Assignment5-1-4




	ESE502 : The Class : Behavior Management : Assignment5-1-4

Strategies for Strengthening Behaviors

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Objective Four: Identify and explain six or more strategies for strengthening behaviors.

Reinforcement, by definition, is anything that strengths behaviors. There are many strategies that increase target behaviors. When corporeal punishment was first removed from schools, teachers found it challenging to regain a sense of power in the classroom. Most of us were raised with a strong influence from punishment. Punishment is actually a defensive position, and weaker as well as less effective than reinforcers.

Ever get behind in a chess game or sports contest? Once a person becomes anxious or feels like things are not going well, he or she tends to become defensive. In contests, that's usually the beginning of the end. Is that true in classrooms as well? When things are going well, are we more likely to be positive, to reinforce the behaviors we like? And is the reverse true? When things become raucous or students seem out of control, do we reach for punitive or defensive behaviors?

Punishment does not increase the behaviors we want, and it does not teach new, better responses. Punishment feel powerful when we are angry, but each time we use punishment, we lose good will, lessen student motivation and make it more difficult to establish a relationship with students. Punishment takes away student initiative and desire to learn, too. It is actually a losing strategy. In our frustration, and with the adrenalin surge we get from striking out, we sometimes feel like it is more powerful than reinforcements and rewards, but this isn't really the case.

This is an excellent time to increase the reinforcers in your teaching repertoire. The Malott text gives some great examples of reinforcement strategies.

SUGGESTED READINGS
pp. 17-21; 35-9; 82-3; 109-20; 130-9; 208-11; 220-23;

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES

Review page 48.
Answer questions 1 and 2 on page 171.
Write at least six strategies for increasing behaviors.

SUGGESTED EVALUATION
Develop a tree diagram of basic behavior contingencies (Example on p. 83).

RUBRIC for activities:
Both questions on page 171 are answered and at least six strategies are named, with examples of how they contribute to classroom management tools.

RUBRIC for evaluation:
A chart is developed, showing a relationship among contingencies for effectively increasing targeted student behaviors.

E-mail J'Anne Ellsworth at jet@sedona.net