Blog 6

Blog 6:



Read the posted article, Excerpt from Preventing Violence Through Anger Management (Drecktrah & Wallenfang) and the information provided in Chapter 9 – Addressing Aggressive Behaviours to complete this blog.

Envision a student with anger issues in your elementary, middle school OR high school (choose 1) classroom. Briefly describe an incident or series of incidents the student has engaged in, identify a probably cause (you make it up) from the chart on pg 273 of the text and identify the type of intervention YOU would most likely use and why. Use the article and/or text for the intervention. See chart above.

Jamie Dennison is a grade 11 student from an upper-middle class household. He is well liked by his peers, excels academically, and is a pitcher for the school baseball team. Jamie has taken piano lessons since kindergarten, and loves to draw. In October, Jamie was caught (by school surveillance cameras) throwing a rock through a school window. This resulted in a one week suspension, and a fine to offset the cost of replacing the window. In February, Jamie masterminded a prank where he and two other students killed a rat, skinned it, and displayed it in the boy’s locker room. Prior to these incidents, Jamie’s art teacher had referred him to the school counsellor, as many of his paintings included dark and disturbing imagery. He was further referred to an outside youth psychologist, but stopped visiting after two sessions because the drive was too far. Jamie’s parents are strict perfectionists who work long hours.

While there could be multiple causes for Jamie’s behaviour, the most probably cause is mismanagement of contingencies. Jamie’s aggressive behaviours are being reinforced, and alternatives are extinguished. When Jamie threw the rock at the window, he likely received positive attention from his peers and negative attention from school authorities. The incident with the skinned rat was also reinforced by attention from his peers, and possibly a sense of power from causing chaos in the school environment. Prior to engaging in violent behaviour, Jamie was using art as an alternative for expressing emotions and communicating non-verbally. As he is no longer using painting as an activity to release his frustrations, Jamie has resorted to aggression to voice his feelings.

I would be more likely to use an intervention plan, rather than one specific intervention strategy to deal with Jamie’s behaviour. The main goal I would have with Jamie is to intervene as early as possible, before the onset of further violent behaviour. While Drecktrah and Wallenfang suggest that intervening in elementary school is the most effective, in Jamie’s case the violence did not have a known history. As a result, it would be important to intervene early in the cycle of violence, before the behaviour escalates to dangerous, harmful levels. I would begin an intervention with a functional behaviour assessment to determine what motivates the behaviour and what benefits are derived from the violent acts. Knowing that his parents are not constantly present, I would hypothesize that Jamie’s goals for misbehaviour are attention and power. I would also consider possible environmental factors associated with the exhibition of Jamie’s aggressive behaviours, such as violence in the home or from other role models. For Jamie, I feel that providing desirable activities, such as art, might help him work out alternative solutions for some of his problems. Jamie might benefit from art therapy or anger notes to help him express feelings that are difficult to verbalize. As well, Jamie could be provided with a more accessible therapist to help him recognize and communicate his emotions.

Works Consulted:

Drecktan, M, & Wallenfang, A. Preventing violence through anger management (excerpt).

Ker, M.M., & Nelson, C.M. (2010). Strategies for addressing behavior problems in the classroom. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

Blog 5

Blog Assignment #5- A Plan in Place for PSIII:

Read the article handed out in class, “A Plan in Place” by Sarah Jondahl taken from the First Days of School by Wong & Wong, 2010. Use this article, the course text, classroom discussion and power point to assist you in identifying the elements that you need to consider for the plan you will build for your first days in PSIII (or PSII for some). Remember to ADAPT not ADOPT providing enough specific examples that I can visualize those first days.

For my PS III practicum, I will be teaching high school art. As an activity, art is generally less structured than some of the other courses that students are required to take. Art asks students to think originally, and develop innovative ideas. As well, it is highly social and requires consistent feedback from peers, instructors, and larger audiences. For these reasons, my plan for building an effective art classroom involves more flexibility than it would if I were teaching other subject areas. My main goal when creating a plan is to maximize student learning by using clear expectations, developing a strong sense of community, and emphasizing structure and routine.

