Behavior System & Curriculum Integration Workshop.

Behavior System &Curriculum Integration

Workshop

Behavior SystemPurpose: To create conditions in the classroom for optimal

learning by providing ACE faculty with a common framework and consistent set of tools that

Encourage positive behavior Address disruptive behavior

Curriculum IntegrationPurpose: To support learning by providing ACE faculty with

approaches to coordinate individual course content

About the Workshop

Segment 1: Opening

Acknowledgements

• Jim Knickerbocker• Ann Kimball-Endris• Cathy Diaz• Chris Lebo-Planas• Dianne Sigman• Evelyn Seth• Gail West• Gayle McCallum• Geneffa Jonker• Gerlinde Brady

• Lisa Simon• Marcella Laddon• Rachel Van Dessel• Rod Norden• Sadie Reynolds• Steve Hammond• Victoria Banales• Yazmina Porter-Honicky• You!

Segment 1: Opening

AgendaSegment Time

Part 1: Opening 20

Part 2: Inside-Out Philosophy 20

Part 3: Core Behavior System 45

Break 15

Part 4: Supplemental Strategies & Tools 45

Part 5: Scenarios 40

Part 6: Integration 30

Part 7: Closing 10

Segment 1: Opening

Part 2: Inside-Out Philosophy Segment Time

Part 1: Opening 20Part 2: Inside-Out Philosophy 20

Part 3: Core Behavior System 45Break 15

Part 4: Supplemental Strategies & Tools 45Part 5: Scenarios 40

Part 6: Integration 30Part 7: Closing 10

Inside-Out means what is going on inside the person has significant bearing on what happens outside the person

If we want to improve the outside situation we need to START with the inside situation

Inside-Out is central to ACE program design• Student curriculum (e.g., Foundation Course, Team Self-Management Course) • Faculty curriculum (e.g., FELI)• Behavior System

Central to the ACE approach

Segment 2: Inside-Out Philosophy

What does Inside-Out mean for the Behavior System?

• What we are attempting to teach students about self-management must be modeled by faculty• Incongruity & inconsistency causes confusion & impedes learning

• Fundamental assumption: Managing the classroom begins with managing ourselves

• It is vital to work with the class non-judgmentally• Faculty need to separate

• What is happening in the classroom (external) vs. • What is going on within themselves personally (internal)

• Pre-existing personal issues (e.g., boundaries, authority) may be triggered by students & classroom situations


“What has worked well for me is to focus on myself, and not on the students”

Comments from Experienced ACE Faculty

“Since we ask students to do their own history paper, maybe we as faculty should do our own ‘discipline & authority history paper’ and reflect on our own issues”

“I need to do my own ‘inner work’ so I can model appropriate ‘firmness,’ i.e., being firm without judging the student or worrying about being judged.”

“I need help with balancing the need to be compassionate about students with extreme circumstances with the need to have fair standards for attendance and assignments”

Why is this so hard to do?When something challenging happens in the classroom, a typical instructor response may be: • “Something must be done OUT THERE”• “I must be the ONE to do it”• “I must do it NOW”

The “inside-out” approach encourages us to ask ourselves: • Is the first place I should look to take

action OUT THERE?• Do I need to be the ONE to do it?• Does it really require that I do

something RIGHT NOW?• Instead shift to: “I must do something

IN HERE FIRST… then I may choose to do something OUT THERE (now or later)”

This is not about a bias for inaction or avoiding action……it’s about action that is grounded and more likely to succeed.


Some ways to work inside-out

Zen & the Art of Doing Nothing• Consider the option to take no action (this time) and instead consider what I

will do if it happens again• Some students’ history of issues with authority & control create expectation

loops • Not getting hooked into a “predictable response” is itself a powerful

intervention

Avoid judgment by going into inquiry to check your perceptions

Self-care • Means different things to different people, e.g., meditation, mind-body work,

stress management• Comment from an experienced ACE instructor: “Taking care of yourself

(releasing stress, not taking on painful student histories, getting enough rest) is absolutely essential to creating a safe & supportive classroom environment -- if the teacher is stressed & in bio-reaction, the students will do the same”


Some ways to work inside-out (continued)

Focus on our own inner calm & groundedness• Your most important first act to make the right decision is centering

yourself, e.g., breathing, body scan, anchoring, etc.• No matter what is going on with the students (their internal drama)

remain stable & consistent• Avoid power plays & arguments with students (which will set off bio-

reactions in both parties)

