What is the Behavior Management Cycle?

Managing behavior is a big part of our job as educators throughout the school year, but it is especially important in the first weeks of turnaround for two reasons: 1. You are responsible for both the safety and the learning of your students, so you need to be in control at all times. 2. s students get to know you, they need to know that you mean business! "earning is top priority and e#cellent behavior is e#pected at all times. $he more predictable and e#plicit you are, the better students are able to participate appropriately, and the less likely they are to misbehave. %o what is the &ehavior Management 'ycle( The Behavior Management Cycle is a research-based, three-step approach to classroom management designed to enable teachers to motivate all students to follow directions quic ly, get on task, and stay on tas ! +n order to effectively implement the &ehavior Management 'ycle, each of the three steps must be delivered in a "trong ,oice. ,or more information on "trong ,oice, see the -%" %ignature %trategy .uide, or &each 'ike a (hampion by /oug "emov. .

"tep #ne$ Clearly Communicate %&plicit 'irections $eachers need to tell students e#actly what to do and how they are to do it. Stop where you are. When I call your row, walk along the black line, place your jump rope in the bin, and line up. No talking. Row 1 "tep Two$ (tili)e Behavioral *arration $eachers need to immediately recogni)e students who are following their directions and narrate their behavior. *arrating the positive is a powerful tool to normali)e constructive, on*task behavior in your classroom. I see arius took out his notebook !uietly and immediately got to work. "tep Three$ Ta e Corrective +ction $eachers then need to calmly and firmly take corrective action with students who are not complying with their directions. "ayla, you chose to talk when directions were to be at a le#el $ero. %o#e your clip !uietly and politely, return to your seat and get right to work.

+("- %&pectations
+n the first year of -%"0s $urnaround model, the primary focus is on the 123 of 2 %% .4. 2 stands for 2ositive %chool 'ulture which consists of a safe, orderly school and classroom environment, and effective recruitment, attendance, and discipline policies. Managing behavior* motivating students to follow directions in classrooms, hallways, and on school grounds* is foundational to creating the safe and orderly school environment necessary to build a positive school climate. 5ithout strong management, teaching and learning is interrupted, and precious instructional time is lost. Managing behavior is every adult0s responsibility at all times. ll -%" staff are e#pected to implement the &ehavior Management 'ycle effectively to create a safe, orderly learning environment. /uring the first weeks of school, -%" $urnaround 'oaches will focus on how you establish your authority and get control of your classroom. %pecifically, your coach will focus on how each teacher: $eaches routines and procedures 4#ecutes transitions &uilds community Manages student behavior $o that end, your use of high*impact %ignature %trategies is of paramount importance: %trong voice 1667 5hat to do /o it again 2ositive framing 5hat can you e#pect from your coach( 8igh e#pectations for safety, calm, and order in all classrooms %pecific guidance on techni9ues and strategies to improve classroom management skills ,re9uent observations, feedback and encouragement as you build the learning community 2ossible :eal*$ime 'oaching around the &M'

.ocus on "tep #ne$ Clearly Communicate %&plicit 'irections

$he first step in motivating all students to follow your directions is to make sure that the students know 1e#actly3 what you e#pect them to do to be successful in any type of learning activity: working independently, working in groups, going from one activity to another, or entering and leaving the classroom, etc.

+n order to effectively implement %tep Ane of the &ehavior Management 'ycle, each set of directions must be developed using "#C" >specific, observable, concrete, and se9uential language? from What to 'o. ,or more information on What to 'o see the -%" %ignature %trategy .uide, or &each 'ike a (hampion by /oug "emov.

