Supporting students who exhibit defiant behavior can be challenging for teachers and school leaders. Defiant behavior can range from non-compliance with classroom rules to outright verbal and physical aggression. One effective way to de-escalate this type of behavior is by using scripted responses. Scripted responses provide a consistent and predictable approach to responding to defiant behavior.
Category Archives: Hearing our Youth
So you want to start a GSA…
A 2017 University of Chicago study estimates that 40% of homeless youth are LGBTQIA+. The 2021 National Survey on LGBTW Youth Mental Health finds that homeless queer youth are two to four times as likely to suffer depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
A 2008 study from British Colombia found that if a school had a Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA), suicide risk for LGBTQ+ youth was 50% lower—and 50% lower for heterosexual boys as well.
Forming a GSA is an act of suicide prevention.
Reflective CICO
PBIS must better align CICO systems, data, and practices, and Reflective CICO is the best way to do this. Instead of tracking student behavior (which we do anyway with office referrals), we need to track that critical elements of CICO conversations occur as scheduled and as trained. Reflective CICO is the answer.
Use your words.
The key to recognizing student behavior isn’t the tangible or intangible ‘things.’ After all, even an intangible bribe is still a bribe. What matters most are our words. Before spending any time designing how many tickets earn extra recess or whether or not to have a pizza party, think about your school values and write out a few examples of what you’d like to be able to say to students when they live a value out loud. Having the words in our heads ahead of time makes them come out easier and more authentically when the moment is right.
Free webinar: Getting Started with Check-in / Check-out (CICO) with Dr. Tim Grivois
Our first webinar, Getting started with Check-in / Check-out (CICO), will be on 28 September. This session is for schools that have already implemented school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Support. Often, students need a little extra love to be their best in school. CICO is an excellent framework for providing these students with positive adult attention and connection. With CICO, your school can front-load the love and support for students who need it most.
We know what we need help with.
When adults marginalize youth voices, youth suffer. Finding opportunities to centralize youth voice is neither frivolous nor fuzzy. What school leaders and youth-serving nonprofits should take away from Victoria Anne’s experience is that students should know as much about McKinney-Vento as they do about how to sign up for the football team. Also, we (adults) don’t know what we are doing unless and until we include youth voice.
Listen to youth. Improve outcomes.
In this case, the youth has committed to a shared goal of increasing organization. As school adults, we have the power to support them in achieving their goal, or to prevent them from growing by insisting on strategies we have already tried and the student rejects. Instead, I hope that our team listens to what the youth has said, and that we show up for them in the way they have asked us to.
Youth: The missing voice in Check-in, Check-out.
One of the problems with CICO is that it works. What if the only reason student behavior improves is because we’ve provided frequent doses of external motivation, and never connect the goals we have for students to goals that they have for themselves?
Talk to youth before making a program for them.
I work with a team working to support youth who experience unstable housing. Recently, my work with youth uncovered a gap between youth and school that surprised me.
More than the hurt.
In my professional life, I’ve made a commitment to support a trauma-informed approach to care when no such approach currently exists. Now, however, it is time to elevate our understanding of what a healing-centered approach might mean for those we serve and for us as caring professionals.