Behavior Management Professional Learning Workshops, Days & Whole School Behavior Programs
These are our current suggested workshop topics and schools can also specify workshop content, emphasis and additional components. (Flat school rate for all workshops irrespective of numbers)
The workshops are available on site in schools and any number of staff can attend, but must be arranged by the school, the school cluster, or the regional office.
In dialogue with ourselves, schools can mandate all workshop content.
Our workshops are very practical and emphasize the acquisition of practical behavior management skills and planning for behavior.
How to set up a behavior focus team in your school.
(Flat school rate for all workshops irrespective of numbers)
Special Projects
5-Step A self-sustaining cost effective whole school behavior management programme.
Managing the "Hidden" Curriculum
course details
Please contact us for costs, workshop content queries or bookings. Email - Training query, or just phone us on +61 3 9399 8491.
Suggested Workshop Topics
Section 'A' Workshops
lend themselves to an effective one day seminar workshop format but can
be condensed into 2 or 4 hour presentations with reduced intended outcomes.
Section 'B' Workshops are best
dealt with over two days but if necessary can be presented in condensed form
in one day.
Section 'A' Workshops
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A1: Teachers' strategies & Skills: turning behavior around This full day workshop is designed to teach teachers a broad range of practical interpersonal skills for use in the classroom - to use as the occasion arises and to build resiliency. All forms of classroom behavior can be successfully dealt with especially confronting and challenging behavior. Topics covered: How to choose an appropriate response, convey needs and gain cooperation, avoid stereotyped reactions; being creative & taking 'safe' risks, tuning-in, being flexible and adaptable to situations; using modelling to build relationships. How to turn situations around and avoid being 'sucked-in'. How controlling yourself and your responses produces "good discipline". Intended outcomes: Effectively taking control in any situation, managing minor disruptions and major disturbances, preventing escalation and repetition of misbehavior, enabling responsibility and ensuring accountability for classroom and school behavior. |
A2: Positive Behavior Management: dealing with apathy and negativity The workshop teaches practical planning for positive classroom management. The course content also addresses the 'anti-learning' ethos pervading many schools and classrooms. Topics covered: Planning methodology. Changing attitudes - changing behavior. dealing with negativity, how to get them on your side, enabling students to change their perceived roles, encouraging a sense of worth in both student and teacher, building resiliency. Managing groups. Intended outcomes: A positive classroom, improved participation, greater productivity, higher levels of achievement, more positive attitudes towards learning, teaching and school, happier teachers.
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A3: Building Responsible Young Adults:
ations and consequences
The workshop teaches the
skills
and techniques with which to foster taking
responsibility for actions. Teachers learn to
build an awareness of the relationships
between rights & responsibilities, and actions & consequences,
and to develop new social competencies and resiliency in their students.
Topics covered: Discipline and punishment - what am I
teaching?, the concept of choice in behavior,
following through and teachers' options,
teaching for responsibility; the importance of reparation.
Intended outcomes: Teachers distinguish between discipline and
punishment and internal vs. external control. Students acquire insight
into their behavior, enabling self discipline and self
control. Teachers learn to use the 'space' between a classroom behavior and
their response to that behavior. |
A4: Classroom Control: discipline,
teaching styles & techniques
A workshop focusing
on how teaching styles cause and influence situations in the classroom.
Individual teaching styles are compared.
Topics covered: The advantages and disadvantages of different
styles, the importance of being 'skilled' in addition to personal style.
Using new interpersonal responses to replace unhelpful ones. Learning
and practising these skills. Resiliency.
Intended outcomes: Through insight gained, teachers are
able to assess and make appropriate changes to their individual teaching
style. This results in lowered classroom tension, less teacher
stress, and more effective teaching and learning.
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A5: Working in the
Here & Now:
applying and working with practical behavior management skills
Three 2 hour back-to-back
practical sessions
focusing
on today's classroom behavior management
needs.
Each session works interactively with participants
using case studies relevant to situations faced by participating
teachers. Participants' own concerns are also addressed.
Topics covered: How to put on the "Coat of Many
Pockets." Becoming aware of covert issues disrupting the
classroom. Tuning-in to students. How to know when to act
and what skills to use.
Intended outcomes: The acquisition of practical skilled
responses to a wide range of common classroom misbehaviors. In
addition, participants will learn targeted strategies for dealing with
ongoing misbehavior. |
General Training Options
All courses can be modified to match the needs of the school, or teacher group.
Schools can also stipulate the whole content of their seminar / workshop.
Each seminar or workshop is planned around the school's specific needs,
requirements and objectives.
