Have you tried all the classroom consequences you can think of to stop disruptive behavior, but nothing seems to work? Do you find yourself wondering what you’re doing wrong and why the disruptions are still happening? I know how you feel, because I’ve been there too!
Let’s talk about why your classroom consequences aren’t working and the shift you can make to find a response that does.
Why Your Classroom Consequences Aren’t Working
When people use the term “consequence,” they’re usually referring to some type of “punishment,” a penalty imposed in response to disruptive behavior. These types of traditional consequences are typically used to prevent kids from engaging in disruptive behavior in the first place, or to discourage them from repeating the behavior in the future.
However, these types of “punishments” are not solving the problem at hand or teaching the student any skills to be able to solve that problem differently next time. They’re just a bandaid to try and stop the behavior from happening in the moment.
The 1 Simple Shift You Can Make
We need to shift our thinking from “Kids need a punishment when they engage in disruptive behavior so they can learn that what they did was wrong” to “Logical consequences will happen as the result of disruptive behavior.”
A logical, or related, consequence is structured to help kids repair the problem caused by their disruptive behavior. These types of consequences give the student an opportunity to better understand the connection between their actions and consequences, make amends, and feel like they’re part of the solution.
A logical consequence is directly related to the disruptive behavior that occurs. For example, if a student throws books from a bookshelf, the logical consequence would be to have them repair the situation by cleaning up the books.
In order for a logical consequence to be effective, not only does the repair have to happen, but the child needs to be taught the skill(s) they are missing so they can handle the situation differently next time.
Using that same example of a student throwing books from a bookshelf, what skill is he/she missing that led to the books being thrown? Was he/she frustrated and unable to communicate that frustration in another way? Was he/she angry and unable to regulate his/her emotions in another way?
When you debrief with the student, you can identify the skill(s) he/she is missing and make a plan to begin to teach those skills.
Of course, none of this can take place while you or the child are dysregulated. Once you’ve helped the child regulate their emotions, and you’ve returned to a state of calm as well, that’s when the repair and teaching of missing skills can start to happen.
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