Before giving directions$ +ttention signal/ ll directions begin with your attention signal. ll students need to be 9uiet, still, and looking at you. +t doesn0t make sense to tell students What to o if they aren0t listening attentively. o not talk o#er) 0ive directions$ 0et specific/ 5e often assume that students know what we mean when we say things like 1pay attention3 or 1get busy3 or even 1work on page ;<.3 &ut these instructions are vague= even the students most eager to please you can0t read your mind. $he more specific you are about what you e#pect, the more likely students are to follow your directions. 4ach set of directions should be specific, observable, concrete, and se9uential >What to o?. lso, your attention should be focused s9uarely on delivering directions, not divided between any other classroom tasks. S!uare *p+Stand Still while delivering directions in your Strong ,oice. 5henever you give directions to students, be sure to communicate your e#pectations for how they are to behave related to three specific areas: 1! %&pectations for ,erbal Behavior -p to <67 of the disruptive behavior in most classrooms can be categori)ed as one form or another of inappropriate verbal behavior. $his is worth repeating: It is likely that most o- the management challenges you will -ace this year will in#ol#e some -orm o- inappropriate talking. .et out in front of this potential problem and be vigilant in addressing it. 5hatever you are planning@routine, procedure, independent work time, transitions, group work@think about what you e#pect students to do with their voices and communicate your e#pectations in no uncertain terms. 4#perienced teachers would say that talking problems are the 1easiest3 to fi#, but to eliminate unwanted chatter actually re9uires significant energy and vigilance on the part of the teacher. $he minute you 1slack up,3 students will notice and the chatter will begin to spread like a virus= if you don0t tighten up 9uickly, their voices will begin to drown you out. &hat is not to say you don.t allow talking. You will provide many opportunities for academic discussion and peer*to*peer talk because talking is an important way for students to process information. s the teacher, you need to demonstrate what appropriate and accountable talk sounds like, and allow students to practice it often while you give feedback.

You will have some students who struggle to regulate their verbal behaviors. Adds are, you0ll have students with various habits: the blurter, the mumbler, the yeller, the noisemaker, the off*topic distracter, and the motor*mouth. 5hile these behaviors are not acceptable, this range is natural, and there is a difference between defiance and acting out of impulsivity or habit. %tudents with bad habits or poor impulse control need strategies, reminders, and lots of practice to build their self*regulation skills. &e patient but firm@predictable routines, visual cues, and hand signals will help over time. 5ith the help of your coach, you may consider creating individual behavior plans to address the needs of certain students who create severe disruptions. /0amples o- setting e0pectations -or #erbal beha#ior1 We are working at ,oice 'e#el 2ne. Speak loud enough so that e#eryone can hear you. 2! %&pectations for 3hysical Movement 5hatever misbehavior isn0t related to verbal behavior will likely be related to physical movement. 15andering3 students pose several risks: safety >their own and that of classmates?, disruption of other students0 learning= disruption of the physical environment= and undermining of the teacher0s authority as other students watch. gain, you can prevent many of these problems by being specific in your e#pectations. 5hen you plan, know e#actly what you e#pect students to do with their bodies, and issue clear directions before every activity or transition. s with verbal behaviors, you will likely have some students who struggle to move around appropriately in the classroom. gain, there0s a normal range. You0ll probably have a wiggler, a wanderer, a tapper, a kicker, a slowpoke, a racehorse, a klut), and a sleeper. 5hile these behaviors are not acceptable >and frustrating!?, this range is natural, and there is a difference between defiance and acting out of impulsivity or habit. gain, students with bad habits or poor impulse control need strategies, reminders, and lots of practice to build their self* regulation skills. &e patient but firm@predictable routines, visual cues, and hand signals will help over time. /0amples o- setting e0pectations -or physical mo#ement1 Stay in your seat. In the hall, -ace -orward, walk proud, do not lean on railings or walls, and skip a s!uare. 4! %&pectations for 3articipation in the +ctivity s you plan for every learning activity, consider carefully what it is e&actly that you want students to do. $ell students how you e#pect them to participate in the activity: how to appropriately interact with peers, how to complete a task, and

how to engage in an assignment. +t only makes sense that your students will be most engaged and successful in the learning community when e#pectations are clear. You cannot hold students accountable for making up their own way of doing things, or not doing anything at all, if you have not told them e#plicitly what they should be doing. /0amples o- setting e0pectations -or participation1 3lay three rounds o- the game. &ake turns with your partner. When you -inish, you may read your independent reading book or work on your essay re#isions. +fter giving directions$ Chec for understanding &efore you release students to carry out your instructions, make sure that all students know e#actly is e#pected in terms of volume, movement, and participation. 'hecking for understanding holds students accountable for listening when you give directions@it keeps students on their toes, it establishes that everything you say is important, and it reinforces your unwavering e#pectations. 'hecking for understanding can take place in several ways. $he important thing is that you remember to do it, especially in the beginning of the year. /0amples1 8ave student restate directions: 4nanda$, please tell us what we are about to do. %ignal: I- you know what to do with your mouth, your body, and your brain when I say go, gi#e me a thumbs up. I- you.re not sure, gi#e me thumbs to the side or down. Model: In#ite two students to demonstrate -ollowing directions, narrating the e0pectations -or #erbal, mo#ement, and participation beha#ior as they do so. Bon*model: In#ite two students to demonstrate the incorrect way o- doing something while e#eryone else watches. 5a#e other students tell the models what to correct, then ha#e them do it again correctly.

