Creating the IDEAL Team for Positive Discipline in the School Library Setting

STUDENT BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT ESTABLISHING DISCIPLINE in the school library Janice Gilmore-See District Librarian & Learning Resources Specialist La Mesa-Spring Valley School District [email_address] Sandy Patton Teacher Librarian, National Board Certified Lakewood High School Long Beach Unified School District [email_address]

What isn’t taught in TL preparation programs … and expected of our paraprofessionals with no training? A set of activities by which WHO? the librarians, paraprofessionals, and/or visiting teachers GOAL? promote appropriate student behavior and eliminate inappropriate student behavior; CONTRAINTS? while still developing good interpersonal relationships and a positive socio-emotional climate in the library HOW? by establishing rules and procedures to maintain an effective and productive library environment. Behavior Management & Discipline

Sandy’s example ~ sharing things that work: 1. Make up a seating chart 2. Read Miss Nelson is missing (I wore a character T-Shirt with "Miss Viola Swamp is Watching You" on it) 3. Explain the system (stars, happy faces, and checks) tied to the citizenship grade on the report card.

Besides the assigned seating put in boxes for: "Miss Viola Swamp is watching you in the Library Media Center" 1. Be polite and show respect. 2. Help each other to learn. 3. Work quietly. 4. Use time wisely. 5. "Six legs on the floor." When Miss Viola Swamp is pleased: Star = Found a book quickly an is reading quietly. Happy face = Good library behavior. When Miss Viola Swamp is not amused: one check = Warning two checks = Sit down, no books. three checks= Out of the library today.

Today's Class Behavior was: Poor Good Better Best Book selection__________________________________________ Activity________________________________________________ Today's activity was_____________________________________ Students who went to see the nurse: ______________________________________________________ Students who needed to use the bathroom: 1 2 3. 4. At the top of the seating chart I wrote DAY ____________ TIME____________ Teacher____________ Room____Grade____ Feedback for the teacher

BENEFITS Just picking up the clipboard changed behavior Teacher knows that TL is on top of it by dismissal procedure Feedback to teacher so follow up can occur; ie: citizenship grade, students at the nurse or restroom Students with good behavior got recognized Activity line was important to let the teacher know what lessons had been done ~ a little PR never hurts

Challenges library vs. classroom Students may come with the baggage of their teacher’s system (or lack thereof) Limited time to train routines Becoming the babysitter - the dump and run Teachers that undermine

How, with these obstacles, can librarians … Create more of the desirable behavior Get rid of the problem behavior Have positive and caring interactions with students and teachers Be structured, organized, and efficient Create a library in which kids feel welcomed, valued, befriended, useful, challenged, respected, and physically and psychologically safe

DISCIPLINE IS enticement guidance direction positive recognition praise thanks rewards Discipline results in: change for the better motivation compliance cooperation production positive bonds

DISCIPLINE IS NOT an iron-handed approach: controlling demeaning berating punitive coercive Attempts to force compliance result in: superficial compliance alienation less motivation resistance

Discipline and the school librarian Why should school librarians care about discipline problems? Number one reason for poor evaluations Source of career-related stress Reason for leaving the profession No formal training in managing student behavior puts you at a disadvantage with classroom teachers Makes the library unpleasant to visit and discourages use

Why? Reasons why we see more misbehaviors … and things we can’t abusive/poor parenting cultural differences & racial tensions decay in family structure & values access to drugs, alcohol, and weapons brain chemistry (ADD/ADHD, OD, SED & medications) poverty pop culture (song lyrics, video games, 2.0, talk shows, exposure to sex & violence) meteorology (rain, sunspots, phases of the moon) environmental factors (chemicals, radiation, food additives, fast food, obesity, lead poisoning) my personal favorites (Elvis Impersonators, Aliens, the Devil … ) Things we can (try to) control… Boredom Irrelevance of curriculum Poor teaching

Classroom Management Strategies The Four Stages Stage 1: The Shiny New School Librarian Stage 2 : Shell Shock Stage 3 : Discipline Dictator, Master Shusher Stage 4 : The Skilled and Caring Behavior Manager, or… I give up!

Top 10 : Tenets of Student Behavior Management 10. Treat students with dignity and respect 9. Your relationship with students is long-term, but generally intermittent … teachers relationships are short-term, but deeper and consistent 8. Watch teachers that have good discipline - emulate them and ask them to mentor you

7. Be firm and consist ently enforce rules ~ beware of having pets 6. Model tolerant, patient, dignified, and respectful behavior ~ earn a reputation as even tempered and hard to rattle 5. Use the least intrusive interventions first

4. Use the school-wide character program - know it and use the same language as the rest of the school 3. Never give up on a student 2. Catch kids being good - a lot 1. Every time you resort to referring a problem to someone else - you lose the force of your authority

Effective School Librarians Maintain an upbeat, enthusiastic, and positive outlook. Express high, but realistic, expectations. You must be energetic and excited! If you dwell on the negative, you’ll find yourself in a downward spiral rather quickly. Possess a sense of humor.

