- NEW! Consider these MTSS social, emotional, behavioral practices in your classroom;
- Build-in intentional transitions to learning time by beginning with a quiet activity and then reviewing the schedule for class or day;
- NEW! Maintain a 5:1 positive to corrective feedback ratio for each student. Here are 4 simple ways to use a 4:1 ratio of positive praise that actually work. Use the Be+ app to help you keep track of positive praise;
- Check out these research-based Habits of Effective Classroom Practice, including positive greetings at the door to be used at the beginning of class or at the start of school, as well as positive adult presence in the hallways.
- Speaking of positive greetings, here are five ways you can engage in positive greetings at the door in just a few moments;
- Use prompts and pre-corrections to support students who are approaching a task or situation to have a high chance of success. These prevention strategies allow students to see a connection between their actions and what happens next. Using precorrection, especially in combination with behavior-specific praise, has been shown to decrease disruptive behavior, reduce the need for reprimands, and increase the amount of time for instruction. Here are some easy steps for using pre-correction;
- Opportunities to Respond (OTR) are essential for increasing overall learning, eliciting important academic feedback from students, and increasing on-task behavior. Check out these six elements for using this strategy effectively. Also, check out this simple guide for teachers on the effective use of praise.
- Behavior specific praise is a nonintrusive way to reinforce specific, desired behaviors of your students. This classroom management strategy can be differentiated based on age of students, development, the settings in which you teach, and your school’s culture.
- Consider implementing positive greetings at the door, a research-based practice to be used at the beginning of class or at the start of school, as well as positive adult presence in the hallways.
- Consider frequent whole-school celebrations to help with school morale;
- Consider a staff booster in Crisis Prevention and Intervention (CPI). Contact VTPBIS for more information.
- Expand Check-in/Check-out to include boosters, if you already have a CICO system in place. More frequent intervals for students to practice the expectations and receive positive feedback can significantly impact student well-being and positive behavior.
- Establish smaller specialized classrooms that support students who need major academic and social “gap-filling.”
- Use this editable school tracker from “Just Two Teachers” to assist with shaping behavior and to keep things positive for students. The form can also be used for data collection within the MTSS process.
- Establish sensory breaks throughout the day to allow students the opportunity to attune to the present moment while helping to integrate mind-body experiences.
- Establish a mentoring program. Providing mentoring relationships facilitates emotional regulation and improves youths’ social skills and self-perceptions. Mentors can challenge negative views that youth may hold of themselves and demonstrate that positive relationships with adults are possible (C.S. Chan et al., 2013, p. 130 found in Wayne RESA Trauma-informed Practices within a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Framework: A Guide for Implementation).
Additionally, Tier 3 practices stem from solid foundations in Tier 1 and Tier 2 supports. With both tiers in place with fidelity, schools are free to organize individualized teams to support students with more intense needs. Many of the strategies highlighted above could be modified to meet individual student needs and should include the following practices:
- Function-based assessment
- Wraparound
- Person-centered planning
- Cultural and contextual fit.