Manage challenging behaviour
The evidence provided below indicates my ability to implement classroom behaviour management procedures, develop a Functional Behavioural Assessment and a Behaviour Support Plan. The skills and strategies that I have learnt at Flinders University and in my professional career have been focused around the belief that all behaviours serve a purpose. By investigating and finding solutions to what 'triggers' challenging behaviour, I'm able to provide a safe, welcoming environment for students that caters to their needs.
Implementing Behaviour Management
Here is an excerpt written by Angela Klenke, my mentor at Rose Park Primary School in August 2015 about my behaviour management:
Julia quickly understood our classroom behaviour management procedures, devised by the students at the beginning of the year. She realised the relevance of students ‘owning’ these expectations and consequences and being responsible for their own behaviour. Initially, some students were ‘testing the boundaries’. Julia followed the classroom behaviour process, working with students. She worked through appropriate steps. She developed consistency with her expectations, providing a ‘fair’ classroom environment. Julia also used these behaviour management techniques when implementing her outdoor lessons with the class, with great success.
This excerpt displays my ability to successfully manage a classroom while following the class and school policies and responding to individual student needs. Being able to manage a class is important for the safety and learning of each student. A dangerous and unsettled class will not be able to achieve learning due to students being concerned for their welfare instead of their learning., as highlighted in Maslow's Hierachy of Needs.
Developing a Functional Behavioural Assessment and Behaviour Support Plan
As part of completing the topic Positive Behaviour Support at Flinders University, I completed a case study on a student named Melissa who was on the Autism Spectrum and displayed physical and verbal aggression, and would leave the classroom at her own accord.
The image below displays a Competing Pathways Analysis that I developed to connect the information from the Functional Behavioural Assessment and the Behaviour Support Plan.
The image below displays a Competing Pathways Analysis that I developed to connect the information from the Functional Behavioural Assessment and the Behaviour Support Plan.
Suggestions I made for antecedent management strategies were:
The full Functional Behavioural Assessment and Behaviour Support Plan can be viewed below.
- To work with Melissa to structure the school day so that preferred activities were structured around non-preferred activities
- Differentiating the way that non-preferred activities were designed, such as changes in instruction, the content, process and product
- The use of video modelling and social stories to model how to appropriately respond to non-preferred activities
- The use of visual and verbal prompts around appropriate behaviours
The full Functional Behavioural Assessment and Behaviour Support Plan can be viewed below.
I am able to demonstrate that I can manage challenging behaviour in both theoretical and real classroom environments. The practice that I have had in theoretical settings is valuable experience that I have been able to transfer to the classroom environment. By recognising that all behaviours have a purpose, I am able to make adjustments to fit the individual needs of my students.