The Plan Structure, structure, structure. Have a plan ready for as many situations as you can anticipate. Be ready to engage the students the minute they walk in for scheduled visits. Start visits with direct instruction: a story, book talk or lesson Have procedures in place for common individual or group “drop in” visits that are occurring simultaneously so that it doesn’t distract you. Keep extra supplies ready Follow satisfactory completion of work with a preferred activity (meaning what the student would choose); could be selecting books, using the computers, or reading quietly Poorly planned activities, routines, transitions, and groupings lead to poorly behaved students

The Plan Make rules specific and clear. The rule about rules ~ Rules must avoid being so rigid that they violate dignity or common sense, or prevent personal growth and self-regulation Some librarians make a “catch all” rule. “ Respect yourself, materials & equipment, and others while using the library.”

The Plan STEP 1: Post the Code of Conduct Safety Gentle reminder - that doesn’t look safe Honesty Gentle reminder - the truth will come out Responsibility Gentle reminder - you’re responsible for … Integrity Gentle reminder - Are you doing the right thing? Courtesy Gentle reminder - Are you showing consideration for others? Know that there is a difference between a Code of Conduct and Areas-Specific Rules

The Plan STEP 2: Set up rules specific to the library Limit yourself to 3 - 6 rules Avoid restating rules that are school wide regulations and expectations State rules in a positive manner Don’t post and forget

Sample Library Rules You must have a pass to use the library during class hours. RESPECT the books & equipment, the faculty, and each other 3. Keep the library gum free Ask for a piece of wax paper if you’d like to save it for later Keep the stacks and computer lab food and drink free Place your food or drinks on the cart next to the circulation desk or on a study table so that you may retrieve them when you exit the library

More Sample Library Rules 5. Keep it to a dull roar 6. Clean up after yourself and push in your chairs 7. Let us re-shelve the books

The Plan Rules viewed as “stupid” are the least likely to be followed. Rules without relationships lead to rebellion. Our society’s premise is that education trains people to think and understand, not to follow blindly.

The Plan STEP 3: List reasonable and appropriate consequences in sequential order. You will get a formal reminder You will be reseated You will be excluded from activity You will be asked to leave the library -------------- Over the line behavior may require immediate assignment of detention, referral to the VP, and/or contact of parent.

Sample consequence statement Consequence: Blatant disrespect will result in expulsion from the library and, in some cases, a call to your parents and/or an office referral.

The Plan Make, post, and review activity-specific rules in positive terms (do rules vs. don’t do rules). Make bathroom rules. Make behavior in the hall rules (both trips) Make using the computer rules Special facility rules (work room, behind the circulation counter, cabinets with student materials, etc.)

Sample Specific function rules Computer use: You must have your school ID to use the computers. During school hours, computers are for academic purposes ONLY. Using class time to check your personal email or play video games are not academic purposes. Leave computer settings alone.

PRINTING: If it’s your own work, it’s free. If it’s a web page or article for homework, it’s 5 cents per page. (I will check with your teacher, so save yourself some money and take notes.) If it's an article off the web that you should take notes on, it's 10 cents a page. (Just use the "email" button and send it to yourself) If it’s junk off the web, it’s 25 cents per page. Color prints are 50 cents per page. Overdue Fines Overdue fees are .01 cent per day once the three day grace period ends. The lost book fee is the cost of the book. Unpaid library fines that exceed $1.00 will restrict you to a 1 book check-out limit ~ paying your fine will remove the restriction. All library fines of $1.00 and less will be eliminated at the end of each trimester.

The Plan Devise consequences for rules violations. Consequences provide reassurance that the librarian is the protector of physical, psychological, and educational well-being. Consequences should make sense.

Sample consequences Fine options: You can pay them off in increments—Skip the Pepsi and pay a dollar toward your fine. You can work it off— Cleaning duty in the library pays $2.00 per hour in credit toward book fines. Replace the book—Purchase a replacement copy of the lost/missing book and bring it in to the librarian. Hardcover = Hardcover Paperback = Paperback or Hardcover Or Pay the fines in full.

