Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)

PBIS provides a framework for improving student academic and behavior outcomes.  PBIS is not a curriculum, rather, it is a decision making framework and structure to address the behavior and expectations of all students across all settings throughout the school.  The intent is to teach appropriate behaviors and provide necessary support(s) to sustain those behaviors.  PBIS helps us create a positive and safe environment for both students and staff.  

PBIS is a proactive approach.  By establishing regular, predictable, positive learning and teaching environments we can prevent and minimize negative behaviors.  Teachers and staff teach, model, and practice the behavior expectations throughout the year with students.

PBIS includes the use of positive reinforcement, which increases the likelihood that the desired/expected behavior will be repeated and become a habit.  When appropriate behaviors have been identified and taught, they should be acknowledged on a regular basis. All staff at RES are able to acknowledge student’s positive behavior throughout the school day and throughout the school building.

Most importantly, teaching students to behave in a way that will allow them to develop relationships with other people is an important life and social skill.  Positive teacher-student relationships support students’ adjustment to school, contribute to social skills, promote academic performance, and fosters students resiliency.

We cannot expect students to know appropriate social and behavior skills without explicit instruction. It is important that we teach our students what type of behavior is expected while they are at school. We cannot assume they know how to behave in a school setting. Students may not have seen appropriate school behavior in years past. Students may have different standards of behavior at home than we expect from them at school. Every teacher must accept the responsibility of explicitly teaching students how to behave properly in all of the school settings.

All staff with follow the six components of PBIS philosophy: 

1. Define expectations and routines

2. Teach and Reteach behaviors and routines directly in all settings 

3. Actively supervise/monitor behavior 

4. Acknowledge appropriate behavior 

5. Correct/reteach behaviors when needed 

Teaching Behavior Expectations

Plan to teach the school wide expectations and procedures over the first two-three weeks of school. Lessons will need to be repeated a few times initially and reinforced strongly at the beginning of the year.  Plan to teach “booster” lessons throughout the school year. If a lot of problems arise in a certain situation, re-teach the expectations. Having a new student enter the class is also a perfect time for a “refresher” course. 

• What do you mean by “teach” the expectations? I always go over the class rules.

This is a little different. By “teach,” we mean show, as in model, demonstrate, or role-play. Have the students then actually get up and practice exactly what you have shown them to do. Have fun with it! Give them feed-back on how they did. Lastly, praise them for their effort (and reward).  Repeat this process as often as it takes for students to learn the behaviors. The idea is to teach behavior the same way we teach academics. We know how important practice is for mastery of learning. 

• How much time am I supposed to commit to this?

Keep the lessons brief. 10-20 minutes per lesson. 

• How do I fit this in with everything else?

Accompany your students to the different areas of the school described on the matrix and plan to conduct brief lessons. Consider it an investment during the first part of the year that will pay off with more orderly behavior thereafter. 

Positive Reinforcement/Acknowledgement

Owl Bucks: 

At the beginning of the year these should be generously passed out. By doing this you are building up the students and also building a rapport with them. This year students will hang on to their bucks and be able to cash them in for a prize. Prizes will be marked with different values in the office. Coordinate with the office to have a student spend their bucks. Please have a spot in your classroom for students to keep their bucks. 

• Hand these out to students for various reasons. For example a student who struggles behaving, if you see them doing well then reward them with a buck. 

• For consistency only hand out 1 buck at a time. If more bucks are handed out then they lose their value and we have an over inflation of them. 

Positive Office Referrals:

Please hand these out to students who do an above and beyond act of kindness. Yes, we are handing out Owl Bucks for students who are caught doing great things, but this referral is for students whose deed needs more recognition than just a buck. Fill the form out and bring it to the office or email it to Mrs. Mongeau. We will meet with that student, congratulate them on a job well done, make a positive call home, and give them a reward for their deed. 

Student of the Month:

For Student of the Month, The Google Form will be linked in the weekly bulletin for teachers to access when they are ready to nominate their student. Only nominate 1 student per month, please.  Due dates will also be listed in the weekly bulletin, please let administration know if you need an extension.  For this program we are looking for students who have good attendance, awesome effort and participation in the classroom, assignments completed on time, and behavior is amazing throughout the entire school day. The students for this program don’t have to be straight A students, what matters is that they are working hard and giving their 100% best effort on a daily basis.  At the beginning of the following month, the winning student from each grade level will be recognized with a reward. 

