If you have a student in your class with behavioral support needs or a behavior plan, have you been trained on how to implement that plan and create expectations that are consistent across school settings? Unfortunately, most teachers’ answer to that question is a resounding no. This happens for a variety of reasons - plans changing mid-school year, waiting for evaluation results or disclosures for student information, and staff with too many things on their to-do lists to find the time to meet. First, please know that you deserve to understand and be on board with your students’ behavioral programming! If possible to advocate for a team meeting to go over these plans and expectations for all staff who work with the student, please do so. While none of these are one-size-fits-all solutions, here are a few simple steps you can take to make your classroom a safe and accessible space for all students and to implement behavior plans successfully.
1. Keep things consistent.
The easiest way to dysregulate students at school is to change routines and expectations. When we think about it, it makes a lot of sense. If you showed up to work and were told to teach in a different room with all of your activities at different times than normal, you would probably be flustered too, and would not be your best self as an educator that day! That being said, changes do happen at school, but how can we reduce the impact on students and set them up for success? If you know of a special event or change in schedule, communicate with the student as far in advance as possible, provide reminders on the day of, and include it on their schedule for the day. Offer alternative options if a student doesn’t want to participate in a special event, and find ways for them to practice new things such as picture day or graduation ceremonies. Talk with students in advance before doing things like changing the time of their services or moving their desk to a different location in the classroom. Be real with your students - acknowledge that changes are difficult, thank them for being flexible, and offer yourself as a safe space if they need support.
2. Understand triggers and functions of behavior.
In addition to changes in routine and expectations, there are a variety of things that can trigger students in the school environment. Some may be more common, such as being asked to complete a task that they do not understand, not being included by other peers, or being spoken to in an unkind way. Others can be very specific to specific students, such as loud noises, specific topics of discussion, or specific objects in their environments. Be familiar with your students’ IEPs and talk with them yourself, if possible, and allow them to share things that are upsetting to them so that you can collaborate on ways to avoid those things and work through them together at school. Understand that behavior does not exist for behavior’s sake. ALL behavior is a form of communication, and all behaviors have a trigger or antecedent that causes them to occur. Practice patience and grace toward students, and try to understand and respond to the function of their behavior (what they are responding to or trying to achieve) before reacting to the behavior itself.
3. Have response plans, back-up plans, and in-case-of-emergency plans.
If your student has a behavior intervention plan (BIP), become extremely familiar with this plan, which will also be discussed at the IEP meeting at which it is instated. The student’s case manager and any behavior specialists that work with your school should be able to answer questions on this plan as well. BIPs include direct plans for each behavior. For example, if a student engages in property destruction and throws things off of their desk, their BIP would tell you exactly what the expected response is to maintain consistency for that student across school settings. If a student does not have a BIP, the IEP team should still collaborate on consistent ways to respond to behaviors across school settings. Within the general education classroom, come up with back-up plans for yourself and decide in what situations you will need to call for extra support, and who that will be. If your student also has potentially dangerous behaviors, consider what to do in case of emergency. The student may have an emergency response plan (ERP), and if not the IEP team should collaborate on plans for emergency measures. Find out who in your school is qualified to engage in emergency response practices, and connect with them on how you will communicate for support if needed.
4. Regulate yourself before you regulate others.
The most common way that situations of behavioral response escalate in the classroom is when there is an adult that is also escalated. If you do not have prior experience with a student who has a BIP, consider how you react in stressful situations, and make a plan to protect yourself and what you need in the classroom. Always call for support even if you aren’t sure that you will need it, and set yourself up for success. You can’t support students and help them regulate if you are not regulated yourself. This means that sometimes you need to step out of a situation for a few minutes even if that seems counterintuitive. Trust your gut, and remember to put on your own oxygen mask first!
5. Include the student, be open to feedback, and adjust as needed!
If possible to include your student in behavior response planning, partner with them to create plans that are going to be successful for everyone. Ask them to describe how they are feeling in those difficult moments, and what sounds like it would be helpful for them. If possible, share with them an example of what you do when you are feeling upset and what helps you to regulate. Normalize discussing your emotions and that we all need tools to help us feel better sometimes. Consider offering options to students that might not be the “normal” options; maybe it would help them to stand outside for a couple of minutes, to lay down on the floor, or to put on a big sweatshirt with the hood over their head. Whatever works for them is the best option for them! You can talk with their caregivers as well and collaborate on what helps them regulate at home and how you can transfer that to the school environment and vice versa. Also consider what your plan will be following an escalation. Don’t place demands directly after a student has calmed down, and consider giving them some space to participate in a calm activity before rejoining the group’s plan. If you have a student that engages in property destruction, consider whether it is appropriate for that particular student to be a part of cleaning up and/or repairing the damage, or whether that will be further triggering for them. They might need an hour or a day to process before they are ready to think or talk about what happened. If possible, get feedback from your student and ask them what you can do to better support them in the future. Although BIPs and ERPs are only required to be updated yearly, connect more often with your team and discuss changes that would better support your student.
Have more questions about how to support behavioral or social emotional needs in the classroom? Leave a comment below or reach out to talk further at accessibleeducating@gmail.com.