Remember, we are the ultimate behavior manager in the library … but not the only one Self-monitoring - A student helps regulate his or her own behavior Peers choosing person to reward Peer pressure – group or class gets a reward Student helpers Teachers know their students and what works in their classrooms

Skills and Practices Teach routines Don’t expect them to “know how to behave” or read your mind Tell them the skill. Show them the skill. Actively practice the skill in a role-playing situation. Provide feedback. Teach the use of appropriate adaptive skills. Use teachable moments. You’ve been successful when routines become automatic and students naturally use replacement behaviors to solve their own problems

Skills and Practices Prepare students for the transition (don’t surprise them) Explain expectations for the transition. Students wearing green, quietly stand up, walk over put your equipment away, and go stand in front of your teacher. Use closures to ease transition back to their classrooms (don’t send students back to their teacher wound up). Minimize transitions by setting a time limit, counting down Skills and Practices - Transitions

Understand why students misbehave? Attention Anger/Revenge Power/Control Avoidance of Failure Failure to meet basic needs

Skills and Practices Recognize a skill deficit and teach the replacement behavior. Every acting-out behavior is due to a skill deficit. Always remember: They do not know better! People use the most effective tool they have. The maladaptive skill has worked repeatedly in the past and will be exhibited until it no longer works ~ and an adaptive skill is learned as a better tool The longer the maladaptive behavior has been in place, the harder it is to extinguish What is a skill deficit?

Skills and Practices Addressing anger/revenge Provide multiple outlets. Sometimes people who feel angry need a place to vent. What happens in time-out is o.k. as long as nobody gets hurt and no property is damaged. Set parameters without confining, cornering, or boxing-in. Mind individuals’ personal space. Teach personal space and boundaries. Physical: one arm’s length away. Verbal: quiet voice, acceptable language. Emotional: calm demeanor, low-expressed emotion.

Skills and Practices Make yourself available. You must be trusted and respected before relationships can develop and lasting change take place. Make a leading statement, then wait for the child to approach you. “ You seem upset about something. Let me know when you’re ready to talk about it.” “ We need to talk about what happened in class today. Think about it for a few minutes, then we’ll talk.”

Skills and Practices Addressing Need for Attention Best Practice: Reward positive behaviors. Why? Recognizing and rewarding appropriate behaviors increases the likelihood that they will occur again How? The objective is to start with tangibles, move to social rewards, and eventually to intrinsic motivation. Tangible ~ edibles, “goodies”, bookmarks Activities ~ computer time, choice of seats, first in line Social ~ smile, attention, physical proximity, verbal praise or recognition in front of peers Intrinsic ~ motivated individuals are the most successful.

Skills and Practices Need for Attention Plan to ignore. Ignore: “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” Effective ignoring extinguishes behavior that functions to seek attention. Attention sustains behavior, positive and negative. Studies show that teachers attend to negative behavior twelve times more frequently than they attend to positive behavior. Use proximity praise for youngsters near them who are doing the correct thing. Use proximity control with younger students who are avoiding work or attempting to gain something besides attention.

Skills and Practices Need for Attention Not receiving rewards can create resentment. Creates contests; pits kids against kids. Self-esteem becomes dependent on approval of others. Avoiding pitfalls: Pair material reward with social recognition. Pair material reward with verbal recognition. Ask for child’s self-evaluation. Link praise to positive actions/efforts. Express expectations for continued positive behavior. Prepare children for positive feedback.

Skills and Practices Need for Attention Address negative behavior that cannot be ignored. Attend to people exhibiting positive behavior first. Pause. State the rule. Ask for a solution. “ Take care of it.” Wait. Reinforce the positive behavior.

Skills and Practices Addressing control Choice or direction “ Do you choose to sit down at the table or on the story carpet?” “ You can work independently or with your team - your choice.” “ You can choose to check out 1 nonfiction book and 1 audiobook or 1 magazine and 1 fiction book.” Be succinct . Avoid lecturing, nagging, interrogating, moralizing.

Skills and Practices Addressing control Admit mistakes Sometimes adults are at fault. Say, “I was mistaken. I’m sorry.” Modeling positive behavior teaches children the expected behavior. Admitting mistakes gains respect.

Skills and Practices Need for Attention kills and Practices Attention is one reason children act out. An old, melted candy bar is better than no candy bar. If you’ve never had a fresh cold candy bar, you don’t know the difference. Understand extinction burst and be ready to work through it. A behavior that has been sustained with attention will increase dramatically before extinguishing, once attention has been withdrawn.

Skills and Practices Need for Attention Make the problem behavior ineffective. Make it impossible to get the old, melted candy bar. Make the problem behavior inefficient. Make the cold, fresh candy bar more attractive than the old melted one. Make the cold, fresh candy bar more accessible than the old melted one.

Skills and Practices Fear of failure Encouraging effort instead of correctness promotes positive outcomes. Persistence Learning from experiences Thinking Taking chances on challenges Support of others

Skills and Practices Addressing Fear of Failure Going to the library is a fundamentally enjoyable activity - unless you can’t read Make problem behaviors irrelevant Provide appropriate activities that preclude escape-avoid behavior Offer interesting activities that preclude inappropriate attention-seeking. Are you boring them - do they see what they are learning as irrelevant?

