of the children as they progress through school, and does not require them to continually modify their behaviours with the change of class teacher. It also ensures that children are getting consistent messages by all staff during all school hour interactions.
COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM
The Program has several components:
Communication Component
Emphasis is placed on the development by teachers of effective communication skills to create a positive social climate in classrooms. Good communication involves the following skills:
* Paying attention to other people, looking at and listening to them to determine the feelings behind their words and action.
* Reflecting these feelings back rather than reacting impulsively to the words and actions
* Identifying own feelings and expressing them honestly
* Using respectful and encouraging language
Problem Solving Component
A traffic light motto is incorporated in this method and is displayed on posters.
Stop – reminds students and teachers to stop before they rush into anything and react impulsively. They then clarify the problem and how they and others are feeling and what they want to happen next.
Think – reminds teachers and students to think about and generate many possible alternative solutions to the problem. They also think of the consequences of each solution and how people feel about them.
Do – reminds students and teachers to choose the best solution (the one with the most acceptable consequences) and put it into action. If it does not work, go back to STOP and THINK of something else to DO. Students and teachers are encouraged to apply this method to resolve teacher – student and student – student conflicts.
Strategy Evaluation Component
Students are encouraged to focus on the THINK stage where various solutions are presented. The following criteria are presented to assist in evaluating the various strategies:
* The COOL way is to act confidently and assertively
* The WEAK way is to act unconfidently and passively
* The AGGRO way is to act uncontrolled and aggressively
A second criterion for describing strategies is termed the FRIENDLY way, the RIGHT way and the COOPERATIVE way. Each of these criteria have implications regarding the consequences of behaving in that way.
Motivational Component
The students identify their goals or purposes in social situations and this is the first important step to determine what changes in values and goals are indicated. The children then analyse the consequences of pursuing these goals. The children are then encouraged to modify or refine their goals and hence behaviours, to obtain more acceptable consequences. The achievement of specific personal and social goals throughout the program builds self-confidence and esteem which further motivates social skills development and social interest.
Assessment – Evaluation Component
There is a strategy for pre programme assessment of students’ social skill level, goal planning and post programme evaluation of skill levels and goal achievement.
Behaviour Management Component
* Limit setting – responsibilities are suggested on the basis of fairness to all involved. (class rules)
* Problem solving – STOP THINK DO
* Goal Setting – children identify goals for themselves and each other
Program Aims
General Aims of Classroom Program - Primary and Secondary
* to prevent possible current and long term aversive consequences of poor social skills development in young people
* to develop healthy social and learning environments in schools which reflect the commitment to social equality in our democratic society
* to foster social competence and peer relations of students through training in specific behavioural and cognitive skills
* to foster socially acceptable goals, values and attitudes in students
* to develop self confidence and self worth in students through skills training and the achievement of pro social goals
* to empower children to take more control, purpose and responsibility for their personal well being, academic and social success
* to develop positive social relations between teachers and students through effective behaviour management techniques and shared social skill straining
* to develop classes as democratic social groups with teachers as group leaders utilising group dynamics to support the social development of individual students
* to encourage the involvement of parents in the training program to aid in skills transfer outside of the classroom.
Specific Aims of Classroom Program
* to train the following social skills and pro social attitudes
* social perception, particularly listening to and looking carefully at others to recognise individual differences and similarities and to take the perspective of others
* communication skills, particularly recognising, naming and expressing feelings appropriately
* verbal and non-verbal behavioural skills including friendly approach behaviours, conversational, self protective and assertive skills
* cognitive problem solving skills, particularly defining social problems and personal goals, generating solutions, evaluating consequences, ,making decisions and initiating actions
* democratic conflict resolution skills requiring mutual respect, shared responsibility and self control
* awareness of socially acceptable or morally responsible strategies for resolving social conflicts
* techniques for maintaining friendships
* group membership skills including active participation, cooperation, leadership and democratic group decision making and problem solving skills.
Primary Classroom Format
8 units with 3 lessons of 45 minutes to cover each unit
Secondary Classroom Program Format
8 units with 2 lessons of 45 minutes to cover each unit
Parental Involvement
The involvement of parents to extend skills into the home for practice and feedback is essential if they are to be maintained over time. Sacred Heart School aims to have parent meetings and parental in servicing on the program to discuss more fully the skills being taught and the techniques employed in the classroom. Parents will also be invited to attend class sessions when the program is being specifically taught.
Democratic Process
The Stop Think Do process is used as a behaviour management and social problem solving method. It is a democratic process in which all involved have equal opportunities to participate. The process does not promote rule by authority, nor is it a license for permissive student behaviour or teacher attitudes advocating classrooms without rules and responsibilities. The democratic process affords individuals (teachers and students) power and control which is conditional upon responsible commitment to the class group. Individual accountability parallels mutual interdependence in the democratic classroom. The role of the teacher in the program is to be task oriented and to practice what they preach, ie. They need to be non judgemental, patient and supportive in their teaching of the program, thus modelling the very behaviours and attitudes which their students are being taught. As the program progresses, teachers will hopefully move from the role of direct problem solver through mediator to facilitator of problem solving in students.
Furthermore, the democratic process is reflected in the way strategies are evaluated at the THINK stage of the STOP THINK DO process. The important point is that children are being trained HOW to think not WHAT to think.
Timeline:
* October – whole staff in-service by Cate Engelbrecht
* Term 4 – Each class to teach one lesson of 30 minutes duration each week.
* 2003 – Implement full program – 1 lesson taught each week for eight weeks in Terms 1/2/3 (Primary)
1 lesson taught each week for eight weeks in Terms 1 and 2 (Secondary)
* Strategies to be used throughout whole year.
* Alternately depending on school priorities, this program may form the Behaviour Management / Personal Development / Health Curriculum for Term 1, 2003. In this case it may take the form of 3 30 minute lessons, three times a week in Term 1 (Primary) and 2x30 minute lessons a week in Term 1 (Secondary).
|