Every school and each teacher face a unique set of
issues and problems. All workshops and seminars are prefaced by
consultation with the school and staff, and the workshop topic content is
planned around day to day needs, issues and difficulties.
Comprehensive training option:
—
A
4 module
comprehensive
training programme is available.
This is spread over four terms and involves two 2 to
4
hour workshops per
term.
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Our Discipline Ethos Children must individuate to function successfully as adults. They must be allowed to develop within boundaries which enhance that process. This implies that teachers must live with the ambiguity of permitting some appropriate acting-out and having to impose limits. The limits appropriate to school are different from those in the home, but only different in extent, not in character. The consequences of transgressing clear limits lies with the transgressor and not with the limit-setter, the "system", or the social milieu. |
For all course enquiries |
Section 'B' Workshops
Are best dealt with over two days but if necessary can be presented in condensed form in one day.
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B1: Beginning and Returning Teachers: essential behavior management skills This two day seminar/workshop is designed to equip teachers with essential insights into childhood and adolescent behavior. The understanding gained forms the basis for techniques and strategies with which to manage student conduct. Practical classroom skills are introduced and practised. Topics covered: Discipline planning, behavior management planning, teacher responses and behavior messages, how to develop a management strategy and practical skills for managing student behavior. Resiliency. Skills for managing challenging students and all acting-out behavior. Intended outcomes: Teachers acquire a process of management that is simple in outline, easy to apply and extremely practical. They gain an understanding of behavior that enables effective classroom management. Teachers learn the impact of their response and are then able to change student behavior. |
B2: The Middle Years: moving into adolescence and young adulthood (Upper primary and high school years) A two day seminar workshop focusing on the issues of adolescent behavior in the school and classroom. Dealing with and managing the challenging and often difficult behaviors. How to respond in a manner which guides the young adolescent into responsible young adulthood Age appropriate acting-out and other behaviors are dealt with by looking closely at the developmental needs of this age group. Skills to manage these behaviors are practised and role-played. |
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B3: Early years Behavior management: behavior issues (Pre school - elementary / primary years) A two day seminar workshop focusing on the behavior issues faced by teachers in the early childhood teaching years. The workshop content looks closely at the developmental needs of young children. It lays the foundations for social and emotional competency and resiliency. Skills enabling teachers to manage the behaviors of this age group are practised and role-played. |
For all course enquiries |
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A School-Based Behavior Management Professional Learning Programme Incorporating the "Interactive Management Process©", (Jenny Mackay, “Coat of Many Pockets”, ACER press, 2006)
(Click here for the PDF Version)
Introduction 5-Step is a self-sustaining cost effective whole school behavior management programme. It develops a team approach to behavior management in which the teaching staff as a whole is engaged and committed to managing student behavior positively and proactively. This alters the school culture to one which can confidently contain challenging student behavior where it happens most; in the classroom between teachers and students and between students themselves. The 5 steps are:
Additional optional elements: a) Individual teacher classroom support and mentoring. b) Middle management behavior management leadership training. c) Parent evening workshops in child behavior management. d) Reviewing and planning of whole school behavior management policy.
Program Overview The practical skills and control strategies needed to manage any challenging student-teacher or student-student interactions are the basis of the initial training. The skills and strategies are learned, practised, easily internalized and then integrated into a proactive student management process. The teacher behavior support team is then created to sustain, reinforce and perpetuate the programme while providing a safe collegial environment which enhances the behavior management skills as well as professional practice in general. There is no right or wrong way to manage behavior, but some ways are more effective than others. The essence of the skills taught is that they enable teachers to have firm control of their classrooms while enabling their students a maximum amount of autonomy within clearly delineated boundaries. This creates a controlled learning environment in which both teacher and student have safety in the knowledge that their roles and expectations are mutually understood, and that this reflects the whole school’s values. The interactive interpersonal skills learned by teachers are a synthesis of the most useful and practical cognitive techniques from all prominent seminal thinkers and researchers in the field of student behavior management. These include Haim Ginott, Rudolf Dreikurs, William Glasser, Sternberg & Salovey and others. The 5-step programme empowers teachers to be better managers of behavior, to develop a cohesive approach to school wide behavior management, and to build long lasting positive changes to student teacher relationships. The principles of prevention and positive action underlie this process. To achieve the programme’s goals, teachers are guided to constantly use and practice the new skills they learn. This facilitates the internalisation of the values inherent in the programme. The methodology is designed to provide teachers with both practice and support. The support ensures that teachers commit themselves to being actively involved in the creation and management of their own and the school’s new behavior management approach. The programme provides teachers with consultant support both personally in the classroom and electronically by email thereafter, - enhancing successful implementation and achievement of required outcomes. By the time the consultant has completed the 5 steps the team is thereafter able to provide the support role and guide the programme themselves. It is recommended that the 5 steps be spread over a year but this can be adapted to needs.
