ill allow the child to connect the undesirable behavior with the consequence.

Second, there typically is a need for more frequent consequences to be administered in order for them to be effective. The increased frequency will help the student learn from his or her mistakes, something with which difficult students may struggle.

Consequences may have to be of larger magnitude in order to get the appropriate level of attention from the student.

Forth, and last, consequences should as much as possible fit the infraction. (Staying in from recess to complete class work verses staying in from recess and sitting quietly at their desk). It is usually a good idea to work more from the positive reinforcement side of this equation in order to encourage positive behavior than to work from the consequence side to discourage noncompliant or disruptive behavior.

Part 2 of this article will look at some teacher interventions that may

PART ONE. Establishing the Rules.

Teaching today is a challenging task, with the increase in information, greater social needs, larger classrooms, funding issues and the ever present political environment, the addition of difficult students sometimes can be overwhelming. This four part article will look at some ways to begin to create success with students that have been difficult to engage in the education process.

Establishing an effective learning environment for difficult students is imperative if they are going to be engaged in a cooperative fashion. A good place to start in creating this environment is the evaluation of the rules used to govern the classroom or the homework environment. Rules should be clear and as specific as possible. The use of behavioral terms (stays in seat) makes the rules more concrete and hence easier to understand and easier to enforce. The rules should also be brief and uncomplicated (raises hand before talking). This allows the student to know what specifically is being required. Finally, the rules should as often as possible be delivered through visual cues to help reinforce what has been spoken. This can be accomplished either through pictures showing the desired behavior, written rules in the classroom or homework environment or for older student rules presented to them individually in written form, either as a list or a behavioral chart.

Once good rules have been established and effectively communicated to the student the second task of creating that good environment comes in the form of reinforcing the rules. This reinforcement takes place in two ways, first the presentation of consequences when rules are violated, and second the reward or reinforcement of positive, rule abiding behavior. In dealing with positive behavior, you want to encourage it with some type of reinforcement.

The first principle to keep in mind with positive reinforcement is that you must provide richer incentives (instead of being able to have desert, the child would be able to select the family desert). These students are not automatically motivated for school work and typically dislike it, a stronger incentive is needed to get them to “buy into the program”.

Second, incentives also need to be given more frequently, particularly at the beginning of any attempt to change behavior. This will help the student remember what positive behaviors are being sought and maintain any enthusiasm the initial presentation of the program may have created (don’t wait until the end of the week or until progress reports come out, daily reinforcement may be necessary initially or several times a day in the classroom).

Third and lastly, reinforcements need to be rotated on a regular basis. What this means is that you create a list of reinforcements available to the student and that only some of the reinforcements are available at a given time. After a period of time has passed, you replace some of the reinforcements with others from the list. This will keep the reinforcements fresh and interesting to the student and keep him or her engaged in the educational process. Again, this rotation may need to be done more frequently in the earlier part of the process of changing behavior and engagement.

Concerning using consequences there are similar principles to the principles of using positive reinforcements. Consequences typically take the form of either losing privileges (loss of some game or entertainment time) or the introduction of punishment (time out).

First, consequences should be delivered quickly and immediately. Quickly in that it is not a drawn out event and immediately in that there is no delay. With it being delivered quickly there is less opportunity for an argument to begin and the immediacy will allow the child to connect the undesirable behavior with the consequence.

Second, there typically is a need for more frequent consequences to be administered in order for them to be effective. The increased frequency will help the student learn from his or her mistakes, something with which difficult students may struggle.

Consequences may have to be of larger magnitude in order to get the appropriate level of attention from the student.

Forth, and last, consequences should as much as possible fit the infraction. (Staying in from recess to complete class work verses staying in from recess and sitting quietly at their desk). It is usually a good idea to work more from the positive reinforcement side of this equation in order to encourage positive behavior than to work from the consequence side to discourage noncompliant or disruptive behavior.

Part 2 of this article will look at some teacher interventions that may

and before talking). This allows the student to know what specifically is being required. Finally, the rules should as often as possible be delivered through visual cues to help reinforce what has been spoken. This can be accomplished either through pictures showing the desired behavior, written rules in the classroom or homework environment or for older student rules presented to them individually in written form, either as a list or a behavioral chart.

Once good rules have been established and effectively communicated to the student the second task of creating that good environment comes in the form of reinforcing the rules. This reinforcement takes place in two ways, first the presentation of consequences when rules are violated, and second the reward or reinforcement of positive, rule abiding behavior. In dealing with positive behavior, you want to encourage it with some type of reinforcement.

The first principle to keep in mind with positive reinforcement is that you must provide richer incentives (instead of being able to have desert, the child would be able to select the family desert). These students are not automatically motivated for school work and typically dislike it, a stronger incentive is needed to get them to “buy into the program”.

Second, incentives also need to be given more frequently, particularly at the beginning of any attempt to change behavior. This will help the student remember what positive behaviors are being sought and maintain any enthusiasm the initial presentation of the program may have created (don’t wait until the end of the week or until progress reports come out, daily reinforcement may be necessary initially or several times a day in the classroom).

