Managing Learning Environments

Assignment 3
Planning for Intervention

It is so important to have a preventative plan in place. Although, this doesn’t always work and there needs to be a plan for
intervention. The given approaches for all levels of intervention are still very tailored to giving the children responsibility for
their actions and giving them opportunities and choices. Complex interventions focus on involving the child in processes,
involving parents and professionals if necessary, restorative approaches and having safety measures in place if necessary for
highly complex interventions. It is clear that not one strategy is going to fit as this is going to differ dependent on the level of
intervention. This has been tailored for all primary levels, but mostly with a focus of higher primary years where you see more
challenging behaviours.

Low-level interventions:
Low-level interventions relate to disruptive, off-task and low-level violations of the class guidelines (Jones & Jones 2010, p.297).
Obviously preventative measures are an ideal approach, but this definitely won’t always work. Many low-level behaviours can
be deescalated by using the class guidelines when intervening. This involves asking students questions such as ‘what do we
need to make this happen?’ (McDonald 2013, p.119) and bringing students back to these guidelines to prevent these disruptive
behaviours such as off-task students or distracting others with items on the mat etc. It is important to look at the reason behind
these behaviours. It has been shown that these behaviours occur when students are not engaged and find acting out more
interesting (Jones & Jones 2010, p.302) and problems occur when students are crowded, forced to wait for long periods of time
and are confused (Good & Brophy 2008, p.94). For such strategies to work, strong relationships with students and an
opportunity to reflect and restore the relationship are essential. These strategies relate to multiple course principles (see
appendix 1), 1, as the students dignity is supported by involving them in behaviour management. 2, as children are encouraged
to take responsibility and regulate their own emotions. 5, as there is a clear need for strong student-teacher relationships. 6, as
the students have been involved in procedure making and there are predictable routines and 9, as engaging curricula is needed
for children to behave pro-socially (Green & Baak 2018).

Disruptive behaviours can try to be stopped with the use of non-verbal cues. It is essential to model and use positive language
around desired behaviours (Good & Brophy 2008, p.84), as well as reinforcing behaviours through the guidelines and coming
back and reviewing them (Good & Brophy 2008, p.84). For these children that are showing these disruptive and distracting
behaviours, teachers can arrange the room to see all students, use proximity control and scan the class regularly, state
expectations before and during lessons and see if these students need support with the work (Jones & Jones 2010, p.305). In
addition to this it is so important to make requests to students politely but still firmly with positive language and with purpose
(Jones & Jones 2010, pp.310-311). Teaching strategies can be beneficial, such as negotiating, such as giving a disruptive
student a choice between continuing learning and then going outside, compromising, for example compromising learning to a
choice of the student, the use of I-messages, such as I love the way you came back into class quietly and didn’t disrupt others
and distracting by diverting a student from their behaviours and trying to engage them in something else (Larrivee 2009,
pp.320-322). There should be a focus on solving the problem rather than focussing on consequences and teachers should
model how to handle frustrations and have avenues such as a quiet corner or a fidget or even just pulling the child aside or
quickly at recess for a quick private chat (Jones & Jones 2010, pp.310-311). Teachers need to know students individually and
their backgrounds and what triggers these behaviours for students, especially those from trauma backgrounds or those with
special needs. Looking at this from the perspective of Williams 4S model including, systems, setting, student and self (Williams
2013, p.11), these strategies fit in multiple ways. Self, as the teacher, having good relationships with students, not having the
power over the students and being available for students. The students would have good relationships with the teacher to
hopefully feel comfortable in discussing what is happening. The setting would be a warm and open classroom, a quiet chill out
area for children and multiple areas including couches and beanbags for students to learn and there would be a fiddle box to
help calm students. The systems would have strong emphasis on class guidelines and daily routines and children would be able
to have a fidget or go to the quiet corner when they need. There would also be a system such as emotion cups on the tables.
These strategies are beneficial for low-intervention, but of course complex interventions will occur.