As with other classrooms, developing a clear set of expectations is an important aspect of promoting achievement in students. Having and enforcing guidelines for behavior, work, and procedure leads to less time spent on classroom management. Because I will be teaching an older group of students, I feel it will be important to involve the students in the process of developing rules. This will give students a sense of ownership in their own learning and behavior, a deeper understanding of why certain rules exist, and a perception that consequences are reasonable. One of the first rules that must be emphasized in an art classroom is safety. Artists work with a variety of materials and tools including chemicals and sharp blades. It is important that students only use these with teacher permission and appropriate training. As well, cleaning up is imperative to safety in an art classroom. Spills and debris can cause accidents for both students and their work, so students must be accountable for keeping the room a safe physical space. Behavior is also important in any classroom, and it can directly influence the work being produced. Art can be a meaningful activity for many students who struggle in other areas, as it allows them to express emotions that are difficult to express verbally. Nevertheless, disruptive behavior during demonstrations or behavior that negatively influences the learning of others must have consistent consequences. One consequence that I have effectively implemented in the past is to have students who are being disruptive perform monotonous art related tasks such as organizing a cupboard or sharpening a set of pencil crayons. Obviously the student would be given opportunities to engage in productive, creative work after the task has been completed. Additionally, I believe that art should be challenging and rewarding. I expect students to work to the best of their abilities, but be willing to modify and analyze work to grow as an artist. It is important for all students to realize that everyone has different strengths and abilities, so a strong effort will be emphasized.

During my first days of school at my practicum, I want to develop a strong community of learners. One way to introduce this idea is by sharing personal information, anecdotes, and work. Sharing appropriate aspects of my life has often helped me become more approachable to students. I might begin a class with a short presentation that includes some of my own art, my favorite artists, and things that I struggle with as an artist. Then I would invite students to ask me any questions and tell me about any difficulties or concerns they have in art (or life). The idea of a safe, caring community could be extended by playing introductory games and doing team building exercise such as keypunch. As a strong sense of community is important throughout the year, I would give students opportunities to work both individually and collaboratively through assignments, presentations, and peer-teaching. I also feel that a significant part of helping students grow artistically is to provide them with small, achievable tasks that develop a sense of accomplishment. Once basic needs for safety and belonging are met, students can be challenged to build on skills.

As a young art student, I often felt that I would have benefited from more time to experiment, and less time being instructed. While my philosophies about art education stem from this basic idea, I also believe that structure and routine should be considered in any classroom. In high school, most students take art as an option, indicating some degree of interest in the subject to begin with. Therefore, I plan on talking less and interacting more. My routine will change slightly depending on whether students are being instructed on a new topic or if they are continuing to work on an existing project. Some elements that I will use consistently are: Writing directions/ plan for the class every day, verbally informing students what they should accomplish during the lesson, reminding students about upcoming assignments, and asking students if they have any questions. As well, I will have designated areas for completed work, work to be handed in, and work that is ready for display.

My plan for creating a positive learning experience for my students is to develop and post clear expectations, involve students in a sense of community, and give students consistency and routine. This will be done through involving students in decision making, providing opportunities to succeed in a safe environment, and allow personal freedom in a structured space. When implemented, I hope my classroom becomes an inviting learning environment.

Blog 4

Blog 4

“Research and find or develop 2 classroom activities that might be used in PS III practicum to enhance classroom climate.”

The two activities that I would use to enhance classroom climate are each designed for a specific grade level. For high school students, I would use the online and classroom based activity Civic Mirror, which is a game that essentially mirrors society and asks students to be active participants in a mock country that they create. For early elementary students, I would use the book David Goes to School by David Shannon to introduce classroom rules and involve students in the process of deciding these rules. These resources are both excellent alone, but would likely be enhanced when used in combination with other enriching learning experiences.

Civic Mirror is a virtual and real life game that teachers can incorporate into their regular lessons. The creators of Civic Mirror define the activity as “an online and face-to-face education program that turns classrooms into countries and students into citizens. The online program manages the game scenario, and it sets up high stakes, face-to-face classroom events that reflect our political and economic systems. So while students study course curriculum in the usual ways, they are also given their own government, economy, legal system, and environment to use and put into action what they’re studying.” The Civic Mirror website provides more information, including rules, how to use the program, and an informative video. The potential drawback to using Civic Mirror is the cost, but a determined teacher could incorporate it into lessons using the free trial version. Civic Mirror enhances classroom climate by developing citizenship among students. Students must amicably come to decisions that benefit both their individual needs, as well as those of their “family”, and the country as a whole. This encourages well-mannered relationships even in stressful situations, which could potentially transfer into relationships outside the school (i.e. the workplace).The objective I would hope to accomplish by using this game is to develop skills that prepare students for society, by simulating real-life situations. I would implement the Civic Mirror game as a portion of a mini-unit on citizenship, or as part of the high school social studies curriculum. I would begin the unit by having a class discussion on how to define citizenship, and how citizenship can be demonstrated in daily life (for instance, walking away from a fight). The next step could be asking students for input on classroom rules, while introducing Civic Mirror (which also asks students to decide on rules for their country). As the game progresses, I would take students on field trips to local courts or homeless shelters to enhance experiences that are occurring in the game. As well, it might benefit students to visit historical monuments or nearby museums. To further extend learning outside the classroom, I would invite a public figure (such as a local politician) or citizen who has survived an event (ie the holocaust) to speak to the class.