Third and lastly, reinforcements need to be rotated on a regular basis. What this means is that you create a list of reinforcements available to the student and that only some of the reinforcements are available at a given time. After a period of time has passed, you replace some of the reinforcements with others from the list. This will keep the reinforcements fresh and interesting to the student and keep him or her engaged in the educational process. Again, this rotation may need to be done more frequently in the earlier part of the process of changing behavior and engagement.

Concerning using consequences there are similar principles to the principles of using positive reinforcements. Consequences typically take the form of either losing privileges (loss of some game or entertainment time) or the introduction of punishment (time out).

First, consequences should be delivered quickly and immediately. Quickly in that it is not a drawn out event and immediately in that there is no delay. With it being delivered quickly there is less opportunity for an argument to begin and the immediacy will allow the child to connect the undesirable behavior with the consequence.

Second, there typically is a need for more frequent consequences to be administered in order for them to be effective. The increased frequency will help the student learn from his or her mistakes, something with which difficult students may struggle.

Consequences may have to be of larger magnitude in order to get the appropriate level of attention from the student.

Forth, and last, consequences should as much as possible fit the infraction. (Staying in from recess to complete class work verses staying in from recess and sitting quietly at their desk). It is usually a good idea to work more from the positive reinforcement side of this equation in order to encourage positive behavior than to work from the consequence side to discourage noncompliant or disruptive behavior.

Part 2 of this article will look at some teacher interventions that may

mind with positive reinforcement is that you must provide richer incentives (instead of being able to have desert, the child would be able to select the family desert). These students are not automatically motivated for school work and typically dislike it, a stronger incentive is needed to get them to “buy into the program”.

Second, incentives also need to be given more frequently, particularly at the beginning of any attempt to change behavior. This will help the student remember what positive behaviors are being sought and maintain any enthusiasm the initial presentation of the program may have created (don’t wait until the end of the week or until progress reports come out, daily reinforcement may be necessary initially or several times a day in the classroom).

Third and lastly, reinforcements need to be rotated on a regular basis. What this means is that you create a list of reinforcements available to the student and that only some of the reinforcements are available at a given time. After a period of time has passed, you replace some of the reinforcements with others from the list. This will keep the reinforcements fresh and interesting to the student and keep him or her engaged in the educational process. Again, this rotation may need to be done more frequently in the earlier part of the process of changing behavior and engagement.

Concerning using consequences there are similar principles to the principles of using positive reinforcements. Consequences typically take the form of either losing privileges (loss of some game or entertainment time) or the introduction of punishment (time out).

First, consequences should be delivered quickly and immediately. Quickly in that it is not a drawn out event and immediately in that there is no delay. With it being delivered quickly there is less opportunity for an argument to begin and the immediacy will allow the child to connect the undesirable behavior with the consequence.

Second, there typically is a need for more frequent consequences to be administered in order for them to be effective. The increased frequency will help the student learn from his or her mistakes, something with which difficult students may struggle.

Consequences may have to be of larger magnitude in order to get the appropriate level of attention from the student.

Forth, and last, consequences should as much as possible fit the infraction. (Staying in from recess to complete class work verses staying in from recess and sitting quietly at their desk). It is usually a good idea to work more from the positive reinforcement side of this equation in order to encourage positive behavior than to work from the consequence side to discourage noncompliant or disruptive behavior.

Part 2 of this article will look at some teacher interventions that may

only some of the reinforcements are available at a given time. After a period of time has passed, you replace some of the reinforcements with others from the list. This will keep the reinforcements fresh and interesting to the student and keep him or her engaged in the educational process. Again, this rotation may need to be done more frequently in the earlier part of the process of changing behavior and engagement.

Concerning using consequences there are similar principles to the principles of using positive reinforcements. Consequences typically take the form of either losing privileges (loss of some game or entertainment time) or the introduction of punishment (time out).

First, consequences should be delivered quickly and immediately. Quickly in that it is not a drawn out event and immediately in that there is no delay. With it being delivered quickly there is less opportunity for an argument to begin and the immediacy will allow the child to connect the undesirable behavior with the consequence.

Second, there typically is a need for more frequent consequences to be administered in order for them to be effective. The increased frequency will help the student learn from his or her mistakes, something with which difficult students may struggle.

Consequences may have to be of larger magnitude in order to get the appropriate level of attention from the student.

Forth, and last, consequences should as much as possible fit the infraction. (Staying in from recess to complete class work verses staying in from recess and sitting quietly at their desk). It is usually a good idea to work more from the positive reinforcement side of this equation in order to encourage positive behavior than to work from the consequence side to discourage noncompliant or disruptive behavior.

Part 2 of this article will look at some teacher interventions that may

ill allow the child to connect the undesirable behavior with the consequence.

Second, there typically is a need for more frequent consequences to be administered in order for them to be effective. The increased frequency will help the student learn from his or her mistakes, something with which difficult students may struggle.

Consequences may have to be of larger magnitude in order to get the appropriate level of attention from the student.

Forth, and last, consequences should as much as possible fit the infraction. (Staying in from recess to complete class work verses staying in from recess and sitting quietly at their desk). It is usually a good idea to work more from the positive reinforcement side of this equation in order to encourage positive behavior than to work from the consequence side to discourage noncompliant or disruptive behavior.

Part 2 of this article will look at some teacher interventions that may be used to help deal with challenging students.