0etting started$ Cue / 5hen you give the cue, you are signaling that it is time for students to carry out your directions. ,irst you gave e#plicit instructions, then made sure all students know what to do. Bow it0s time for students to do their job: carry out the instructions e#actly as stated. Aften when you give directions to the students, they will be eager to begin the activity before you are ready for them to do so. $hey may just hear the first thing you say and not listen to the rest. You can get ahead of this by prefacing your directions with a reminder. %imply tell students not to start the activity until you give the cue or signal.

/0ample cues1 67o8 69egin8 6Start now8 62n :8 6Show me8 : -inger snaps 3oint both inde0 -ingers at class

.ocus on "tep Two$ (tili)e Behavioral *arration

$he second step of the &ehavior Management 'ycle is to provide immediate positive feedback to students who follow directions using a techni9ue called behavioral narration. 5ow to use behavioral narration effectively$ $o be effective, positive feedback needs to be immediate, specific, and fre9uent. 5hen you finish giving directions, immediately scan the class, look for students who are complying, and in a clear voice loud enough for all to hear, simply narrate, or describe specifically what compliant students are doing >i.e.,3Cohnny is working at level )ero3?. Benefits of behavioral narration$ :einforcement of good choices Barrating correct behavior reinforces for students that they made a good choice in following directions. %ignificant decrease in disruptive behavior :esearch indicates that teachers who provide effective positive feedback can reduce disruptive behavior by over D67. %tudents who are off task can scan the room to see what the e#pectations are and may be motivated by the chance to be 1celebrated3 with behavior narration. :epetition of directions &y describing the behavior of students following directions, you are essentially repeating the directions for all to hear, again. %tudents who are off task now have another chance to fi# their behavior and meet the e#pectation. $eacher demonstrates 1with*it*ness3 %tudents observe you constantly scanning, monitoring, and acknowledging behavior in a positive way, so they know you are 1on top of it.3 You won0t need to rely on negative 1gotchas3 to convince students you are all*knowing and all*seeing. s a result, students

are less likely to think you won0t notice or aren0t really paying attention to what every student is doing, and are more likely to follow directions. 2ositive framing &ehavioral narration trains you to focus your attention on the positive, in this case, those students who are following directions >as opposed to those who are not?. Barrating the positive normali)es it, or sets e#cellence as the standard. $eachers who are struggling with student behavior tend to focus on those students who are not following instructions, and their classroom narrative can 9uickly become negative, replete with nagging, badgering, and giving 1air time3 to e#actly the opposite behaviors the teacher intends to reinforce. 4liminates the drawbacks of praise 2raise is judgmental. &ehavior narration is simply descriptive. 5hen teachers say things like, 1I lo#e the way 4my is working !uietly,8 or 6I.m so proud o- how !uickly the boys used the restroom. 7reat job, gentlemen.8 etc. they are making judgmental statements regarding what they do and do not like. $he truth is, some students are motivated to do what their teachers like, but others are not. +f teachers are constantly telling students how much they like what students are doing, or what a good job they have done, or how proud they are of how the students are behaving, students will likely become desensiti)ed to the praise, diminishing its value dramatically. &ehavioral narration is a matter*of*fact description of the students0 on task behavior. $eachers will find they can use it consistently without feeling phony. 4ven more important, students are not likely to tire of the teachers0 positive comments, and will continue to be motivated by them. Caveat for Special Educators: ,or teachers working with students with behavior deficits >students identified, or at risk for identification, as &ehaviorally /isordered or 4motionally /isturbed?, it is appropriate to use praise statements, i.e. 1&hank you -or sitting silently,8 6I like the way you ha#e made a good choice and are working at a le#el $ero.8 :esearch suggests that students with 4motional /isturbance >4/? respond better to praise, though they are very unlikely to receive praise in their classrooms. +n order to change student behavior, it is recommended that teachers use a praise*to*correction ratio of E:1. &ehavior Barration can make this high level of praise possible. ,or students with 4/, praise statements e#plicitly reinforce that the choice they have made is the correct one and will encourage the likelihood of that behavior being repeated in the future.

