Scenario 1 04/10/2017 What is self-regulation, anyway? Comes in - PDF document

04/10/2017 Formerly Calgary Learning Centre When it’s Tough to Make Friends: Self-Regulation Strategies that Work Presenters: Larissa Predy, M.A., Registered Psychologist Jaime Gaber, M.Sc., Provisional Psychologist Alethea Heudes, M.Ed, Doctoral Student Scenario 1

04/10/2017 What is self-regulation, anyway? • Comes in different forms • The ability to control and direct one's own feelings, thoughts and actions. • Developmental in nature (just like learning to walk, talk, and read) • Can develop with practice and be taught in the classroom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7FSYKcF1pc Self-Regulation by age and stage  The frontal lobes undergo two periods of rapid growth: o one during infancy o another from about 4 to 7 years  Emotional awareness  Metacognition  Introspection 2

04/10/2017 Why Focus on Pro-Social Behaviour in the Classroom? What is Pro-Social Behaviour?  Helping others  Obeying rules  Conforming to socially acceptable behaviour  Cooperating with others  Self-belief and confidence  Environment of safety for taking risks Social Emotional Impact on Learning Findings from studies of children participating in social-emotional programs:  Improved academic performance – test and grade scores (11% gain)  Students are more likely to attend school  Students feel more connected to their schools 3

04/10/2017 Social Emotional Impact on Learning Findings from studies of children participating in social-emotional programs:  Reduced conduct problems and high – risk behaviors  Enhanced social/emotional skills  Improved attitudes towards self and others  Enhanced positive behaviors What We Teach EXPAND EMOTIONAL VOCABULARY TEACH EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED 4

04/10/2017 What We Teach TEACH COPING STRATEGIES POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Expanding Emotional Vocabulary Give children a vocabulary to describe their feelings Teach children to use a framework to categorize how they're feeling The Zones of Regulation 5

04/10/2017 Expected and Unexpected Behaviour Build self-awareness and knowledge of social expectations Examples 6

04/10/2017 More Examples Coping Strategies Changing unhelpful thoughts to helpful thoughts Calm-down cards/cool down kits Relaxation Using I messages to communicate feelings 7

04/10/2017 Positive Reinforcement Sheldon Trains Penny using Operant Conditioning (Positive Reinforcement) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy_mIEnnlF4 Positive Reinforcement  Positive Peer Reporting  If students can learn to report problem behaviors of their peers, they can also be taught to monitor and report instances of prosocial or appropriate behaviors from peers.  How it works: Children are told they will have the opportunity to earn reinforcement (e.g., tokens) for noticing and reporting a peer’s positive behavior .  Procedures ◦ A target student is randomly selected as “Star of the Week” ◦ During a specified time of day a group meeting is held where children are given an opportunity to report aloud any positive behaviors they observed from the star student that day. ◦ Each child that reports a positive behavior earns a reinforcer (e.g., school-wide token). 8

04/10/2017 Positive Reinforcement  TOOTLING!  During Positive Peer Reporting (PPR) students focus their attention on the positive behaviors of one selected student .  In contrast, Tootling provides an opportunity for the entire class to report on positive behaviors of any student in the group.  Description:  Tootling is like tattling in that students report the behavior of another child.  However, tootles can only report instances of desired/appropriate behavior (e.g., positive behaviour expectations).  Procedures:  Teacher introduces and defines tootling.  Provides instruction for how to tootle & sets a tootling goal.  Students record “tootles” using an index card that is taped to their desk.  At the end of the day the cards are turned in to the teacher.  The next day the teacher reports out on the number of tootles recorded. Positive Reinforcement  The Positive Behaviour Game  The positive behaviour game is played throughout the day and rewards children for displaying appropriate behaviours toward peers.  Points are earned by all students and add up to a classwide reward when a specified goal is reached.  Students DO NOT lose rewards that have been earned (this is where consequences come in, but they are kept separate from the game) 9

04/10/2017 Positive Reinforcement  Consequences for problem behaviour  If students have the skills , know the expectations , and are motivated to perform the appropriate behaviour , a problem behaviour may have a specified and expected consequence (e.g., hitting results in a loss of privilege).  Be careful! We must consider the function of the behaviour  For example, imagine a child who throws his pencil during desk work time – you consequence by removing the child from the classroom, or requiring that student to clean up a bigger mess – BUT, did that just serve the purpose of the behaviour? Did that child want to avoid the desk work? Is the behaviour a function of something else? The more clearly you teach the expected behaviours, the easier it will be to reinforce the positives and consequence the negatives 10