Complex interventions:
Complex interventions will be required for more challenging behaviours. Firstly, challenging behaviours are those behaviours
that aren’t prosocial and can threaten the safety of those around them (Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.150). These behaviours
can stem from multiple stressors, such as home life, including neglect or poverty for example (Thompson & Carpenter 2013,
p.151). It is important to be aware of other external factors such as boredom, difficult work or feeling undervalued (Thompson
& Carpenter 2013, p.152) and other internal factors such as anxiety, frustration and emotional concerns (Thompson &
Carpenter 2013, pp.152-153). This links to knowing student’s backgrounds, such as trauma backgrounds and knowing triggers
for behaviours. This also goes for children with certain disabilities and such as ADHD and autism which can lead to many of
these behaviours. This links to knowing signs of agitation, including, regular movement around or out of the classroom, refusing
to cooperate, attention seeking behaviours or abusive language (Colvin 2004, cited in Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.153).
Teachers need to develop strong relationships, acknowledge students’ needs and need for support and adapt the environment
and learning to support students (Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.165). Teachers need to teach problem-solving skills, self-
regulation and management skills and encourage students to set goals (Colvin 2004, Rose & Monda-Amaya 2012, cited in,
Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.169). This relates to multiple course principles also (see appendix 1), 1, as strategies are
needed to support the dignity and safety of the child involved and others in the class. 3, as teachers need to implement
strategies that are providing guidance. 5, as relationships are crucial for working with these students for support. It is clear that
there are many types of behaviours that call for complex intervention. There needs to be strategies in place that can be utilised
in these situations.
Often when these complex situations occur, children will behave aggressively, passively or passively aggressively (Larrivee 2009,
p.320), making it so important to teach and model strategies for acting pro-socially and systems such as emotion cups on tables
to symbolise agitation. Breathing techniques, a toy and a fiddle box could be used (Larrivee 2009, p.359), strategies dependent
on the student such as going for a run around the oval or getting some fresh air may beneficial for older students. When
teaching techniques for managing behaviour, role plays could be used students to teach students how to communicate
frustrations. Bullying is a complex situation that will unfortunately be seen regularly and includes ongoing behaviours that
involves targeting an individual or group (Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.167). Rather than singling out students, at first, this
could be communicated through class role plays and introducing what bullying is. Teachers need to intervene and communicate
with these students individually and together to get to the problem and come up with strategies to support them. If this is to
continue, interventions may be needed such as keeping the students away from each other, helping the victim in making new
friends and bringing in parents and support from higher up. When behaviours such as a student swearing, refusing to
cooperate, disrupting others and provoking others for example, strategies such as negotiating with the child, giving them a
choice of removing them self, compromising, which may be about the learning if you can tell that they are becoming agitated,
using I-messages, such as I can tell you are not focused on your learning, would you like to go to the quiet corner and we can
have a chat soon for example (Larrivee 2009, pp.320-322). When meeting with a student or students about such behavioural
situations, ideally, aim for mediation, the teacher will be there to let everyone have a say, whilst still giving them the
responsibility to try and solve the problem for themselves (Larrivee 2009, p.324). With this in mind, in serious circumstances
such as bullying and violence for example, the teacher may need to become the arbitrator and tell them what needs to happen
to move forward (Larrivee 2009, p.323).

Highly complex situations:

Highly complex situations refer to those that are violent or/and put people at risk of being hurt (Thompson & Carpenter 2013,
p.150). This may refer to those behaviours of one child, who is heighted throwing chairs or items around the classroom. It is
important to stay a safe distance from the child, remove the class out of the room and call for assistance from higher up.
Teachers could say ‘I have sent for help from the office and I hope this can be resolved before we need to involve anyone else’
(Jones & Jones 2010, p.315). This could also involve a child being violent toward another child or a fight amongst students. In
these circumstances, it is essential that if the child or children can’t be removed, the rest of the class is removed to ensure
safety. Assistance from other colleagues and higher up is essential in fights as you cannot intervene without getting yourself
hurt, as you are likely to see this more amongst older students. Police may even need to be contacted in these extreme
circumstances. It is clear that strategies are clearly escalating dependent on the level of intervention required.