0uidelines for using behavioral narration$ 1. The 2-second rule: Ance you give the cue, take a breath, scan the entire room, and look for those students following directions. :ight away, within 2 seconds of the cue, describe what you see 2 to D individuals or small groups doing correctly. 2. (se a clear, audible voice: %et a tone that is both matter*of*fact and positive. "et your students know that you are watching their behavior carefully. D. .ocus your attention$ Your attention should be focused s9uarely on your students, not be divided between other classroom tasks. You may want to S!uare *p+Stand Still as you become familiar with the &M'. E. *arration is not equal opportunity: .ive more fre9uent narration to those students who struggle to follow directions. $he more you narrate, the more motivated these students will likely become. ;. #nce a minute$ Feep the momentum going. Ance you get the behavior you e#pect, help students keep it@narration not only recogni)es compliant students, but restates the e#pectation@so no one forgets. Ance every minute or so, narrate someone whose behavior is on target. Aver time, you0ll refine the techni9ue of maintenance narration so that it flows into the rhythm of your instruction, and you0ll notice that students need it less fre9uently. 8ere are a few e#amples: $he teacher is conducting a direct instruction lesson with the class. 4very time she finishes a point in the lesson she scans the class and narrates students who are engaged in the lesson. 1"a#ion and ;atrina are in learning position. &heir eyes are tracking me, their hands and -eet are still, and their mouths are closed.8 /uring independent practice, the teacher walks around the room and confers one*on*one with students. &etween conferences, she scans the room and narrates students on task. 1&he students in the back o- the room are working on their assignment without talking. I see some o- the students ha#e -inished their assignment and ha#e begun working on re#ising their essays.8 $he teacher has a small reading group working with her while the other students are working independently at their seats. s she finishes reading with each student she looks up, monitors the class and narrates students who are staying on task. G;aya, "ames, and "eremiah are still staying in their seats and reading without talking H. 0ive points/ 'ombine behavior narration with your whole*group incentive system to encourage all students to work together to earn a reward for the whole class. 5henever you observe students following directions, narrate their behavior, and also let the class know the students have earned a point that will move the class closer to its reward.

Caveat for Special Educators$ 'ombining &ehavior Barration with positive incentives can be especially effective for students with challenging behaviors. &y linking &ehavior Barrations to concrete and immediate reinforcers, you shorten the feedback loop between good choice and good result, strengthening the relationship for students. /0ample1 /irection1 7o directly back to your seat at a le#el <. Barration I11 'akeisha is going directly to her seat. =$eacher gives point on "akeisha0s chart? Barration I21 &hank you 'emuel, -or going to your seat at a le#el <. =$eacher gives "emuel a point>

J. (se nonverbal techniques 6hand signals, eye contact, and pro&imity7, lightning-quic public corrections, and other interventions from the 1889 strategy to redirect students while narrating: $hese techni9ues will keep students on their toes and show students that you don0t miss a beat. +t should never come as a surprise to students when you move to step three. /0amples1 'ook directly at one student when narrating another student.s positi#e beha#ior. 4-ter stating the e0pectation -or silence, the teacher walks toward the corner o- the room where students continue to whisper, on her way, narrating the -ront o- the room that is !uiet. When a student turns around in line at the bathroom, the teacher motions by making a circle with her inde0 -inger, reminding the student to turn around.

.ocus on "tep Three$ Ta e Corrective +ction

Ane you have clearly given effective directions, and narrated the behavior of students who are complying, if you still have students who are engaging in inappropriate behavior, you need to move to the third step of the cycle and take corrective action. +n order to effectively implement %tep D of the &ehavior Management 'ycle, teachers must have an established hierarchy of consequences! ,or more information on hierarchy of consequences refer to your %ummer $urnaround $raining cademy packets, or connect with an -%" $urnaround 'oach.

