Responding to Student Behavior: Preparing for Teaching (A Guide for Teacher Candidates and Student Teachers)

Preface
Acknowledgements
About the Authors
INTRODUCTION 
LEVEL ONE: PLANNED IGNORING 
Teacher Comments for Planned Ignoring 
Main Points on Planned Ignoring 
Reflections on Planned Ignoring 
Activities for Planned Ignoring 
Observation Activity
Awareness Activity
LEVEL TWO: MINIMAL INTERVENTIONS 
Teacher Comments for Minimal Interventions 
Main Points on Minimal Interventions 
Reflections on Minimal Interventions 
Activities for Minimal Interventions 
Observation Activity
Practice Activity
Awareness Activity
LEVEL THREE: OFFERING CHOICES 
Teaching Responsibility
Teacher Comments for Offering Choices 
Main Points on Offering Choices 
Reflections on Offering Choices 
Activities for Offering Choices 
Observation Activity
Practice Activity
Awareness Activity
LEVEL FOUR: FOLLOWING THROUGH 
Teacher Comments for Following Through 
Main Points on Following Through 
Reflections on Following Through  
Activities for Following Through 
Observation Activity
Practice Activity
RESISTING CONSEQUENCES 
Consequence Maneuvers
Following Through
Giving In
Going Too Far
Keeping a Small Problem Small 
Punishments versus Consequences
Being Flexible
Teacher Comments for Resisting Consequences 
Main Points on Resisting Consequences 
Reflections on Resisting Consequences 
Activities for Resisting Consequences 
Observation Activity
Practice Activity
CONCLUSION 
APPENDIX 
Choice Cards Examples
Frequently Asked Questions
 

"Responding to Behavior is a text that I will continually reference when I am teaching. It gave me a procedure to follow to respond to student behaviors in a way that is respectful and does not interfere with teaching and learning, and it is a good reminder of the importance of consistency and predictability in building positive relationships between student and teacher."
- Mary Fisher

"Behavior is learned and this book has shown me a solid framework to teach it from. The structured, yet flexible, levels of Responding to Student Behavior has given me the mindset and confidence I need to be an effective facilitator in the classroom. I no longer look at behavior challenges as something to be feared, but rather as a learning opportunity for students and myself."
- Jacob Larson

"Responding to Student Behavior is useful for the classroom and everyday life with children because it takes you through the steps to manage behavior in a short and easy to understand manner. Using the steps recommended in the book I have found my classroom is easier to manage and I have a better relationship with my students."
- Claire Madden

"One of the things that worried me when I began my teacher training was that l wouldn't be able to maintain an orderly classroom.  Some teachers just seem to have a quality that naturally garners respect, and I wasn't sure anyone would be able to teach me that.  Responding to Student Behavior helped to demystify why students listen to some teachers and not others.  As a substitute teacher, I've not only been able to more easily cue the class that I'm ready to begin a lesson, I've also been able to address more difficult behavior and still end the day with students happy to have had me in their classroom."
- Patrick Louis

“As a soon-to-be teacher, I often find myself wondering how I’m going to be able to handle my future classroom. Before finding this book, there were so many ‘what if’ questions that ran through my mind, mostly about what I could do to effectively manage my students and their behaviors. Responding to Student Behavior gave me the answers I was looking for. Using a number of different scenarios, which I find very plausible in a real classroom, this book offers a proven methodology that teachers can use to properly respond to their students’ behaviors. I would highly recommend future (and even current) teachers to read this material as it’s insightful, relatable, and extremely well written. I know I plan to keep a copy of it at my desk throughout my career.” 
- Austin Niederkorn

"The four levels of intervention have transformed my teaching permanently. Before I adopted this classroom management system, I was a permissive and ultimately ineffective classroom manager. The four-levels of intervention have taught me that teachers can be consistent and maintain high behavioral expectations while reinforcing profoundly positive relationships with students. This classroom management system is the best way I know how to respect and care for my students while creating the structure that they need to succeed."
-Haleigh Duncan, Middle School Teacher, University School of Education graduate

"The four levels of intervention have completely changed the way that I teach. By simply asking myself the question “Can I keep teaching and can others keep learning?” I have stopped allowing time wasting behaviors to interrupt my teaching and have created a better experience for all of my students. When I do need to move past the first level of intervention, levels two, three, and four are extremely effective and have helped me create a high level of trust and security with my students. They know that I mean what I say and that I will follow through with consequences. My students now take more time to reflect on their actions and take responsibility for them." 
-Rebecca Levi

"The 4 steps are among the most useful tools in my teaching tool kit. They have helped me grow into the kind of teacher who allows her students to make choices and accept their consequences. As a result, my classroom has grown to be a place of respect where more learning can take place. I would be lost without these steps!"
-Jennifer Whelan

"The four levels provide a framework and tools I can easily adopt in my classroom. This framework helps me guide students on the self-reflective process of managing their own decisions and behaviors. This creates lasting change in the classroom as students begin to see themselves as in charge of their behavior and how they respond to stressors in the classroom. The progression of the levels is clear and logical for teachers and students of all ages. Because I have a clear plan for how to respond, I am able to stay in a calm, thinking frame of mind and, as a result, the students are calmer and more receptive to the predictable process of behavior management."
-Bryna Wiens

"Responding to Student Behavior provided very clear steps of intervention as a result of behaviors that a teacher will experience at some point in the classroom. As a current undergraduate I found these steps of intervention to be more practical than any other tools I have learned about. I can truly see myself using this strategy in my own classroom in the future. This book has allowed me to feel more confident in my skills when it comes to classroom management. I would recommend it to not only teachers but anyone who is pursuing a career working with children, as it proves to be a very helpful set of tools for successfully communicating with kids.​"
- Grace Johnson