The picture book David Goes to School is part of a series by David Shannon. The protagonist, David, is a young student who goes through a series of events throughout the school day, where he is constantly told what not to do. David is a character that many students can relate to, as he is mischievous, curious, and kind, with a desire to do well. At the end of the story, David earns a gold star for cleaning the desks and is finally able to go home. This book could enhance classroom climate by creating a community within the classroom. I would use David Goes to School as an introduction to classroom rules. I would ask questions as I read the story, such as “why do you think David forgot to raise his hand?” and “How do you think that makes the girl sitting next to him feel?” to help students empathize with both David and the other students. I would ask students to help me develop a few clear, specific classroom rules, similar to the ones in the book (“what are some of the rules in David’s class?). This would give opportunities for the whole class to be involved, and feel safe sharing ideas in a community of peers. Throughout the school year, the emphasis on community could be extended by having cooperative games, partner activities, and whole-class collaborative projects.

While Civic Mirror and David Goes to School are resources that are appropriate for different grade levels, they share a common ability to enhance classroom climate. Civic Mirror provides students with opportunities to be lifelong learners outside the classroom through citizenship, and David Goes to School could be an important resource in building community.

Works Consulted:

Shannon, D. (1999). David goes to school. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press.

Blog 3

Blog 3:

Still using the Carma White case below, 1) indicate several alternative instruments and procedures you could use to conduct a Functional Behavioural Analysis (FBA). 2) Assume that you have gathered information in your FBA to confirm the behaviours described below. Write a hypothesis for each behaviour using “when X occurs, student does Y, to achieve Z.”

In Carma White’s case, there are several alternative instruments and procedures one could use to conduct a Functional Behavioural Analysis (FBA). A functional analysis could be used to identify and confirm relationships between behaviour and environment, the social influences on behaviour could be addressed, and physiological reasons for the behaviour could be considered.

From the information provided, it is evident that some of Carma’s behaviours occur while at school, and some occur at home. A functional analysis would enable Carma’s teachers and parents to better understand the specific context under which each behaviour occurs. A Functional Assessment Screening Tool (FAST) could be used in the school to observe and record the consistency or inconsistency of undesirable behaviours across a variety of settings. For example, Carma’s behaviour might be more severe or occur more frequently in certain subjects, classrooms, or times of day. As these relationships are established, Carma’s teachers will be better prepared to help motivate her or find strategies to minimize the targeted behaviours.

Carma’s teachers could also keep track of the social reinforcement that may occur as a result of the misbehaviour. As Carma gets in arguments with her mom in the mornings, keeping the parents informed during this process would also be important, and it might be helpful to give the parents an example checklist to use at home. At school, Carma’s teachers could analyze whether some form of interaction occurs during the behaviour, whether the behaviour occurs during periods where attention is being given, and if consequences or rewards influence the behaviour. As well, Carma’s behaviour should be recorded during both individual and group work. This information could be used to determine how social aspects influence Carma’s behaviour, and help her teachers form new ways of decreasing the behaviour.

It may also be important to consider the possibility of physiological reasons for Carma’s behaviour. As Carma is constantly late for the bus, the rushing in the morning may result in missing breakfast. This might be a factor in the behaviour issues and lack of focus. Carma’s teachers should monitor whether the behaviour occurs in high and low cycles, if it increases when Carma is ill, or if it changes after lunch and recess breaks. With more details about Carma’s situation, there may be a simple approach to handling the behaviour, such as offering snacks and hydration.

Hypotheses for Behaviours:

“Mom states she has trouble getting Carma out of bed in the morning and frequently has to drive her to school as she has missed the bus.”
When coercion to wake up occurs, student misses the bus to achieve attention (missing the bus results in spending more time with mom driving to school).
“When you give the class directions to follow, Carma becomes argumentative and refuses to comply.”
When the class is given directions to follow, the student becomes argumentative and non-compliant to achieve escape (from doing an aversive task such as schoolwork) OR to achieve power (as she is able to control the situation through the behaviour, resulting in a sense of power).
“Carma swears frequently in class and when you reprimand her she denies it was her or if caught red handed, she just laughs claiming it’s not a big deal.”
When reprimands are given for inappropriate behaviour (swearing), student denies the behaviour to achieve attention (from peers) or power (as she feels the rules do not apply to her).
“Carma’s interactions with peers are very negative and frequently end with her losing her temper and yelling at them.”
When peer interaction occurs, student loses temper to achieve power (over peers) or attention (from teacher).

