How to transform a student’s negative behaviour into role-model leadership!

It’s not necessary that in every classroom there is a student with extreme behavioural issues. It’s not a surprise either though when there is, given the diverse range of experiences, family and cultural backgrounds that shape each child. Ever expanding social media so readily accessible and constantly seeking our attention, coupled with selective reporting of news, further sculpts these young, impressionable minds. By the time we get to shape them in the classroom, they have already developed preconceived and often misconceived ideas about life, relationships and their self-image. The difference is between the combinations of experiences a child has, which reflects in demeanour.

Outward Reactive Behaviour 

So when I meet a student who displays extreme behavioural issues, as an educator I understand that their outward reactive behaviour is a cry of help from unresolved underlying issues. These typically stem from a lack of self-esteem resulting from negative experiences that have damaged the child emotionally and socially. The disguised cries of help reflect in outward reactive behaviour as:

• Speaking during silent working time
• Not engaging in the learning activity
• Appearing to daydream and unusually quiet
• Distracting other students
• Direct bullying
• Indirect bullying
• Use of inappropriate language and comments
• Rage-filled or aggressive breakouts
• Negative self-talk
• Negative family-life talk

More Than Managing: Addressing The Cries

To help manage and address these cries, there are several strategies that educators use. Let me share a strategic tool I created in response to of one of my personal experiences teaching a year 6 class over a 2 ½ week block. It was apparent to me by the end of the 1st day that I had to address “Darren’s” behaviour if I was to spend the next two weeks engaged primarily in teaching rather than constantly offsetting his outward reactive behaviour.

You see, it was essential to do this because of how his behaviour was negatively affecting the other children’s learning and his own. Picture a day of lessons where all the students are working beautifully and on task, a great tone has been set for the day reflecting high-expectations of responsible behaviour and strong choices agreed on collectively as a class. Then, suddenly, a student blatantly distracts the student beside him, disrupts that student’s focus while sending waves of disrespect and disregard rippling through the atmosphere for other children to entertain almost every lesson. As an educator I chose not to stand helpless and flustered in this situation, but to understand that Darren needs help and I’ve got to take immediate action.

That night, I went home disturbed thinking about what Darren’s internal battles must be, disappointed with myself as a teacher for not being able to solve his problem and address his behaviour within my current capacity, and determined to come up with an empowering solution to replenish his depleted emotional and social well being. Sitting at my desk, 10pm, I open up a new word document and begin designing a tool I titled ‘My Leadership Track Record’ to help positively shape his behaviour. The model I made displayed in Figure 1.0 ‘5 Factor Behaviour Transformation Model’ is a summary of the thought process behind construction and application of this tool. The next day I presented my tool to senior management who was thrilled at my initiative and gave me the ‘green light’ I was seeking. We also agreed that after every 5 entries into the table, Darren would come to see management, and this time not to receive a ‘pink slip’ about his negative behaviour, but for a positive reason! To celebrate the strong choices he has made as a leader of his peers and a reflection of his capabilities!

Initially, Darren did not believe that I could see a leader in him, he couldn’t believe that someone could look past his reactive behaviour and recognise his inner voice crying for guidance to bring out the leader within. My continuous and consistent use of positive affirmations and verbalised belief in him began to cancel out his negative self-talk and low self-esteem. As he began to see I am genuinely invested in his well-being, that I see potential in him and define him by the strong choices he is capable of, he began to see the leader in himself. He began to seek opportunities to display his leadership qualities more and more frequently with every passing lesson and day, understanding that the reason behind his achievement was the change he brought about in his intentional decision making. It was fantastic for his class peers to also witness his graceful turn-around, a day at a time, as I also sought opportunities to spotlight his achievements in front of the whole class (contrary to always being spot-lighted for his negative choices).

