The standard above describes various aspects of behavior and classroom management. The ability to manage the behavior and encourage the motivation of students in a positive manner is necessary for teachers to make sure students are safe, learning and convey acceptable social and moral attitudes (Charles, 2008). Fortunately for most teachers, transgressions are relatively mild and easy to fix with positive reinforcement (Leflot, van Lier, Onghena & Colpin, 2010). This competency was explored in great depth in CI 6314 Behavior Management. Over the course of the semester, a wide array of topics were covered, ranging from the the need for a discipline plan to various behavior theorists, to creating one's own plan. Indeed, this provides an understanding that allows one to recognize various strategies employed. 

Attached is the plan created as the culminating assignment for the course described above. Within it the desired learning environment and student behaviors are described along with ideas of how they may be achieved. The artifact is based on not one theorist or method, but a combination merged together to create something more personally suitable for the beginning educator. The goals of this particular plan focus on creating student motivation through self-guided research while fostering respect and tolerance in the classroom. While a personal discipline plan may not be in great demand as a student teacher, it provides understanding while observing and a starting point for one's own classroom, though of course it may need to be tempered with time.

References

Charles, C.M. 2008. Building Classroom Discipline (9th ed.). United States: Pearson Education, Inc.

Leflot, G., van Lier, P., Onghena, P. & Colpin, H. (August 2010). Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38(6), pp. 869-882. Retrieved from ERIC database. (EJ891253)

Part of the behavior management cycle is the ability to motivate students to positive thought and behavior. Even better is the ability to teach students to regulate themselves through self-management techniques, which cover thoughts, behavior and internal processes (Watson & Tharp, 2006). Though there are a variety of ways to accomplish this, the goals are the same for all: to promote positive and healthy outcomes, replace bad habits with good ones and use strategies to accomplish challenging tasks (Cooper, Heron & Howard, 2007). There are a number of benefits to using these methods such as the fact that it can be individualized, less invasive, and adapted to a range of situations (Rafferty, 2010).

The idea for this artifact came from a module on Vanderbilt's IRIS center, completed in CI 6364: Dysfunctional Behavior. The second module explored gave ideas for students struggling with learning or behaving properly by implementing self-directed strategies for students. The process for behavior correction is largely the same as many other methods, with the primary difference coming from the high level of involvement the student is allowed. The steps for this process begin by identifying the problem and collecting baseline data, both done by the instructor. Next, the teacher works together with the students to select replacement behaviors and criteria, as well as developing and modeling effective strategies. The student is responsible for implementing the strategies and will work with the teacher to monitor, evaluate and reward progress. Here, the primary role of the teacher is to help the student develop his own self-regulating strategies for future use in challenging situations. These come in a varity of forms including self-monitoring, self-instruction, goal setting, and self-reinforcement.

Not every situation is ideal for this method. Typically it is best for those who have difficulty on a consistent basis and are able to control the behavior. Both of these modules could potentially be very helpful to a classroom teacher or a counselor. They seem to be closely tied to behaviorism theory, as is evident by the need for modeling and reinforcement in each. The benefit to this method is that it doesn't require much if any materials (beyond time of course), and the results will be visible in student thought and behavior in areas both in and beyond the classroom for years afterwards.

http://prezi.com/bihsyxa6jrje/student-directed-strategies/?auth_key=ed42c4d9c0f3b6a9a26072b002a64b09a71789d2

References

Cooper, J., Heron, T. & Howard, W. (2007). Applied Behavior Analysis. New York: Prentice Hall.

Rafferty, L. (2010). Step-by-Step: Teaching students to self-monitor. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 43(2), pp. 50-58.

Watson, D. & Tharp, R. (2006). Self-Directed Behavior. Belmont: Wadsworth.