Seek third-party support • Could be faculty cohort members, new ACE mentoring sessions,

friends, family or counselor• Not being able to do this perfectly is understandable• Not seeking the support you need is unacceptable


ACE may develop additional faculty training based on mindfulness & self-care practices

Want to participate in a future pilot test? Send an email to [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

Part 3: Core Behavior System Segment Time

Part 1: Opening 20



Break 15




Part 7: Closing 10

ACE Behavior Core part of larger system

Supplementary Tools

Individual College Policies & Procedures

Instructor Responsibility

Cohort Responsibility

Core Principles

Core Practices

ACE Behavior System

Part 3: Core Behavior System

Core Principles

Individual Instructor Responsibility1. Inside-Out 2. Bonding 3. Quality Feedback4. Student Reflection

Faculty Cohort Responsibility1. Engaging Curriculum2. Composite Behaviors3. Progressive Consequences4. Consistency

Segment 3: Core Behavior System

Individual Instructor Responsibility 1: Inside-Out

• What it means• Managing the classroom begins with managing ourselves• Working with the class non-judgmentally• Faculty separate what is happening in the classroom

(external) vs. what is about themselves (internal, personal) • Pre-existing issues with boundaries or authority can be

triggered by students• Example or Tool

• Going into inquiry to check your perceptions• Mirroring• Self-care (e.g., meditation, mind-body work, stress

management)


Individual Instructor Responsibility 2: Bonding

• What it means• Create bonds with students • When we are connected to other people we feel responsible

for our behavior with them and are more willing to take risks (e.g., sharing, trying new behaviors)

• Example or Tool• Sharing your story during the Foundation Course • Sharing part of yourself appropriately during other courses

(to support the learning, not as venting or group therapy)


Individual Instructor Responsibility 3: Quality Feedback

• What it means• Provide students with both positive & negative information

about their behaviors • For the feedback to be of QUALITY it must be CLEAN, i.e., not

polluted with personal judgments and projections (see Inside-Out)

• Example or Tool• Conversation meter • Mirroring to raise awareness of what is happening• Catching them doing something RIGHT


Individual Instructor Responsibility 4: Student Reflection

• What it means• Empower students to reflect about their own behavior • In most cases students already KNOW (at some level) what

they are doing, or are readily capable of noticing it. We don't need to patronize or explain their faults

• We usually just need to provide opportunities for reflection• Example or Tool

• Self-assessment• Polling• Attendance self-reporting chart• Ask class to talk about the effect the behavior is having on

them personally


Core Principles

Individual Instructor Responsibility1. Inside-Out 2. Bonding 3. Quality Feedback4. Student Reflection

Faculty Cohort Responsibility1. Engaging Curriculum2. Composite Behaviors3. Progressive Consequences4. Consistency


Faculty Cohort Responsibility 1: Engaging Curriculum

• What it means• Create integrated & compelling curriculum • The central project (e.g. SJRC or CTE) provides a common

goal, supports group cohesion, and provides urgency for students to learn curriculum elements

• Example or Tool• Faculty cohort meetings to discuss curriculum integration

(before and during semester)


Faculty Cohort Responsibility 2: Composite Behaviors

• What it means• Identify & address disruptive composite behaviors (those

displayed in multiple courses)• There are different ways to do this

• Example or Tool• Review attendance across multiple courses at Faculty Cohort

meetings• Discuss specific disruptive behaviors to see if multiple faculty

are seeing the same patterns or trends


Faculty Cohort responsibility 3: Progressive Consequences

• What it means• Provide a variable set of consequences• Avoid a single black & white response (except for clearly

unacceptable behaviors such as violence or threats)• Example or Tool

• Traits of Successful Students• Free Pass & Red Cards• Ask for commitment to not engage in further distraction &

confirm understanding of likely consequence


Faculty Cohort responsibility 4: Consistency

• What it means• Provide students a safe & stable “container” for their work

through consistent application of the Behavior System (across courses & over time)

• Example or Tool• Instructor follows through on consequence as agreed• Faculty cohorts agree on coordinated responses


ACE Behavior System Core Practices

Supplementary Tools

Instructor Responsibility

Cohort Responsibility

Core PrinciplesACE Behavior System

Part 3: Core Behavior System

Core Practices• Traits of Successful Students• Faculty Cohort Meetings• Student Meetings