Program DeliveryBecause the whole programme is self sustaining, further behavior management costs are avoided. All workshop content is first discussed with the school’s management team and any specific focus or needs are incorporated into the programme. The initial training should be spread over 3 or 4 consecutive terms (semesters), but is adaptable to the school’s timetable and available training hours including weekends. Training usually occurs as 12 to 15 workshops hours, depending on numbers, taken after school, as half days, or as whole days. For schools outside Australia, the workshops should be planned to occur over 2 weeks. There are 2 - 3 days of classroom observation and mentoring, plus 3 two hour sessions with the behavior support team – once a term, starting in the second term (semester), plus an option of a parent evening workshop. There is close liaison for ongoing planning and assessment between the BME consultant and the school’s management team or representative. In addition schools can elect to have the following components: a) Individual teacher classroom support and mentoring b) Middle management behavior management leadership training c) Parent evening workshops in child behavior management d) Reviewing and planning of whole school discipline policy and student welfare
The Program |
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Step 1: |
Observation, Analysis, Assessment and Planning |
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The school's needs are first discussed with senior management. Then the BME consultant works alongside individual teachers in their classroom in a non threatening process observing student behavior, becoming familiar with problems, issues, classroom processes and the students themselves. This is followed by individual discussions with teachers who will then work together to plan practical management strategies to incorporate into their overall management plan to implement over the coming term. This can take anything from 2 or 3 days to a week, depending on the number of teachers involved e.g. whole school or year level groups. The facilitator monitors the process and liaises with the principal or appropriate staff member with regard to individual teacher needs for behavior and classroom planning and support. Teachers then work with these guidelines, calling upon support by email when needed. |
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Step 2: |
Acquiring new Behavior Management Skills (and upgrading current ones) |
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Seminar workshop series with whole staff or a section of the school involved in the programme e.g. middle years, junior primary/pre-school, years 2-5 years 7-10 or whole school. Teachers are first introduced to a process of student behavior management which focuses them on working proactively and positively. They are then taught the comprehensive interpersonal skills and strategies needed to manage any challenging behavior. In addition, teachers are given planning guidelines and assisted to begin practicing and building their repertoire of skills in their own classrooms. All that teachers have acquired in the workshop series is taken into the classroom and school, practiced and then reported on during the ensuing classroom visits and teacher discussions. These are then reviewed in the follow up seminar workshop. The behavior support team is established from amongst the participants on a voluntary basis and its objectives are discussed and finalized. |
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Step 3: |
Ongoing Assessment, Analysis and Support |
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Return visit – in consultation with school management, the consultant works alongside teachers in the classroom; to support, guide and assist in their management and assessment of behavior and to guide the building of the their interactive skills base and facilitate their behavior plan for the coming term. |
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Step 4: |
Follow up Seminar Workshops and Establishing the School's Behavior Support Team |
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Teachers reflect on achievements, deal with ongoing challenges, build on previous work done and develop further skills and strategies in response to specific issues. The workshop focus is on following up and managing those more difficult behaviors and supporting teachers in their particular areas of need. |
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Step 5: |
Handing Over to the Behavior Support Team |
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The consultant meets with the behavior support team for their first meeting to establishing the team process which will take over teacher behavior management support throughout the school and perpetuate the interpersonal skills, techniques and strategies that have been learned. Group dynamics are discussed as well as the team's responsibilities, limitations and objectives. This leaves the team enabled and empowered as members of a recognized organizational component confident in their student and classroom behavior management abilities. |
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Managing the "Hidden" Curriculum Most misbehavior is voluntary but other forms of undisciplined acting-out are driven by age-related developmental needs or by individual problems. These 3 groups form an understanding that misbehaving students either; don’t behave, won’t behave, or can’t behave. The different groups follow agendas which together form the Hidden Curriculum in every classroom. Teachers must engage this “curriculum” throughout their teaching career by having to manage all forms of behavior. The 3 day course teaches the interactive interpersonal skills needed to effectively and efficiently manage behavior generated by the hidden curriculum. You will learn DAY 1: PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT
DAY 2: INTERACTIVE MANAGEMENT
between yourself and parents or colleagues to build better communication Practice new engagement skills to improve relationships and motivation
DAY 3: RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT
Develop strategies to bring about changes in behavior when students can't or won't behave Practice re-engagement skills to re-establish cooperative learning relationships
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