My Inquiry question revolves around strategies that will help me in the future when dealing with students with behavioural issues. I have been closely following a student in my class that my SA had difficulty managing. Since September my SA has struggled to find what works when managing this student. It wasn’t until recently when a behavioural interventionist came in and observed this student that my SA started to see a change. From what I have observed over the past few weeks I can see a difference in the way this student interacts with the class.
The student is not sitting directly with the rest of the class on the carpet. She had difficulty keeping her hands to herself so she sits on a wiggle cushion off to the side of the carpet area. She is told that she can re-join the class at the carpet when her behaviour improves. The student is given a stress ball to fidget with while she is in her seat. She also has her own chair that she is sent to when she physically harms another student. The behavioural interventionist has told my SA that the student needs to be sent to that chair every time she does not cooperate with the teacher or has issues with other students. No matter how many times in a day this happens, she must be sent to this char. After discussing this with my SA it was clear that the student was starting to feel some remorse when she was being sent to this chair, something she was not doing before. She wants to remain a part of the classroom activities and when she is sent to the chair it is obvious that she feels left out. Every week is different for this student, but she has come a long way since September. My SA reminds her of her good behaviour and how she must keep up with it to receive a good review at the end of the week.
These strategies, and others being used, are the first that I have seen in a classroom setting. This is probably because I have not seen behaviour like this student’s before. I am learning a lot from observing her and the reactions from my SA and the school. Everyday is different and the consistent use of these strategies will hopefully keep bringing forth some changes in the student.
The strategies you are describing are clearly being implemented to define the boundaries for this student and the related consequences if they are breached. The safety of other students in a classroom is essential and she needed to understand that hurting others is not acceptable. As her behaviour improves, she will be able to join the group and hopefully continue to grow in successfully being part of the classroom community.