Blog 2

Blog Assignment #2

Use the posted article, “Understanding and Addressing Oppositional and Defiant Classroom Behaviour” (Salend & Sylvestre, Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 37, No. 6, pg 32 - 39) and classroom discussions to complete this blog.

1. Describe the first three strategies from the reading that you would employ to reduce oppositional / defiant behaviours displayed by Carma as described below. Be specific. For example, if you are going to ‘establish and teach rules’, what rules would you put in place and why.
2. Which of the strategies provided in the reading would you be least likely to use and why?


In the article, “Understanding and Addressing Oppositional and Defiant Classroom Behavior,” Salend & Sylvestre use a case study of an oppositional and defiant student named Justin to explore ways that oppositional and defiant behavior can be decreased. The article describes various strategies that encompass efforts from the family, a team including the teacher, and the student. For Carma White, the first three strategies from the reading that I would employ to reduce oppositional/ defiant behavior are: encouraging family collaboration and communication, address student learning and motivational needs, and provide social skills instruction. While I support the article and believe all of the guidelines can be effective, the strategies I would be least likely to use might include accessing prereferral services, offering attribution training, and learning more about oppositional and defiant behaviors.

I believe that all students can benefit from having consistency between home and school. For Carma especially, encouraging family collaboration and communication might also help strengthen the relationships between family members. Because both of Carma’s parents have full time jobs, and may not provide the structure and support that she needs consistently, a behavior contract can establish rules with appropriate consequences. Carma’s brothers, who are older and more independent, could also be involved, as they likely model some behaviors such as swearing. It would be important to include Carma, as well as both parents (if possible) in the process of creating a contract, to give her a sense of ownership and make the family aware of the strategies in place. Carma continually misses the bus in the morning because she knows it will result in spending more time with her mom. As well, she engages in arguments in the morning because it is a method (albeit ineffective) of communicating with her mom. A behavior contract might help Carma’s mother model alternative ways to communicate and resolve conflicts.

Carma’s high scores in math and English suggest that her main struggles are not academic, despite struggling in some classes. She also has difficulty getting out of bed in the morning; her apathy could be the result of uninteresting or unchallenging lessons. Addressing Carma’s learning and motivational needs might help her be more successful and enthusiastic about school. Carma’s above average intelligence indicates that class work may not provide her with enough challenges. Carma might benefit from differentiated teaching practices such as working with an older mentor, doing more complex versions of curricular tasks, or doing independent research on topics of interest. Providing Carma with meaningful learning experiences could minimize resistance when doing schoolwork is requested. As well, more relevant projects may increase Carma’s willingness to become involved in the instructional process ( i.e. giving presentations to the class) and take ownership of her own learning.

Increasing Carma’s motivation could be complemented by helping to increase her social skills. Giving Carma social skills instruction will help her work collaboratively, make constructive responses to peer opinions, and help resolve conflicts amicably. Non-competitive group work will also assist Carma in discovering her strengths, and develop coping mechanisms for frustration. A teacher could enhance the benefits of group work by modeling positive behavior with other teachers and students, and encouraging student reflections. Carma’s teacher might ask questions such as “what did you do to get along with others? And how did the others feel?” (Salend & Sylvestre, 2005) that could be answered verbally or through writing.

As Salend & Sylvestre suggest, using a combination of these techniques would be most effective in dealing with oppositional / defiant students. The techniques that I would use more as supports to the main strategies of an intervention plan are: accessing prereferral services, offering attribution training, and learning more about oppositional defiant behaviours. The reason I would not access prereferral services immediately is that if Carma’s behavior is able to be controlled without this step, it may not be necessary. As Carma’s cognitive abilities have already been tested, and under the assumption that her behaviors are not linked to a medical condition, prereferral services may not be needed if the teacher is able deal with the behavior alone. Attribution training might have a minimum effect on Carma, as she is in grade seven and likely has some understanding of how behaviors influence success. As well, effort may not necessarily reflect performance for Carma; because of her above-average intelligence, minimal effort may yield high scores.

Works Consulted:

Salend and Sylvestre (2005). Understanding and Addressing Oppositional and Defiant Classroom Behaviour. Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 37, No. 6, pg 32-39

Blog 1

Blog #1

Using the Teacher Variance Approach chart, which approach most closely represents what you currently believe about children with behavioural or emotional disorders?

How has/ will that belief impact your interactions with challenging behaviours you encounter?



