Teachers face varying student needs in K-12 classrooms, and many schools are using Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), an evidence-based framework used in education to improve school climate and student behavior by focusing on prevention, teaching positive social skills and providing consistent responses to challenges. According to the Center on PBIS, descriptive data and a recent peer-reviewed research article show the positive effects of implementation on social, emotional and behavioral outcomes for all students — including those with disabilities.
Schools also need additional support right now to address rising youth mental health issues. PBIS builds a hierarchy of supports and provides expectations and structures to help kids navigate school and society. Students sometimes test boundaries and try to break them down until they know that they can expect consistency, and that consistency can contribute to feelings of safety.
Recent studies are also showing that students today are feeling more isolated and less connected to their peers. Child rearing has changed over the last few decades, and even though we live in a safer society overall, more parents feel like their children are safer inside their homes than playing outside. Opportunities for engaging with peers — specifically the ability to build and test social skills and conflict resolution — don’t always exist in the home setting.
Much of the socializing we do today, especially for today’s youth, occurs online. Online platforms, such as social media, teach children many social skills. When they are put in classroom environments where their primary means for social engagement is face-to-face contact, communication and social engagement may not be a fluent skill. Needless to say, the social skills of many youth today are lagging. The social learning in the digital age is reason to have these soft and social skills embedded in the school curriculum, as well as integrating online/technology usage into school settings.
6 building blocks
To help create more nurturing learning environments, schools need systems that promote positivity, resilience, social skills and relationship building. Here are six ways teachers can start doing this in their classrooms today:
1. Work with students to create classroom expectations
Teachers should develop classroom agreements with their students, not for them. This fosters the collaboration and the connection that kids need. State the agreements in a positive light: We will be respectful, we will take turns, we will keep our hands to ourselves, etc. Everyone gets input, and teachers can work with students to agree on class-wide expectations. Next, be specific. For example, if it’s important to be respectful, what does that mean? Respect can look different to different students, so talk it out with the class, provide examples, and ultimately allow students to learn what is expected.
2. Put the agreements to work
Expectations can be put up on the wall, and kids can agree to them, so they know what the expectations are and what they need to do to be successful in the school environment. ClassDojo can facilitate communication and positive reinforcement between teachers, parents and students when they meet the expectations.
3. Follow a consistent routine
Developing and teaching classroom routines is extremely important. Once kids know them, the teacher’s job is much easier. Post routines so that students know what’s coming. For example, a schedule posted on the front board helps to reduce anxiety and allows the students to focus on the present. The routines also promote consistency and help decrease class interruptions when students are confused about what they should and shouldn’t be doing.
4. Focus on prevention over punishment
Begin all classroom activities with proactive reminders focused on prevention versus punishment. This helps prompt and remind students of the desired outcomes; students are less likely to need interventions if they’re focused on the correct outcomes in the first place. For example, a teacher might say, “We’re going to start this activity, and I want to remind you that we need to put all our supplies away. We are just listening at this time. You should be facing forward with your hands in your lap.” All those little cues and reminders will help kick off the activity in a positive light.
5. Design classrooms for success
Look at how the classroom is set up and be intentional about its design space. Teachers and students should be able to move around freely in the classroom, for instance, so avoid placing desks near high traffic areas, like in front of a door or an access way. Materials should be organized in a manner that ensures easy student access to helpful resources. Posters should be hung where the kids can see them (e.g., math formulas, word walls, reference materials, etc.). If students know where these tools are, they can be more self-reliant and responsible for their actions.
6. Create opportunities for all students to participate
Finally, create opportunities that all students can respond to and join in. If you only call on sure students, the rest of the class will stop trying. If you have that one student in your class who knows everything and is always the first to raise their hand, and the rest of the class learns that this kid is going to get called on every time, no one else is going to try. Even if other students have the answers, they might not try. Encouraging all the students to participate regardless of whether their answers are right or wrong also helps build relationships and promote a more positive learning environment.
In the end, reinforcement and relationship work
Studies show that most kids want attention from peers and adults. If they don’t know how to get attention in a positive way, then they’ll start trying to get it in a negative way and that’s where the bad behaviors start to seep into the classroom environment. You can use rewards and incentives to reinforce good behaviors and the following of expectations. Corrections will still need to happen, but maintaining a ratio of five positive interactions to every corrective interaction will maintain relationships in the classroom.
By creating the above structures and implementing the suggested strategies, teachers can invest time in a protective and preventative classroom environment while promoting positive behaviors and emphasizing relationships. Strong student and teacher relationships are the core of a successful, healthy, and productive academic environment.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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