Resources+Behavior+Contracts

= A Behavior Contract and Behavior Monitoring Tools =

Printable Resources to Help Students Improve Classroom Behavior
By [|Jerry Webster], About.com Guide See More About: Behavior contracts can provide the means to improve student behavior. They describe the kind of behavior you want to see, establish the criterion for success, and lay out both the consequences and rewards for behavior.
 * [|teacher strategies]
 * [|printables]
 * [|behavior intervention]

1. [|A Behavior Contract Form]
This is a fairly straight forward form that can be used for most behaviors. There is room for only two behaviors: more than two behaviors may only confuse the student and dissipate the effort you need to place on identifying the replacement behavior and praising it. After each goal there is a place for "threshold." Here you define when the goal has been met in a way that merits reinforcement. If you goal is to eliminate calling out, you may want a threshold of 2 or fewer instances per subject or class. In these contracts, rewards come first, but consequences also need to be spelled out. The contract has a review date: it makes the teacher accountable as well as the students. Make it clear that a contract does not need to be forever.

2. [|Monitoring Tool - Behavior Record]
The simplest form of monitoring is a simple check off form. This form offers a place to write the target behavior, and squares for each day of the week to record the occurance. All you need do is attach one of this forms to the students desktop and stop by when you need to remind the student that they have either performed the target behavior, or have gone the designated period without exhibiting the behavior.

3. [|Monitoring Tool - A Countdown for Raising Hands]
This is a self monitoring tool to support appropriate participation in class by raising hands rather than calling out. Getting the student to not only mark when they have appropriately raised their hand, but also record when they forget, is a big challenge. The teacher may need to remind the child to tick off when they have called out. A teacher asking a child to self monitor needs to be sure that he or she is not ignoring other students who call out. It might be helpful to have a teaching peer observe some instruction to be sure you don't let other calling out behavior slide by. I once observed a teacher for a graduate class and was surprised to see that she called on the boys more often than girls, to keep them engaged, but would ignore when girls would blurt out answers.

4. [|Monitoring Tool - I Can Do It!]
Another self monitoring tool, with a place for the positive behavior ([| the Replacement Behavior.])as well as the problem behavior. Research has shown that attention to the positive behavior is more likely to help that replacement behavior increase and the problem behavior disappear. Paying too much attention to the target behavior ends up reinforcing the behavior.

5. [|Monitoring Tool - Race to 20 and Race to 30]
This worksheet offers two monitoring tools: a "Race to 20" and a "Race to 30." When a student reaches his or her "20" they earn a preferred objects or preferred activity. The 30 page is to help students step it up to the next level. This format is probably best for a child who has shown that he or she was able to monitor their behavior for shorter periods of time. You might want to create a "Race to 10" with Microsoft Word for students who need to have the self monitoring modeled. If your students also seem to race through their self monitoring chart, you need to keep

6. [|Monitoring Tool - Race to 100]
Another form of the self monitoring tool: Race to 20, this one is for a student who has really nailed a replacement behavior. This form would be great for a student who is approaching mastery of the new skill, but helps both of you, both student and teacher, to keep your eye on the behavior as it become habitual. What could be a better than a child who "habitually" lines up quietly and keeps hands and feet to himself?

7. [|Monitoring Tool - Positive Behaviors]
This is a great monitoring tool for when you first begin to monitor success on a behavior contract. It has two rows, (divided into a.m. and p.m.) for two behaviors, with a smiley critter for the replacement behavior and a frowny critter for the target behavior. At the bottom there is room for "student comments," a place for students reflect, even when successful. Perhaps the reflection will be "It's easier for me to remember what to do in the morning," or even "I feel great when I have more marks on the smiley side than on the frowny side. Be sure to use a pen, and I would pick a favorite color (mine is purple: easy to see but not freighted with negatives like a red pen.) You're less likely to have a little counterfeiter rewarding himself.

8. [|Monitoring Tool - Meet My Target]
Another great monitoring tool for behavior contract compliance, this document provides a place to write each of your replacement behaviors and give checks for the behavior. Designed to monitor the activities for a week, there is a row for each day and a place for parents to sign to show that they have seen that days. Requiring a parent initial means that the parent is always seeing and hopefully always praising good behavior. You need to be sure parents understand the notion of "threshold." Often parents think that you can eliminate a behavior quickly entirely (even though they haven't done all that hot, right?) Helping them understand what is reasonable will also help see that the result is successful across environments, not just school.