Core Practice 1: Traits of Successful Students

• Faculty told us repeatedly that the Traits are a very important part of the Behavior System

• Must be listed in every syllabus, reviewed in every class & consistently followed; they need to hear the same message from all faculty in the cohort

• Tips to develop students buy-in:• Discuss “why are these Traits important?” • Ask students to talk about their own frustrations with class

behavior issues (gives more dedicated students an opportunity to vent about disruptive behaviors)

• Follow-up to reinforce the experience, e.g., flipchart or email to all students summarizing the discussion


Core Practice 2: Faculty Cohort Meetings

• Many faculty said the Faculty Cohort approach was one of the strongest aspects of the ACE model

• Dual purposes: For discussion and action planning related to the Behavior System, as well as for curriculum coordination

• Faculty should discuss & agree at the beginning of the semester about how they want to implement the Behavior System, i.e., what strategies do you want to employ as a cohort, how strict do you want to be about common issues:• Assignment due dates• Attendance & tardiness• Behavior issues (e.g., cell phone use, talking in class)

• Once you agree, it is important to follow the agreement and implement the system consistently within your cohort:• Students will notice (and may exploit) your inconsistencies


Core Practice 3: Student Meetings • Faculty cohort meets with student to discuss a behavior issue or

support need• Some cohorts mandate student attendance, some do not• Before the meeting the student is asked to complete a form to reflect

on his/her behavior• Each reflection form is tailored to a different issue• Frame the meeting with a supportive tone (“this is something to help

you be more successful”) tone rather than a punitive or confrontational tone

• A student support plan may be created as a result of the conversation

Sample pre-meeting reflection forms & a post-meeting student support plan are in the online tool kit


Core Practice 3: Student Meetings

Sample pre-meeting reflection form


Emphasizing Behavior System:Early is better


Percentage of

Class Time

Elapsed Time

0

25

50

75

100

Week1

Week2

Week3

Week4

BehaviorSystem

Course Content

What the ACE Behavior System IS and IS NOT

• IS an integrated system of behavior-shaping activities, rewards and consequences to help Academy students learn the behaviors required for success in knowledge-work careers

• IS NOT intended to address student support needs such as housing, health or serious drug issues • Your college needs to provide referral options, e.g., psych counselor,

community resource broker• IS NOT intended to address students engaging in physical violence, e.g.,

throwing chairs and making others feel unsafe• Traits of Successful Students are clear that such behaviors are not

acceptable and that the consequence is removal from the program• The Behavior System is not a substitute for knowing (and using) your

college’s policies & procedures• IS NOT intended to be a “cookie cutter” model that prescribes consistency in

a rigid or pre-determined way• The needed consistency comes from the faculty cohort coming to

agreement and implementing those agreements in a consistent way


Part 4: Supplementary Tools

Segment Time

Part 1: Opening 20



Break 15

Part 4: Supplementary Tools 45



Part 7: Closing 10

A - Review the Foundation Course

• May be needed as a mid-semester intervention• Group the class in a circle (like in the Foundation Course)• Review the Traits• Reinforce tools such as “hand in air”

What other FC aspects would you review?

Segment 4: Supplemental Strategies & Tools

B - Enlist the class to address an entire session with a lot of distractions

• Useful at the middle or end of class• Ask students to rate (using a 1-10 scale): “How conducive

was today’s class environment to your learning?” • Ask low raters to comment on what caused the low score• Helps students see the impact of their behavior on others

What would you do?


C - Enlist the class to address a single distraction

• Comment to the class: “I’m feeling distracted by X behavior, could anyone else who finds this distracting raise your hand?”

• May also ask: “What do you think we should do about this situation?”

• Don’t use this if a dominant/bully person is creating the distraction (students may feel too intimidated to respond)

What would you do?


D - Catch them doing something right

• Look for opportunities to provide positive reinforcement• Example: After a good day make a comment like “today

felt like a real college class”• Example: “I’ve seen a real improvement in assignments

turned in on time!”• If you have trouble remembering to do this, set a “kudos

quota” for yourself (“I want to do this 2 times a day”)

What would you do?