Considering the words of Albert Einstein, “Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.”, so how did my tool work for Darren? Well it accentuates positive reinforcement by (in the student’s mind) associating positive self-regulation with demonstration of leadership over their actions, and through this, serving as a role model to other students. Therefore, this tool trains the student’s mind to think about their behaviour in a positive light, building their self-esteem and confidence one entry at a time. Here are a few examples of some recordings I made in the table as he demonstrated leadership:

My Leadership Track Record | Leader: Darren E

As you can tell, the successful application of this tool relies on specific and intentional choice of positive words, and identifying positive choices Darren made at every opportunity. It also involves putting a spin on negative choices by discussing a resolution and then accentuating the commitment shown to positive change. Every time a new record of progress was added, he would initial it as a symbol of acknowledging his progress and our team work.

Collaborating Together

Here is a bank of ‘leadership attribute’ positive words/phrases I frequently use in my classroom, and which I drew from to shape Darren’s positive self-esteem and that of all other children I teach. Rather than focusing on what children don’t do, I use these words to spotlight children who are showing me, and it helps other children direct their focus on the behaviour they need to display. What are some other words/phrases that you use in your classrooms to bring about behavioural change by accentuating the positive? Let’s learn from each other:

• Work productively
• Completed task
• Focused
• Committed
• Positive change
• Strong choices
• Problem Solving
• Excellent listening
• Accepting responsibility
• Understanding
• Without distracting
• Sincerely apologising
• Talking softly and calmly
• Being responsible
• Being respectful
• Sensible playing
• Socially responsible
• Engaged
• Compassionate
• Courage
• Self-respect
• Resiliency

When he took his track record sheet back to management after 5 entries, he came back with an additional sheet of paper. Here management had asked him to identify the key ‘leadership attribute’ positive words/phrases from my comments and write a list. This further reinforced his accomplishment. Then I took inspiration from that paper and created an additional tick-sheet table the following night, listing the key words from the track record sheet. He was so enthused by his reinvention, that on his own initiative he set a personal goal of how many ‘leadership attribute’ positive words/phrases’ he wanted to have ticked each day, which we collected from the comments. If new words were we used, there were black cells I left to add them into the tick sheet. Did you pick up on how management and I ended up growing this tool into something even stronger, by collaborating? Well guess what number he set for himself? Not 3, not 5 and not even 8, but 10 attributes! During the day, I would then use this motivation to shape his behaviour, reminding him to make strong choices and asserting him as a leader, so we could reach the goal of 10 consistently.

Implementing this tool over my 2 ½ week block in the class meant that the Darren I met on the 1st day who thrived on the attention brought by his rebellious choices, had changed and grown into a stronger self-regulating Darren who strives to make good choices as a display of leadership to himself and his peers. The most rewarding part of this entire experience was seeing him make real progress reflected in his changed behaviour by the time I left on the last day.

Adults Thrive On Positive Reinforcement Too

The bonus was the sincere appreciation that the Principal and Deputy Principal of the school showered on me throughout at the school for my initiative, effort and the progress we were able to make on Darren together as a team. What I especially appreciated about the senior management, was how they truly recognised the value I brought into the team, collaborated with me through mutual respect and made my efforts seen.

The Principal personally came to thank me, what an honour. I was more grateful for the opportunity to be creative in my teaching practice and redefine what a CRT can actually achieve (something I always strive to demonstrate!), where I teach each class as if I am actually their homeroom teacher (not just a guest teacher of a day or 2). As a CRT, I put my heart and soul into every class I teach, regardless of whether a school’s management sees this or not, and many times, management may not approach you even once no matter how much you have invested into the school out of sheer duty of care as a teacher and outside of paid hours. However when management does recognise this, it really does give you an invaluable energy boost which you take back into the classroom humbled to produce even better results. Accentuating the positive and positive reinforcement applies to all individuals, both children and adults thrive on it!

Just when I thought I could not be more humbled, 3 weeks later my consultant Lachlan Cahir gives me a call to inform me the school has given them excellent feedback regarding this achievement. He explained that the school will now continue to implement this tool in my absence with the homeroom teacher, and if I could write a blog piece for ANZUK sharing my experience to inspire other educators. I was honoured to, and hope you can take back something positive from this article into your classroom and be the catalyst for positive change in your students!