Conflict resolutions + Shared concerns

These interventions always need to be followed up afterwards to restore the relationship. The teacher should focus on
connecting with the student, expressing their needs, validating the student’s feelings, coming up with a strategy and restoring
the relationship (Larrivee 2009, p.345). There should be a strong focus on a restorative approach in individual situations and
also situations such as bullying or disagreements. This is a focus on what happened, who is involved and how can things be
done differently in the future (McDonald 2013, p.130). In these complex behavioural situations, parents need to be informed
and brought in. This relates to the solution focussed approach which recognises the knowledge that parents have in relation to
student’s behaviours (Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.156). This may also allow the student to realise how serious the
behaviours are and to also feel more comfortable in opening up and giving ideas of how to support them, making it so
important to have parents and the student present together (Porter 2007, p.297). A positive behaviour support plan should be
put in place, with assistance of parents and other supports. Allowing students to have goals to reach and to build up a range of
prosocial behaviours (Thompson & Carpenter 2013, p.156). Teachers need to collect data in relation to these student’s
behaviour. An example of this is a process called The Functional Behavioural Assessment (FBA) which allows teachers to
investigate what contexts these behaviours occur in (Moreno & Bullock 2011, p.117). This data can be used for referrals and to
work with assistance in getting professional support. When relating these complex approaches to Williams 4S model (Williams
2013, p.11), there are multiple areas that fit. Self, the teacher is working with the child to get to the base of the problem,
working to have support in place and aiming to build strong relationships. Students would be learning to regulate their
emotions and learning strategies for this and learning techniques for managing anger. There would be systems in place for
regulation emotions and letting the teacher know your angry such as soft toys and systems such as stepping out of the
classroom or walking around the building for older students. There would be multiple opportunities for well-being lessons to
look at how to handle frustration. When looking at setting, there would be an emphasis on a ‘chill out zone’, there would be
stuffed toys and fidgets and books and games depending on the age and there would be many visuals for expressing emotions.
It has been made clear that many different strategies may be needed for supporting students, dependent on the situation.

It is clear that having a preventative plan in place is essential, but this isn’t always successful, and intervention strategies are
needed. It is evident that not one approach is going to fit, as different approaches are needed dependent on the level of
intervention. Preventative strategies can be aimed for, for those low-level interventions, but it is clear that this doesn’t always
happen. The main parts of the given approaches for complex- highly complex interventions still had an emphasis on child
responsibility and choices, learning to regulate emotions and handle frustration, shared concerns including parents and
professionals, restorative approaches and having safety interventions in place if necessary. This has been focused on all primary
years but mostly the higher primary years, as this is where these challenging behaviours are likely to occur.

Word Count: 1996

Appendix 1:
1. Effective teaching practice should respect children’s human dignity.
2. Self-regulation is preferable to external control as it builds learner capacity
3. Children’s learning is best supported when their teachers use authoritative approaches involving care and guidance.
5. Human relationships and the effects of those relationships are the building blocks of early development.
6. Learning environments that are predicable, in which expectations are clear and scaffolding is employed best support
students’ pro social behaviour.
9. Students are most likely to behave pro socially in learning environments that involve and engage them through quality
curricula.

(Green & Baak 2018).

Reference List:

Atkinson, E & Daniels, L 2012, Pre-Service Teachers' Causal Attributions about FASD and Their Teaching Self-Efficacy, Alberta
University, Edmonton, Alberta.

Good, TL & Brophy, JE 2008, 'Management I: preventing problems', Looking in classrooms, Pearson / Allyn and Bacon
Publishers, Boston MA, pp.71-97.

Green, D., Baak, M 2018, Managing Learning Environments, Course outline, University of South Australia, viewed 15 October
2018,
< https://my.unisa.edu.au/public/CourseOutline/ViewOutline.aspx?id=24393>.

Jones, VF & Jones, LS 2010, 'Responding to violations of rules and procedures', Comprehensive classroom management:
creating communities of support and solving problems, Pearson, Boston MA, pp.171-207.

Larrivee, B 2009, 'Conflict and stress management strategies', Authentic classroom management: creating a learning
community and building reflective practice, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, N.J, pp. 320-371.

Mcdonald, T 2013, 'Proactive teacher behaviours', Classroom management: engaging students in learning, Oxford University
Press, South Melbourne Victoria, pp.106-154.

Moreno, G & Bullock, LM 2011, 'Principles of Positive Behaviour Supports: Using the FBA as a Problem-Solving Approach to
Address Challenging Behaviours beyond Special Populations', Emotional & Behavioural Difficulties, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 117-127.
Porter, L 2007, 'Collaborating with parents and other experts to resolve school-based behavioural difficulties', Student
behaviour: theory and practice for teachers, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest NSW, pp. 289-308.

Thompson, R & Carpenter, L 2013, 'Supporting classroom management for challenging behaviour', Diversity, inclusion and
engagement, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 147-172.

Williams, D 2013, 'Background basics', Constructing a theoretical practical and philosophic approach to managing learning
environments (EDUC 3007), Pearson Australia, Frenchs Forest NSW, pp.1-24.