Behaviour Management Tips - A Token Economy

• Choose a small achievable goal e.g. if a student is calling out and not speaking on topic, firstly have a goal such as 'put your hand up when you have something to say while on the mat.'  Hit the second part of the goal i.e. staying on topic at a later date.

• Select a 'reward' that is specific to your student e.g. time to draw their favourite interest, play with a ball outside.  Be aware that other students in the class can see this as rewarding the 'naughty child,' a way around this is for you to choose a buddy for him/her to do the reward with.  This also promotes positive social activity.

• Have other students model the behaviour that you expect to the behaviour student.

• Have the behaviour student demonstrate what you expect and take a photo of this. 

• Decide how many successes the student must have in the specific time frame to receive the reward.  Make this a small number at the beginning so that it is achievable.  Discuss this with the student and see how many he/she thinks is a realistic goal.  Involving the student encourages ownership.  Explain why the goal was chosen and the positive outcome.

• The student must be set up for success so break the day down to blocks or even  lessons.  Use a 'visual' to record  the success.  Think if this will be practical in the class e.g. can you monitor giving a stamp on the hand while everyone is on the mat.  Will you need to move the student to the front of the mat?  Will you need to remind them?  Can you give a stamp on the hand while continuing your lesson?  Will they end up with stamps all over their hands?  Will they 'forget' to wash them and use the same ones the next day?  Sometimes it is best to keep things as simple as a tick on the board under the student's name or a marble/ice block stick in a jar.  This can be done without interruption to your lesson.

• The visual success should be recorded instantly as a result of the positive behavior.

• Exaggerate  how other students are behaving e.g. 'I like the way that Johnny has his hand up when he has something to say.

• Place the photo of the modeled behaviour on, for example, the teacher's station so that you can 'tap it' as a reminder to the student of the expected behaviour.  You do not have to say anything.
   
• Remember your focus is on the one particular goal.  If the student e.g. touches someone else this is NOT the behaviour goal, so if his/her hand is up the success is still recorded.

• Do your best to give the reward as soon as the number of successes are achieved.  Then start again.

• As time progresses and success has been maintained, increase the period of time and reduce the number of successes until no longer required. 

 

• If one plan doesn't work, then try another, check that your reward is important to the student.

Well done, you will now have a positive behaviour plan in place!