Positive Communication Log: 

Positive parent communication is crucial in building a positive relationship with each family. Positive parent communication goes a long way in building a positive relationship with the home and school. The first phone call can be used to answer any questions the parents may have and to clear up any misconceptions. The more positive you are with a family, the more apt they are to help you out when their child is misbehaving. A log must be turned into the office every month. Keep these logs electronically and share them with administration at the end of every month. A communication log for all students must be kept this year, not just for positive contacts. 

Chester: 

Chester will have his own sign up sheet where you can sign up to have him in your classroom. He is meant for positive reasons, but will also be utilized to calm students.

To start the year, every classroom must have an assembly to review/go over the student expectations of Chester. Please see the steps needed to complete first below. 

1. Teachers must also be trained prior to Chester staying in a room. 

2. Teachers will get trained by Becky Brooks on proper handling, commands, and requirements of Chester.

3. Teachers will then show the powerpoint to their class and indicate in curriculum works day and time lesson was taught.   They will also sign off on this and turn into administration. 

4. After this, teachers can sign up for him. Only sign up to have him in your class no more than once a week. His visits can be 30-60 minutes in length.  If you need a bed for your room, please let the office know. 

Sensory Path: 

The sensory/movement path is by the loading dock hallway. There are 2 paths so 2 students could go at once. Go through the path with your students as a whole class. There is a time for you to do this on the behavior expectations calendar. Teachers can take classes down there as a whole group. There will be a sign out for your whole class time to ensure that classes are not waiting for each other.    

Caught Being Kind Tickets- Be Kind Fridays: 

We are going to continue with the Be Kind campaign this year. This had a positive impact on the building. In the PBIS folder are Caught Being Kind tickets that we will utilize again. We will have a Kindness Fridays once a month. It will be the 2nd Friday of each month: 9/13/24, 10/11/24, 11/08/24, 12/13/24, 1/10/25, 2/14/25, 3/4/25, 4/11/25, and 5/9/24. Encourage your students to wear the Be Kind colors of pink/blue on these days. Then be intentional on handing out the Caught Being Kind tickets to students on these Be Kind days to reinforce the kindness message. 

Reward Day: 

We are planning to have another NWEA/MSTEP reward day at the end of the year.  Expectations and rubrics will need to be turned in to administration and communicated with parents before the start of the NWEA/MSTEP testing window.  

Lesson: Classroom Expectations

Area: Classroom

Time: 15-20 Minutes, repeated daily first week and after major breaks of schooling.

Materials: None

Respectful

• Use kind words and actions

• Wait silently

• Take care of materials

• Follow directions

Responsible

• Follow directions the first time

• Give your best effort

• Be prepared for class

Safe

• Keep hands to yourself

• Use peaceful solutions

Objective: Students will engage in a positive and safe atmosphere.

Discuss and Model Negative Behaviors:

• Not listening or following directions of the teacher

• Not coming to class prepared

• Touching and hitting others

• Not putting items back where they belong

• Throwing trash on the floor

Discuss and Model Positive Examples:

• Listen to the teacher and follow directions

• Come to class prepared

• Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself

• Keep classroom neat and clean

• Use appropriate language and kind words

Practice the positive behaviors

Check for understanding

Lesson: Lunchroom Expectations

Area: Lunchroom

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials: Silverware, tray, milk, napkin, condiments, and lunch tables

Respectful

• Follow directions

• Use quiet voices

• Use good manners

Responsible

• Keep food and drink at table

• Clean up your own table and floor area

Safe

• Follow line procedure

• Keep hands and feet to self

• Keep legs under the table when sitting

Objective: Students will experience a positive social culture in their eating environment.

Discuss and Model Negative Behaviors:

• Leaving a mess

• Running

• Throwing food/other items

• Not listening to lunch supervisors

Discuss and Model Positive Examples:

• Follow correct traffic flow

• Use good table manners

• Keep noise level down

• Clean your area before leaving

• Throw trash in the garbage

Practice the positive behaviors

Check for understanding

Lesson: Bus Expectations

Area: Bus

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials: None

Respectful

• Use quiet voices

• Follow directions from driver

Responsible

• Keep the bus clean

• Keep all your things with YOU

Safe

• Remain seated until bus comes to stop

• Silent at railroads

Objective: Students will engage in a positive and safe atmosphere while riding the bus.

