ABA in the classroom: Creating a Strategy Toolbox for Teachers

Back to school

As an educator, there are so many things competing for your attention when transitioning back to school.  There are a number of proactive strategies that classroom teachers can incorporate daily in order to decrease back to school stress and create a nurturing learning environment for all students. When these strategies are consistently applied, they often obviate the need to conduct a full functional behavior assessment, allowing teachers to craft a behavior intervention plan for many students. Here are five strategies to consider: 

Toolbox Strategy #1: Class-wide token economies  

Building a classroom-wide token is one of the most effective classroom management practices. When implementing a classroom-wide token economy, you must identify the behaviors that would be highly desirable in the classroom. We suggest creating this as a set of classroom expectations and rules. Once these are identified, then determine what backup reinforcer the class will earn. The reward should be something that your students will be empowered to work for. If you’re able to have this as a whole class discussion or a journal entry, it allows you to determine the class preferences and what is feasible within your means as the educator. Last, set up a goal! E.g., “When we fill this jar with marbles (or chart with stickers), we will earn that bonus recess time!” Reset and restart! Change up reinforcers, and continue to monitor the expectations and goal! 

Toolbox Strategy #2: Transition preparation 

Transitions signify the periods between activities and hold a crucial role in the daily functioning of every classroom. They encompass movements between instructional segments within the classroom, transitions from one class to another, the movement to and from the cafeteria, recess, special classes and even trips to lockers or cubbies. Transitions are an integral aspect of daily life, occupying a significant portion of the school day and while playing a vital role in fostering independent living skills. However, it’s important to note that for some students, transitions can be anxiety-inducing, leading to inappropriate behaviors, making it challenging to manage your classroom. There are several effective strategies that classroom teachers can employ to assist students who struggle with transitions throughout the school day. One strategy is verbal preparation, which specifies the end time of an activity.

Toolbox Strategy #3: Behavior specific praise

Using behavior-specific praise in the classroom is a potent method for enhancing positive behavior in the classroom. This evidence-based classroom management strategy has been demonstrated to improve student behavior by informing students what positive behavior looks like. By linking praise to anticipated and suitable behaviors, students can establish connections between their actions and reinforcement. Prior to implementing behavior-specific praise in your classroom, ask yourself, what behaviors would I like to see more of?

Toolbox Strategy #4: Replacement behaviors or Differential Reinforcement 

In order to promote positive behavior and redirect maladaptive behavior, it’s important that teachers provide the student with a more appropriate behavior. By providing a replacement behavior the student is learning a new skill that will benefit the student across multiple settings. Let’s say a student continues to call out, an immediate response may be, “stop calling out”. A more effective way is to provide the student with the replacement behavior “please raise your hand.” This teaches the student the behavior you are looking for, further signaling behavior that will receive reinforcement. It is important that the other behavior, calling out, doesn’t receive reinforcement. 

Toolbox Strategy #5: Consistency and Timing 

Consistency and timing are crucial in behavior change. When reinforcing a behavior, the student should access reinforcement immediately following the desired behavior. The longer a student waits to be reinforced, the less potent the reinforcer becomes. The key to consistency and timing is when the desired behavior occurs, reinforcement should be delivered consistently and quickly to increase the likelihood of the behavior occurring in the future!

Conclusion 

Challenging behavior in the classroom can be overwhelming, but how you proactively arrange and modify your behavioral toolbox is the key to creating a positive learning environment. Using behavior modification is rewarding for student success and teacher triumph! We encourage you to explore the strategies provided and determine where they can be embedded into your classroom environment. Every student is unique and communicates their wants and needs differently, but with the use of these strategies, you can proactively support all students learning!  

By: Kathleen Quinn MS BCBA LBA & Dr. Sarah Farsijany