Hyman’s comparison of the Teacher Variance Approaches offers a general set of philosophies that could be applied to dealing with discipline issues in a classroom. In his table, Hyman provides opportunities for the reader to identify with the following approaches to discipline: Behavioural/ Cognitive-behavioural, Psychodynamic/ interpersonal, Humanistic, Biophysical, and Ecological/ Systems. While, as a pre-service teacher, the ecological model most closely represent my beliefs about children with behavioural or emotional disorders, I also believe that none of the models should be used in isolation. All of the approaches that Hyman has put forth have validity; a teacher should use his/ her discretion and relationship with the student to extract the most appropriate diagnoses and strategies for each unique situation.

I take issue with using any of Hyman’s models as sole means of discipline or positive behaviour development. The Behavioural/ Cognitive-Behavioural is over-simplified in suggesting that changing behaviour is simply a matter of using positive reinforcement to reduce undesirable behaviour. I fully support Skinner in that positive reinforcement is more effective than punishment, but if Premack’s arguments on reinforcement being relative are considered, the intervention techniques may not be effective. For example, a student who has undergone severe trauma physically or emotionally may not respond to reinforcements, even positive ones, in a way that is comparable to another student. As well, students with certain conditions, such as Tourette’s syndrome may not be physically able to produce acceptable behaviours consistently, regardless of the reinforcement being applied. The other possible danger of this method is that if a reward is used, the motivation of the student (to display acceptable behaviour) could decrease once the reward system ends. Therefore, the Behavioural/ Cognitive-Behavioural approach should be used either in combination with other methods, or when anecdotal records indicate that the positive behaviour shows evidence of persisting.

I believe in the Psychodynamic/ Interpersonal model to the theoretical extent that behaviour and personality generally reflect experiences and relationships. However, a main argument against this model is that many people go through similar experiences, yet their overall behaviours are different. For instance, some people who grow up in poverty continue to perpetuate statistics, while others are able to become successful. According to Brooks-Gunn and Duncan (2010), “low income is statistically linked with a variety of poor outcomes for children...[such as] academic failure, emotional distress, and unwed childbirth in adolescence.” Nevertheless, the countless success stories in the media (Oprah Winfrey for example), and in real life have demonstrated that this is not always the case. Another potential problem with this model is that according to Hyman, diagnosis involves analysis of the student record and obtaining a history of the child and child-rearing practices. Certainly, this could be advantageous in some situations, but difficulties might arise when dealing with a student who is adopted (in a closed adoption) or new to the country.

I do identify with the optimistic Humanistic approach, where the theory is that people are born “blank slates” and have the potential to be good and competent. Again, however, the theory relies on the assumption that factors that diminish worth are always reversible, when such cases as Susan Wiley (more commonly known as Genie Wiley) have shown us that they are not. To summarize, Susan Wiley was a severely neglected and abused child who was strapped to a potty-chair from ages 1-13. She was left in an isolated room and rarely spoken to; she also rarely spoke. When she was discovered, a group of scientists attempted to work with her to disprove the Lenneberg hypothesis that language acquisition must occur before puberty. In the end, this case actually confirmed what Lenneberg had proposed.

The biophysical model definitely has merit, especially for conditions such as asthma and diabetes, however for Attention Deficit Disorder medication may not be the best option. Smith (2008) indicates that medication for ADD is designed to help deal with symptoms such as poor focus, but is not a cure and works differently for everyone. Medication could also have side effects and end up causing more problems for students. For these reasons, I believe that if medication or changes in diet are introduced, they should be accompanied by common sense strategies for discipline such as consistency and offering choices.

The ecological/systems approach provides the most opportunity to incorporate other methods and decide on intervention plans based on each specific case. As a result, more opportunities exist to help meet the needs of a variety of students, rather than treat all students with the same methods. The focus this model has on restructuring classroom and school environments could be expanded to include not only the physical aspects of an environment, but also ways that discipline and reinforcement are displayed. For instance, a student may show evidence of improved behaviour after being exposed to more sunlight, but would likely also benefit from generous praise and predictable consequences. I also relate to this method because it accounts for various learning styles, which can also impact behaviour. When I encounter challenging behaviours in a classroom, I will be especially sensitive to the different needs of each student. As a result, I will take possible solutions from several of the models, as well as develop strong positive relationships with the students.

Works Consulted:

Berlina, A. (2004). Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis. Retrieved from

Duncan, G., and Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Consequences of Growing Up Poor. Retrieved from

Smith, M., Cutter, D., and Segal, J. (2008). ADD/ ADHD Medications: Are ADHD drugs right for you or your child? Retrieved from