0uidelines$ 5ow to ta e corrective action effectively +n order to be effective, corrective actions must be provided: +mmediately after the students start disrupting >Founin 1KJ6? +n a calm, matter of fact manner >Cones 2666? s a choice to the student >'anter 266H? ,rom a discipline hierarchy >Bewcomer 266K? 4very time students engage in disruptive behavior >%prick, .arrison, L 8oward, 1KK<? ,ollow the 16*26 %econd :ule ccording to research, teachers have only 16*26 seconds from the time they cue the students to begin following their directions to correct any off task or disruptive students, or the number of such students will 9uickly grow >Founin 1KJ6?. Barration should take ;*16 seconds, so you will have time to switch gears to corrective action within 26 seconds. .ive a warning using choice language s you wrap up your initial narration of two or three individuals or small groups who are following directions, monitor those who are not doing so, and give a lightning*9uick firm, corrective warning using choice language. 'o not engage with students who attempt to argue. %imply restate the choice statement and, if necessary, move to the ne#t level in the hierarchy! /0amples1 "ason, you ha#e a choice to make. /ither sit back down or mo#e your card. &eena, you can either get back to a le#el $ero or ha#e a silent lunch. %ake your choice.

2roviding choice serves several purposes. ,irst, it signals to the entire class that conse9uences are imminent. %econd, it provides additional reinforcement of individual student responsibility for those students who need an e#tra moment to consider their response. ,inally, there are some students for whom the 1choice3 breeds a sense of interpersonal control. $he most effective response you can make to students who are not following directions is to use your %trong Moice, restate your e#pectations, and follow up with the conse9uence they have chosen from your predetermined discipline hierarchy. %uch clear, firm responses communicate to students that you are serious about following directions. +n addition, when give students a choice as to whether or not they receive a conse9uence you place responsibility where it belongs@on the student. 4#amples: Shaun, the directions were to sit and look at me without talking. ?ou ha#e chosen to earn your warning.

Nykira, students need to do their own work without shouting out. ?ou ha#e chosen to go to time out. Willie, the direction was to stay in your seat when you@re working and your clip is already on yellow. ?ou ha#e chosen to go to lunch detention.

&e hypervigilant %tudents will never believe you mean business unless and until they know you will take corrective action@provide disciplinary conse9uences@each and every time they choose not to follow your directions >%prick, .arrison, L 8oward, 1KK<?. :ecogni)e when a student recovers from corrective action fter you provide a conse9uence to a student, look for the first possible opportunity to narrate the student as soon as they e#hibit some kind of on*task behavior. &e sure to demonstrate to students you are not focused on addressing only inappropriate behaviors, but that you are committed to supporting their appropriate behavior as well >'anter 266H?. /0ample1 Cackson is poking and talking to students sitting ne#t to him on the rug so the teacher calmly takes corrective action: 6"ackson, you ha#e chosen a warning. ?ou are to be sitting still and !uiet on the rug. 7o change your card -rom green to yellow and come back to the rug. Sit still and be !uiet.8 Cackson returns to the rug and he begins behaving appropriately so after a few seconds the teacher recogni)es and narrates his behavior: 1"ackson is sitting on the rug with his hands to himsel-, paying attention and not talking.8 -se professional judgment 'onsistently providing corrective actions is critical to effective classroom management. &ut there will be times when you will need to use your professional judgment. ,or e#ample, if student who is normally cooperative suddenly becomes highly disruptive or uncooperative, it may make sense to remove the student from the situation and arrange 9uickly to talk with the student to determine what, if anything, you can do to help the student be more successful in the classroom on a rough day. 5hat not to do: /on0t nag. +f you nag, students know you don0t mean business and ignore you. /on0t threaten: Most threats are empty, and students know it, so they will keep doing what they are doing. /on0t get angry: 5hen you lose your temper, you lose students0 respect and trust. Move in, move out $here may be times when students will continue to disrupt even after they have been given a warning or a conse9uence, and it can be tempting to engage with a defiant student. 5hen this happens, it is not uncommon for the teacher to get angry and continue to give the student one conse9uence after another until the student ends up being sent out