Skills and Practices Shape the desired behavior. Start by rewarding partial positive behavior. Reward even small steps in the right direction. Incorporate the Premack Principle. Offer more desirable activities to follow completion of less desirable activities.

Skills and Practices “ Mannequin” behavior has no lasting value. How much skill does it take to teach it to a mannequin? How much skill does it take for a mannequin to learn? How much value does the skill have if a mannequin can do it? Examples: Shut up! Stop talking! I don’t want to hear a peep out of you! Be still! Don’t you move a muscle! Stop running! Wipe that smirk off your face!

Skills and Practices “ Mannequin” behavior has no lasting value. Remind them of the behavior you want to see, not the behavior you do not want to see. “ Work on the task while seated at your table,” vs. “Do not get up from your seat.” “ Listen and follow directions,” vs. “Don’t talk.” “ Walk,” vs. “Stop running.”

Skills and Practices Offer choices. Think “win-win.” Redirect attention to a desired activity. Offer an activity that teaches or measures the same skill, but through a different activity, in a different setting, or at a different time. Everybody works harder on activities they have chosen and in which they are vested. Avoid “if-then” ultimatums; try “when-then” contingencies.

Skills and Practices Avoid power struggles. Power struggles result when children are given “win-lose” scenarios, i.e. “I win; you lose.” When a student is misbehaving, using increasingly more severe punishers as in a confrontation of wills, often leads to worsening student behavior and more animosity. Using just the negative consequence path is the dark side (don’t go there) Punishment consequences by severity: Verbal warning, LOI grade adjustment, assignment, community service, phone call, referral, parent conference (there are many others) Interrupt the chain and have a one on one conversation or try another intervention

Classroom Management Strategies Build your “rep.” Show concern for students. Converse with students outside the classroom. Use expressive and receptive humor.

Abdicating Power Once you send a student out of your room for someone else to deal with, you have abdicated power. Now the students know that you are not in charge. Now the principal knows that you are not in charge. You have lost your right to be involved in the resolution. You have no right to complain about the consequences for yourself or the student. The EXCEPTION: Certain actions are over the line and require same-day follow up to administration and documentation. Threats, sexual harassment, physical confrontation

Strategies Modify the library environment. Preferential seating close to you, but in the middle of students with good self-control Move furniture and displays Vary modalities of lessons How much time is lecture? Web quests or individualized interactivity Using overhead, SMARTboard, videos, manipulatives Allow the students to eat, drink, or chew gum responsibly.

Classroom Management Strategies Use non-verbal prompts and cues. Thumbs up OK Wink Pantomime

Library Management Strategies Provide choices and variation. Use timers for games, such as “race the clock.” Use soft background music without lyrics, such as classical music. Allow standing, walking, and changing seats as long as the child remains on task.

Good teaching Strategies Make lessons interesting. Give an overview first. Tell them what they will learn and why it is important to their lives. Intersperse activities with lecture. Use the students’ interests, strengths, hobbies, in assignments. Be enthusiastic. Use concrete objects, overheads, etc. Incorporate movement.

TRY THIS Put 100 pennies in your left pocket. Every time you make a positive remark, move a penny to the right pocket. At the end of the day, you should have 100 pennies in your right pocket. Move a penny from the right to the left for every negative remark! (If you punish students by taking away rewards earned, this will help you experience punishment from their point of view.)

Classroom Management Strategies Secret Student Tell the class you are watching the behavior of a particular student(s). Write down the name(s) on a piece of paper and hide it. At the end of the activity, reveal the name of the secret student(s). If the secret student(s) was well-behaved, they win a pre-determined award. You might “cheat” if a student who is normally not well-behaved exhibits good behavior during the observation period so that you can catch him being good.

Classroom Management Strategies Award chart Make an award chart in grid format. Some of the awards are social, some are tangible. Some are small and some are large. Cover each square with a removable sticker. Students earn the privilege of choosing squares and uncovering awards.

Classroom Management Strategies Raffle Tickets Distribute raffle tickets throughout the day for good behavior. Be generous with the tickets, being mindful of rewarding the targeted students when they are behaving well. At the end of the class/activity/day/week draw for one or several awards.

Tools Grouping Pencils Yacker Tracker Signs & Posters Noise Makers

If your horse dies, DISMOUNT! Do not: stay on the horse. switch riders. move the horse to a new location. use a stronger whip. tighten the cinch. try a new bit or bridle. say things like, “We’ve always ridden our horses this way.” model people who ride dead horses in different ways. complain about the state of horses today. blame the breeding.

Creating the IDEAL Team for Positive Discipline in the School Library Setting

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