I had an experience in late September that had unexpected collateral benefits regarding the teaching and reinforcing of choice-and-consequence match-ups. I was trying to get one of my eighth grade science students (I will call him Heathcliff) to stay on task, do his assigned individual work and quit talking in such a way to attract attention from his peers and negative attention from me. I have tried the positive to negative ratio with Heathcliff, but he rarely does a positive long enough for me to say anything about it. He has stated to me, and to his counselor, that he wants to be at another school, but his mom does not want to drive him there, so he is trying to get expelled so she will not have a choice. We have discussed this with his mother but she is in denial about it because, of course, he plays the school-is-at-fault game with her.
Heathcliff has developed a pattern of misbehavior, trying to get others to join him in off-task and disrespectful behavior, with me and at least two other teachers with whom I have discussed possible strategies. Particularly influenced by him was another student in the class (whom I will call Johnny).
On the day in question, Heathcliff was doing the usual pattern of writing graffiti about me on his desk instead of processing his science lab report, calling it to the attention of Johnny, then laughing about it. I walked around the classroom, giving praise where warranted and answering some critical thinking questions randomly asked by the students. When I got to Heathcliff and Johnny, I asked Heathcliff to move to an adjacent work table and redirected Johnny to do his lab report, which he did. Heathcliff, however, took that opportunity to lean back in his chair almost to the point of falling over, throw his book loudly on the table and ask loudly enough for the next classroom to hear, “Why do I have to learn this stuff anyway?” This was peppered with and followed by some inappropriate language I will not include here. Since Heathcliff and I have already had the discussion about why we need to learn all the different subjects, national state and local laws, etc, and he had already been through all the warning, calling home, attempts at redirection, going outside for five minutes to think about it, discussing his choices and consequences, etc, I stepped just outside the classroom door with him and reminded him that his negative behavior would have to have negative consequences. His reply is unprintable here. We walked back inside and I ignored him while I wrote an office referral and gathered work for him to do in the office and at home. After he left the classroom (loudly) Johnny asked why I was “picking on” Heathcliff. I asked Johnny if Heathcliff had made a negative choice. When he replied yes, I asked him if Heathcliff had gotten the consequence that matched the choice. He thought about it, looked at the chart, then he said yes. Then, the collateral benefit happened: Johnny”s face lit up and he asked if it would be possible for him to be moved to a different table, maybe across the room from Heathcliff, because “I do not always make positive choices when I sit near him.” I smiled while my heart did cartwheels … someone was getting it and making choices that would have a positive impact on their education, their life, and the educational process in our classroom! It was like watching the horse”s ear turn, or one of the other signals…..
Afterward: Heathcliff is still making negative choices because his goal is the negative consequence. Johnny, however, and several other members of that class period, have turned around quite literally in behavior and have joined those of us who are trying to get somewhere and pursue our short-term and long-term goals!
My fourth graders have also been learning that negative choices equal negative consequences and positive choices equal positive consequences. Adults could dispute direct, provable, external results. A simplified example: smiling at someone and that person gruffly passing by without making a positive response back. The internal feelings of the positive gesture are the result of the positive thought extended, despite the chosen behavior of the other person. This is being responsible for your own choices.
Sue Chisam is an educator at Oak Hill Middle School. Reprinted from the Oct. 20, 2006 edition of Konocti And Monty Roberts Educational Exchange (KARE).