of the classroom. $o avoid this, use the 1move in, move out3 techni9ue to de*escalate the situation, calm, and redirect a misbehaving student. 6%o#e in.8 $o do this, move close to the student, show your concern and in a 9uiet, firm voice let the student know that the behavior is inappropriate. /o not be confrontational or physically intimidating. :emind the student of the conse9uences received so far and what will happen ne#t if the misbehavior continues. 'ontinue to use the language of choice so that the student is empowered to e#ercise agency: e#on, I@m concerned about how you@re choosing to beha#e. ?ou know how to -ollow directions. Now, you@#e chosen to recei#e a warning and a conse!uence. 2ne more inappropriate comment and you will ha#e your parents called. o you understandA 6%o#e out.8 t this point, you ask the student to make or demonstrate a choice, and give them the autonomy to do so by moving physically away, which could look like standing up from bending near the student, or moving a few feet away from an older student. 5ith younger students, you may stay in close. 4ither way, continue to monitor the student. Bote: You may ask the student to come to where you are in the room, or to a location where peers may be less aware >doorway, hallway, time away spot?. $he point is to get the student 1off stage3 in order to back down from a defiant stance with their dignity intact, and to have this sidebar conversation without losing control of the rest of the room. :emember to continuously monitor the whole class. +f you bend down to confer with a student, angle yourself so that your back is to as few other students as possible, and narrate the class once per minute. When issuing corrective action$ "tudents will test your limits 5henever you set limits, you can e#pect that some students will test you to see if you do, in fact, mean business >5alker, et al. 266E?. 8ere are some e#amples of defiant behaviors you can e#pect students to occasionally try to test your limits and suggestions on how to respond effectively. 1! +ctive resistance 5hen a student responds to receiving a conse9uence with an angry outburst, recogni)e the behavior as a strategy that has helped the student get their way in the past, either with other teachers or with family members at home. $he student e#pects that you will give in to avoid the tantrum.. :esponse$ "tay Calm $he more upset the students gets, the calmer you need to become. %tudents feed off teacher emotional upset and use it to further fuel their own anger. -se de*escalation strategies such as move in, move out, simplifying directions into smaller steps, or allowing students to choose voluntary time away to refocus and regain their composure.

5hatever is motivating the direct challenge to your authority, remember that every other student in the room is watching to see how you respond. "et them see you calm, firm, and holding your ground. +n the midst of responding, do not focus all your attention on one student0s e#treme behavior. 'ontinue to monitor and narrate the rest of the class once a minute to prevent other students from joining in the misbehavior, and to provide the constant repetition and reinforcement of your e#pectations. +f you are unable to de*escalate, seek assistance. +f a student0s angry outburst becomes violent and endangers others, your first priority is everyone0s safety. 2! 3assive resistance 5hen a student repeatedly pretends to ignore your directions or conse9uences in order to keep doing their own thing, this is also probably a strategy that has worked for them in the past, either with other teachers or family members. $hey are pretty sure that if they ignore you, you will eventually relent. :esponse$ "tay calm 5hile it may be tempting to raise your voice or become animated to get this student0s attention, as with other scenarios, it won0t likely have the desired effect. %tay calm. Move in with a strong voice, no nonsense, but low volume and not confrontational, and give the student a simplified direction and a countdown choice. &egin the countdown and move out to let the student decide. nother option is to move in, ask if there is a reason the student is not following directions or if something is wrong with genuine concern. +f you get a nod, allow the student voluntary time away until you have the rest of the class started on the ne#t activity. +f you get a head shake, or still no response, as in there0s no reason the student is ignoring your directions, repeat them and give the student a countdown choice. +f the student continues to ignore and is not disruptive, you can continue on with the class, and at the ne#t transition, or when the student re*engages with the class, follow through 1:1 with a conse9uence for the defiance. +f e#treme defiance is a recurring issue, you will actually need to teach the student replacement skills and give them opportunities to practice@unlearn old habits@over time. 4ngaging in a battle of wills only reinforces the undesirable reaction. +n the case of fre9uent active or passive resistance, consider agreeing on a signal the student can proactively give to let you know they do not want to comply for some reason@before they blow a gasket or shut down on you. 5hen you see the signal, make a point to confer 1:1 with the student as soon as possible, listen to their grievance, and e#plain using positive framing why following the direction makes sense or is good for them. fter conferring, move out and allow this student a little e#tra time to process and decide whether to follow your directions. +f the student decides poorly, move ahead with corrective action. +f the student decides to comply, narrate the student as soon as they take even a small step in the right direction. $his lets the student know that you notice and are pleased with their choice, and it also

subtly lets anyone else who may have been paying attention to the challenge to your authority that you are, in fact, in charge. llowing students who resist your authority to e#press themselves, to e#perience you as genuinely caring and listening to their thoughts and feelings, will help them learn to trust you and they will likely begin to participate appropriately over time.

