Q: What do I do when I find that the behavior contract is not working? It is not uncommon – especially when a behavioural contract is introduced for the first time – for the teacher and the pupil to have honest disagreements over the interpretation of his notions. In this case, the teacher will probably want to have a conference with the student to clarify the language and importance of the contract. However, students may sometimes continue to argue with the teacher about an alleged injustice in the teacher`s application of the contract, even after the teacher has attempted to clarify the terms of the contract. If the student becomes excessively antagonistic, the teacher may simply decide to suspend the contract because it does not improve the student`s behavior. Or the teacher may, on the contrary, add to the contract a behavioral objective or a penalty clause that the student does not dispute with the teacher about the conditions or the application of the contract. There may be several possible explanations for the ineffectiveness of a behavior contract: behavior contracts can be useful when the student has behavioral problems in other school locations than the classroom (for example. B art room, cafeteria). Once a behavioral contract has proven effective in the classroom, the teacher can meet with the student to extend the contractual terms of several hires. Adults at these other school sites would then be responsible for assessing the student`s behavior during the time the student is with them. The teacher meets with the student to establish a behavioral contract. (If applicable, other school staff and, possibly, the student`s parents are invited to participate.) The teacher will then meet with the student to establish a behavioral contract.
The contract should include: for example, a goal may be set in the contract, namely that a student “participates in class activities, raises his hand and is recognized by the classroom or special teacher before offering an answer or comment.” Art, gym or library teachers would then assess the student`s behavior in these extracurricular attitudes and share these assessments with the class teacher. The teacher decides which specific behaviors to choose for the behavior contract. Whenever possible, teachers should set behavioral goals for the contract in the form of positive, pro-academic, or pro-social behaviors. For example, a teacher may be concerned that a student often calls answers during class hours without first getting permission from the teacher to speak. For the contract, the teacher`s concern that the student speaks may be positive as follows: “The student will participate in the lecture and discussion, raise their hand, and be recognized by the teacher before offering a response or comment.” In many cases, the student can participate in the selection of positive goals in order to increase the child`s participation in the behavioral contract and the motivation of the behavior contract. The behavior contract is a simple positive reinforcement intervention, often used by teachers to change student behavior. The conduct contract details the expectations of students and teachers (and sometimes parents) regarding the implementation of the intervention plan and makes it a useful planning document. As the student usually enters the conditions set by the contract to earn rewards, it is more likely that the student will be motivated to comply with the terms of the conduct contract than if those conditions had been imposed by someone else.
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