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School's program seems to curb bad behavior
By Amanda Haverstick, The News-Dispatch
One of Michigan City's middle schools has taken steps to curb bad behavior and recognize students who are doing the right thing.
During the past year and a half, Krueger Middle School's staff has been working on a program called Positive Behavioral Support (PBS).
Principal Lisa Emshwiller, who presented the program to the Michigan City Area Schools board on Tuesday, said the school has seen 150 fewer referrals to the office from last year at this time to this year.
Emshwiller said there was a dramatic decrease in class disruption referrals from 75 last year in the first grading period to 30 this year.
“We contribute that to the fact that we're teaching students the procedures we expect, and we're reinforcing the positive behaviors we seek,” Emshwiller said.
Tom LaFrance, chair of the school's PBS team, said all of the teachers collaborated on a staff handbook for the program, which includes common expectations and procedures they wanted for the students.
“We developed what we call a matrix,” LaFrance said. “We take certain parts of the school, such as the bathroom and hallway, and come up with what behavior expectations all the teachers decided they wanted in those areas. There's consistency throughout the building on what our expectations are.”
LaFrance said the teachers also developed lesson plans to teach the students their expectations.
“That's one thing about Positive Behavioral Support,” LaFrance said. “We have to teach the students what we want them to do instead of just assuming that they know how we want them to behave in our classroom.”
A special-education teacher, LaFrance teaches emotionally handicapped students and tried the program out on his own students first.
“Within a week or so of teaching them how to sit in class and pay attention to a teacher and let the teacher know you're paying attention by using active listening skills ... things got better,” LaFrance said.
During their training, teachers learned that for every negative interaction with a student, there should be four positive interactions with a student.
“It's hard to always find the kids that are doing a good job and let them know they're doing a good job,” LaFrance said. “We're looking for kids doing the right thing instead of always looking for kids doing the wrong thing.”
Students are given “Lucky Horseshoes” to reinforce correct behavior. Horseshoes can be accumulated and used to buy items such as restroom passes, a chance to be first in line at lunch, even Krueger T-shirts.
“These are probably more valuable to our students than money,” counselor Karen Hartman said. “If I see a few students who are actually walking with someone who is running by them, I will give those students walking a horseshoe. I want to give them positive attention for doing the right thing.”
By Amanda Haverstick, The News-Dispatch
One of Michigan City's middle schools has taken steps to curb bad behavior and recognize students who are doing the right thing.
During the past year and a half, Krueger Middle School's staff has been working on a program called Positive Behavioral Support (PBS).
Principal Lisa Emshwiller, who presented the program to the Michigan City Area Schools board on Tuesday, said the school has seen 150 fewer referrals to the office from last year at this time to this year.
Emshwiller said there was a dramatic decrease in class disruption referrals from 75 last year in the first grading period to 30 this year.
“We contribute that to the fact that we're teaching students the procedures we expect, and we're reinforcing the positive behaviors we seek,” Emshwiller said.
Tom LaFrance, chair of the school's PBS team, said all of the teachers collaborated on a staff handbook for the program, which includes common expectations and procedures they wanted for the students.
“We developed what we call a matrix,” LaFrance said. “We take certain parts of the school, such as the bathroom and hallway, and come up with what behavior expectations all the teachers decided they wanted in those areas. There's consistency throughout the building on what our expectations are.”
LaFrance said the teachers also developed lesson plans to teach the students their expectations.
“That's one thing about Positive Behavioral Support,” LaFrance said. “We have to teach the students what we want them to do instead of just assuming that they know how we want them to behave in our classroom.”
A special-education teacher, LaFrance teaches emotionally handicapped students and tried the program out on his own students first.
“Within a week or so of teaching them how to sit in class and pay attention to a teacher and let the teacher know you're paying attention by using active listening skills ... things got better,” LaFrance said.
During their training, teachers learned that for every negative interaction with a student, there should be four positive interactions with a student.
“It's hard to always find the kids that are doing a good job and let them know they're doing a good job,” LaFrance said. “We're looking for kids doing the right thing instead of always looking for kids doing the wrong thing.”
Students are given “Lucky Horseshoes” to reinforce correct behavior. Horseshoes can be accumulated and used to buy items such as restroom passes, a chance to be first in line at lunch, even Krueger T-shirts.
“These are probably more valuable to our students than money,” counselor Karen Hartman said. “If I see a few students who are actually walking with someone who is running by them, I will give those students walking a horseshoe. I want to give them positive attention for doing the right thing.”