The foundation beneath the Behavior Management Cycle$ Building relationships with students
$he consistent use of the steps of the &ehavior Management 'ycle will help you begin to motivate students to follow your directions and choose to get and stay on task. :esearch indicates there is another factor that can dramatically increase the teachers0 ability to influence students to choose to behave appropriately in their classrooms: the ability to build a positive relationship with all of their students >Mar)ano et al. 266D?. Why is building positive relationships such an important factor? &he more students -eel their teachers ha#e their best interest at heart, the more likely they will be to -ollow teachers. directions =(anter B<<C>. $he key to building positive relationships is to gain the trust of students@convince them through words and actions that you truly have their best interest at heart. ,or most students, your demonstrations of fairness, consistency, and genuine interest in their lives will build trust fairly 9uickly. 8owever, there will be some students who distrust you, often because something in their e#perience taught them that teachers or other adults are not trustworthy. Bot surprisingly, these are often the students who are disruptive or defiant, and difficult to motivate to follow your lead. 5ith these students, you have to work harder at building trusting relationships and win them over to your team. &uilding trust with a wary student takes more time and effort, but it pays huge dividends. s a student begins to trust you, the management cycle, and a team of caring adults throughout the school community, not only does the defiance subside, but the student also feels safe, which allows him or her to focus on learning. "T:+T%0;%" T# B(;-' 3#";T;,% :%-+T;#*"5;3" 0reet students at the door 5henever possible the teacher should begin each day or period personally greeting each student entering the classroom. $his is an especially effective way to connect in a positive manner with students who need to know teachers care about them and their success in the classroom >Mendler L 'urwin 1KKK?.

Tal with students about non-academic topics Ane of the most effective strategies teachers can utili)e to demonstrate their caring to students is to spend time talking with them about their interests, concerns and feelings >.ood L &rophy 266D?. %pending a few minutes at recess, during lunch or after school letting the students know that you are there to offer assistance, understanding, and a sympathetic ear can go a long way towards building trust. Ma e positive phone calls to parents and guardians Ane of the most effective strategies to build positive relationships with students is to make positive phone calls to their parents when they have had a good day in class >%mith 266E?. $his works for several reasons: first, the students appreciate the teachers0 positive feedback to their parents or other caretakers= second, it also helps the teachers to build a positive relationship with the studentsN families, and can increase the support that families will give the teachers in their efforts with children. Call students after a difficult day %tudents who have trouble trusting teachers often have difficult days at school. Alder students often respond positively if you go out of your way and make a 9uick phone call to the student him or herself* not only the parents* before the ne#t school day begins. You should discuss any difficulties that occurred during the day. .et the student0s input. &e sure to let the student know you care about hisOher success and want to make the ne#t day a more positive one. $he last thing the most challenging students e#pect is to hear from their teacher in a caring manner after a difficult day. $his can go a long way in changing how these students perceive you and your intentions. +ttend student events nother way to demonstrate caring and display a genuine interest in the lives of students is to attend events in which the students are participating, i.e., sporting events, artistic performances, etc. >%mith 266E?. $he impact of teachers taking the time to go out of their way to watch the students enjoy and participate in events can have a dramatic effect on the students0 perceptions of you as well as on their behavior. Ma e home visits Many teachers find that going to their students0 homes is a meaningful way to demonstrate caring and interest in students and their families. Aften families will begin to appreciate that you make the e#tra effort to spend time in the community outside of school. Aver time it builds mutual respect and trust among adults and students. +f you are interested in making a home visit, get permission from your administrator, arrange a convenient time with the family, and go with a colleague during daylight hours.

"(MM+:<
$he &ehavior Management 'ycle is a research*based, D*step approach to classroom management. +t is designed to enable teachers to motivate all students to follow directions 9uickly. $he &M' relies on three e#plicit steps, delivered using a "trong ,oice: 1. Clear 'irections that meet all standards of What To 'o to address e#pectations for student movement, volume, and participation 2. Behavior *arration that reinforces good choices and reiterates the e#pectations D. Corrective +ction that swiftly addresses students who make poor choices, using a hierarchy of conse9uences $he &M' is a powerful tool for creating safe and orderly classrooms in the conte#t of trusting relationships where all students can learn. +t is the e#pectation that all -%" network teachers implement the &M' in their classrooms, in order to set all students up for success. 'oaches and other personnel will be available to provide support to all teachers around the &M', both planning and implementation.