Tools that require planning ahead of time

Vote now for the tool you would most like to explore:• A - Silent reinforcement with Free Passes & Red Cards• B - Public attendance tracking• C - Buddy support system• D - Mid-semester self-evaluation


A – Silent reinforcement with Free Passes & Red Cards

• Create printed cards and hand them out (without comment) as needed during class

• Free Pass (positive reward): • Free pass to skip a class, turn in a late assignment or get extra credit• Explain how this is like the work world where the boss provides benefits

to good workers (e.g., comp time, promotion, working from home, leaving early)

• Red Card (warning or sanction): • No points deducted (if first warning) or • Points deducted (if not first warning)

• The advantage of this approach is you don’t have to stop the lecture to provide the reinforcement


Free Pass Sample


Red Card Sample


B - Public attendance tracking • Attendance poster used by students to self-report attendance

• Make a large format (2’x3’) print of the attendance poster file at your local copy shop

• Students self report using red, yellow, green dots or markers• They see their own attendance patterns (and know that others are seeing

it as well)• Peer pressure and self-awareness promote increased self-regulation &

self-correction

• If attendance declines later, your cohort can grant an “amnesty”• If the situation improves the poorer attendance record is deleted

See examples on next slides & blank forms in online tool kit


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Completed Attendance Poster

Attendance/Tardy Amnesty


C - Buddy Support System 1. Pair a student who is doing well with one who is not doing as well

• You don’t need to tell them why they were paired2. Provide them with a written document of expectations 3. Give buddies check-in time in class every week

• Faculty may provide additional discussion questions specific to that week’s class • Example: Ask your buddy “How is your draft coming for Paper #2?”

4. If someone is missing, ask the buddy who is present in the class: “Where is your buddy?”5. Introduce the system mid-semester once you know each student’s performance

• A more informal alternative is to encourage students to pick their own support person:• Explain how picking a support person is different than picking a friend• Propose selection criteria (complementary learning style; academic strengths; ability to

provide emotional support, coping strategies, or study hints)• Note that the ability to ask for help (and asking the right person) is an important skill to

develop

See example on next slide & in online tool kitSegment 4: Supplemental

Strategies & Tools

New ACE Buddy Support System

D - Mid-semester self-evaluation

• At mid-semester provide students a form for self-evaluation of their class behavior & performance

• Instructor reviews completed form & hands it back with supportive comments

• Experienced ACE instructor notes: “I find that the students know EXACTLY what they need to work on, as a teacher I don't need to patronize or explain their faults or issues.”


Mid-semester self-evaluation


Part 5: Scenarios Segment Time

Part 1: Opening 20



Break 15




Part 7: Closing 10

A - Attendance/Tardiness problems This is one of the most frequently reported problemsYou can use some of the tools described in the prior sections:

• Attendance poster• Buddy system• Faculty cohort meeting with student

On days when attendance & tardiness are NOT a problem, be sure to praise

An experienced ACE instructor reports: “We've been using a policy that ramps up to a zero-tolerance contract. Three

tardies equal one absence. Two absences prompts an individual check-in, three a contract, after that we ask them to leave the program.”

“There is some flexibility around this, depending on the reasons - some reasons, like homelessness, health, or work, are handled case-by-case, factoring in other aspects of the student's performance.”

How would you handle the situation?Segment 5: Scenarios

B - Reports of a student using drugs and alcohol before coming to class

• Don’t make accusations based on a rumor from another student: it can harm the students’ sense of trust with each other

• Collect your own data & observations• Have a one-on-one meeting outside of class• Raise it as a class performance issue, i.e., how the substance abuse is

noticeably impacting their learning• Or talk about the impact it has on the cohort or how it distracts other

students• Ask the student to read aloud the Traits of Successful Students section

concerning substance abuse

How would you handle the situation?

Segment 5: Scenarios

C - Students repeatedly interrupting class with unrelated comments and side chatter

In one case you suspect it could be due to ADHD or another psychological issue:• Redirect the student to a more appropriate time for such

comments• Be authentic with your feelings about the interruption• Meet with the student one-on-one; you may need to refer the

student for evaluation of learning disabilities or psych counselingFor the rest of the students you believe they may be able control

the cross-talk but are choosing not to:• If there are a number of students doing this, may need to stop class

to talk about it• Sit in a circle (like in the Foundation Course), review the Traits,

explain why review is needed• This may be a good time to introduce the warning cards

How would you handle the situation? Segment 5: Scenarios

D – Physical violence

How would the ACE Behavior System help you in these situations?• Student goes into bio-reaction, punches the fire extinguisher box• Student is leaving class and cutting herself• Student brings gun to school but leaves it in the car

These are all threats to student safety; the ACE Behavior System is not designed to address this by itself

Your own college’s policies & procedures take precedence over the ACE Behavior System

During the incident the most important action is to manage your own bio-reaction so you can think clearly & take appropriate action



A - What if a cohort does not have a cross-course deliverable?

