Management Tool Box Tactics for use DURING a lesson

Structuring Classroom Experiences for Success

Proactive Management Strategies

Using redirection to manage undesirablebehavior

Understanding the problemTeachers often confront student misbehavior using a "frontal assault"strategy -- that is, they confrontthe student, point out themisdeed, and request (ordemand) that the student ceasethe inappropriate behavior (e.g.,Johnny, you are talkinginappropriately. Stoptalking.).While being very explicitin communicating yourexpectations is important,doing so in a confrontingmanner may increase behaviorproblems rather than eliminatethem. This is especially true withpreadolescent and adolescentstudents. These confrontationsplace teachers in combativeposition ripe for power struggles.

Many adolescents have notbecome behaviorally literate,although they may be quite savvyat behaving at inappropriatetimes, they often have littleunderstanding of important

A key to the solutionFor older students, redirection isused to explicitly request thatstudents engage in alternativepositive behaviors. The teacherdoes not specifically point out theinappropriate behavior and whatnot to do. Rather, the teacherfocuses on the desirablebehavior and requests that thestudent engage in it (e.g.,Johnny, I need for students toconcentrate right now, so pleasefocus on your work. You canhave your conversation afterclass.).

Redirection is a usefultechnique for signaling students, in a manner that does not cause them to resent you and thus shutdown, that their present behavioris inappropriate. The approachhelps students modify theirbehavior and increase theirpower as learners.

factors such as knowledge how their behavior is triggered orreinforced or how the behavior impacts themselves or others.Confrontation management techniques tend to "shut students down"rather than facilitate the development behavioral literacy.

To begin the process of becoming behaviorally literate, teachersneed to help students become aware of their social strengths andshortcomings. This is an ongoing process that is dedicated topromoting students’ dignity and self-esteem. Redirection is one toolthat can help teachers do this effectively by consistently encouragingpersonal development and social responsibility.

Management Tips

Step 1 Reflect on the character traits and values that you want students todemonstrate in the classroom to build a community of learners. Thefocus should be on the development of integrative and productiveways of interacting with others that support dynamic learning activities.

Step 2 Review your expectations, rewards, and consequences for learningand behavior. Ask yourself if your expectations pass the “RRA” test.Are they reasonable, realistic, and age-appropriate? Talking withcolleagues can be helpful in creating and maintaining a balancedperspective regarding your teacher expectations. It is also importantto consider whether you expectations, rewards, and consequencescompliment the character traits and values that you wish to promote.

Step 3 Ensure that you have clearly and repeatedly communicated theseimportant expectations, rewards, consequences, character traits andvalues. Clearly communicating expectations forcooperative behaviorshelps promote students’understanding of thesocial world. To maximizetheir effectiveness, they

need to be reviewed and encouraged continually and consistently. Forexample, you could make the following statements duringthe instructional activity, When you are engaged in cooperativelearning and Think Pair Share activities today, you need todemonstrate your life skills of flexibility and organization. You alsoneed to encourage one another to use the Ready, Aim, Fire strategyto stay on top of things.

Also consider how students will be visually and/or auditorily remindedof the expectations, rewards, consequences and life-skills, on aregularly scheduled basis. This is an important consideration forstudents who experience visual and/or auditory processingdifficulties. Incorporating visual and/or auditory prompts into thedaily routine is an effective approach for doing this. They are usedto systematically cue students that expectations and/or life skills arebeing recognized or that they need to be demonstrated. Forexample, cartoons could be used to visually prompt students to usethe Ready, Aim, Fire strategy and demonstrate positive charactertraits and values to promote cooperative class behaviors.

Step 4 During instruction, look for students whoare meeting the behavioral and academicexpectations and demonstrating positivecharacter traits and values that promotecooperation and immediately acknowledgetheir success, verbally or nonverbally. For older students nonverbalsignals (e.g., thumbs up) may be more effective reward. With youngerstudents, verbal praise is usually more appropriate.

Step 5 Use redirection during instructional activities when students areengaging in disruptive behaviors. These signals can be verbal ornonverbal and they can be overt or covert. An example of overt,verbal redirection is when the teacher states, You need to activelylisten, stay focused, and participate today. A more subtle form ofnonverbal redirection would be for the teacher to pass by thestudent’s desk and gesture towards the assigned activity. Callingstudent’s attention to an unrelated activity can also prevent orinterrupt disruptive behavior.

Jazzing It Up

1. Vary the types of redirection used in theclassroom. Students will satiate (get bored or burn out on) quickly if one type of redirection is repeatedly

employed. To avoid satiation, you should be predictably unpredictablewith redirection. For example, if you consistently use verbal redirectionwith students try humor.

2. Teach students how to redirect themselves by usingself-talk. For example, I am frustrated and boredwith this class today. I need to get involved byusing my Ready, Aim, Fire strategy. This will helpme to get back on track.

3. Promote behavioral literacy. Teachstudents to become aware of theirbehavior. Self-monitoring can be usedto facilitate this process. Inconjunction with self-talk, teachstudents how to self-monitor. Self-monitoring is a recording system forwhereby students to count their desirable and undesirable behaviors. A student can be taught to count thenumber of times he uses theReady, Aim, Fire strategy to get backon track and increase participation inclass discussion on a daily basis. Thestudent then uses self-talk as on-goingencouragement or motivation toachieve the desired level of behavioralperformance. Self-talk and self-monitoring are tools to transfer controlof rewards from teacher to studentand to change the motivation from extrinsic to intrinsic.

What’s Next?

In addition to redirection, there are a number of other techniques you can useto make positive or desired student behavior(s) happen. Theseinclude...

• Maintaining an appropriate instructional pace

• Using proximity

• Restating expectations and using remembering cues

• Providing warm assistance

• Providing encouragement

• Ensuring format flexibility

• Facilitating smooth-sailing transitions

Management Tool Box Tactics for use DURING a lesson

Sample self-monitoring card:

Goal Card: Use the Ready, Aim, Firestrategy to increase participation to 5x in a50-minute class period.

9:00 AM ____9:10 AM ____9:20 AM ____9:30 AM ____9:40 AM ____

TOTAL: ____

Please record the number of times you usedthe strategy to increase your participationduring each10-minute period with a tallymark. Remember to praise yourself for usingthe strategy to get yourself back on track.

NOTE: This card can be laminated andstudents can use water-soluable markerssuch as a pens to record desired behaviors.