Discuss and Model Negative Behaviors:

• Talking too loudly

• Destruction of bus and property

• Moving around/changing seats

• Standing up

• Putting hands and other objects outside the window

• Being messy/littering

Discuss and Model Positive Examples:

• Listen to bus driver and follow directions and rules

• Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself

• Use appropriate language

• Remain seated at all times

• Keep noise level down

• Wait your turn to load and unload the bus in a prompt and orderly manner

Practice the positive behaviors

Check for understanding

Lesson: Hallway Expectations

Area: Hallway

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials: None

Respectful

• Walk quietly

• Walk down right side

Responsible

• Get to where you need to go on time

• Pick up litter when you see it

Safe

• Follow hallway procedures

• Keep hands, feet, objects to yourself

Objective: Students will be able to walk through the hallways safely without disturbing other students.

Discuss and Model Negative Behaviors:

• Walking side by side

• Touching the person in front of you

• Turning around 

• Using a loud voice

Discuss and Model Positive Examples:

• Walk quietly on the right side

• Face forward

• Stay in a straight line

• Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself

• Pick up litter that you see

Practice the positive behaviors

Check for understanding

Lesson: Playground Expectations

Area: Playground

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials: None

Respectful

• Follow adult directions

• Use kind words and actions

Responsible

• Put equipment away

• Follow procedures

• Report problems to adults

Safe

• Take turns

• Use equipment properly

• Keep hands and feet to yourself

Objective: Students will engage in a positive and safe atmosphere while on the playground.

Discuss and Model Negative Behaviors:

• Standing or twisting on swings

• Going up the slide in the wrong direction

• Being unkind to others

• Not lining up when signal is given

• Rough play with others

Discuss and Model Positive Examples:

• Play together safely

• Keep playground clean

• Stay in the assigned area

• Watch and listen for teachers’ signal

• Line up right away

Practice the positive behaviors

Check for understanding

Lesson: Restroom Expectations

Area: Restroom

Time: 15-20 Minutes

Materials: None

Respectful

• Clean up after yourself

• Respect others privacy

• Quiet voices

Responsible

• Flush the toilet

• Paper towels in wastebasket

• Tell an adult if there is writing on wall or something is broken

Safe

• Wash hands with soap

• 1 pump, 1 pull, or 1 push

• Get in and out quickly

Objective: Students will use the Restroom appropriately.

Discuss and Model Negative Behaviors:

• Standing in a group to get into restroom

• Leaving paper towels in the sink

• Yelling in the restroom

• Throwing paper towels on the floor

• Horseplay with others

Discuss and Model Positive Examples:

• Use good restroom manners

• Go 

• Flush the toilet

• Wash your hands

• Dispose of paper towels in the garbage can

• Leave 

Practice the positive behaviors

Check for understanding

Correction Guidelines

Adult behavior when providing corrections is:

• Calm

• Consistent

• Brief

• Immediate

• Respectful

The continuum of strategies to respond to inappropriate behavior:

Specific student conference procedures:

1. Positive, private, using quiet voice

2. Describe the problem

3. Describe the alternative (what the student should do instead)

4. Tell why alternative is better

5. Practice (student should tell and/or show)

6. Provide feedback

Active supervision is a monitoring procedure that uses three components: moving, scanning, and interacting frequently.

Moving Effectively

• Constant

• Make presence known and obvious

• Proximity to all students

• More frequent proximity to students requiring extra support

• Randomized

• Targets problem areas

Scanning Effectively

• All students observed on a regular basis

• Make eye contact with students in more distant locations of the room

• Look and listen for signs of a problem

Interacting Frequently

• Positive contacts

• Friendly, helpful, open demeanor

• Proactive, noncontingent

• High rate of delivery

• Positive reinforcement

Active supervision is the general set of strategies used to promote prosocial behavior in non classroom settings, that is, where instruction is not available to engage students and facilitate classroom management.

Active supervision is characterized by four main strategies:

1. Directly teach expected behaviors and routines for specific non classroom settings.

2. Precorrect, remind, and prompt expected behavior and routine before and as entering non classroom setting.

3. Actively supervise by continuously moving, scanning the area, and interacting with as many different students as possible.

4. Provide specific acknowledgements and contextually appropriate positive reinforcement for displays of expected behavior and routines. 

Expectations will be posted in all areas of the building on large posters (classroom, lunchroom, restroom, bus, hallway, recess, office).

Every teacher will have copies of small posters for teaching all areas.

Office Expectations: Sara and Courtney will address students of expected office behavior.