There needs to be something that provides a common goal & cohesion for the cohort • Another project (e.g., CTE-related)• Group deliverable (e.g., end-of-semester portfolio evaluation

or public presentation)



B - What if a cohort does not have a movement class?

The movement course benefits all courses in the cohort by providing students opportunities to• Become more aware of their bodies (including bio-reactions)• Constructively discharge difficult emotions

Faculty have reported that cohorts lacking a movement course can be more difficult to manage• Some students appear to be unusually restless

Other courses should consider adding brief activities that encourage mind-body awareness• Stretch breaks (seated or standing)• Simple breathing exercises



C - What if an ACE instructor wants to drop a student from her/his class?

Range of options (from least to most severe)1. Asking a student to leave a single class session2. Dropping a student from an entire course3. Dropping a student from all courses in the ACE cohort

Debate: Does the consequence of kicking a student out really work?• Some say No: It doesn’t work, it’s “almost a gift” • Some say Yes: It can be helpful under certain circumstances

Variations: What if the other instructors are not having sufficient problems to warrant dropping the

student from their classes?If multiple instructors want to drop the student, can the student be dropped from the entire

Academy (all classes)?Cohorts can drop a student from the Academy if everyone in faculty cohort agrees;

but if the problem is that severe the college’s behavior management procedures should also be involved

How would you handle the situation?Segment 5: Scenarios

D – Student involvement in behavior management

Some instructors want to empower students to self-police (encourage students to speak up about behavior issues and to model positive behaviors)

Other instructors believe that they should be the ones to create safety for students in the classroom

Factors to consider:• Degree of student involvement• Presence of a class bully • What worked with one class may not work with another class• Theoretical discussions may not be as useful as making small tests



Part 6: Integration Segment Time

Part 1: Opening 20



Break 15




Part 7: Closing 10

57

What is ACE curriculum integration?

• The “glue” that brings together individual courses into a cohesive program

• A process to create synergy – the whole is greater than the sum of the parts

• A method of reinforcing & energizing learning through repetition across multiple courses

• A mechanism to level out the homework load

Segment 6: Integration

58

Levels of curriculum integration1. Lowest Level – I am discipline oriented, I have no connection or awareness of

other courses taken by my students or their content2. Awareness Level – I know the other courses my students are taking, the

curriculum, and might make reference to other courses• Example: a group of courses arranged into a certificate program

3. Content Level – I’m aware of detailed content of my students’ other courses and make occasional reference to them in my course• Example: some varieties of team teaching

4. Activity Level – I use the teachings of other courses as a vital tool in my course• Example: someone comes into the English class with a problem related to

their English paper and the teacher shows the student how to apply the content of the TSM course

5. Project Level – I participate in a common project with other faculty and students where all of our course content contributes necessary and vital components to the success of the project; course content is sequenced across all units• Example: the homework assignment from the computer class is an

integral tool of the common project taught in another ACE class6. Class Level – It is all one class, team taught and designed; expensive

ACE


59

Integration links together multipleBridge Semester course elements

• Team Self-Management• English / Reading / Writing • Mathematics• Computer Science• Movement• Career Planning• Integration Project (Social Justice or other)


60

General integration principles• Look for opportunities to link your course content to

the other courses• Avoid major assignments due on the same date• Lead times for integration process

• For a newly-designed cohort: Start the integration process a full semester before the semester begins

• For an existing, previously designed cohort: Start the integration process a few weeks before the semester begins, or during your first faculty cohort meeting


61

Integrated Weekly Activity Matrix

Sample


Curriculum integration during the semester

If curriculum integration isn’t done before semester, you should at least make real time adjustments week by week

Focus on which class (especially SJRC) has something big coming up, and discuss support other courses can provide:• Shifting the timing to avoid major assignments due on the

same date• Mentioning common themes between courses for

reinforcement

The integration project (usually the SJRC or a CTE course) needs the support of all courses in the ACE cohort


Supporting SJRC Example


Thank you for reading!

Segment 7: Closing

Behavior System & Curriculum Integration Workshop.

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