Jess Livornese’s

Classroom Management Plan

 Table of Contents

Philosophy of Teaching/Classroom Management and Mission Statement…...…………………………………2

Tier 1: Preventative Measures……………………………………………………………………………………….9

Tier 2: Corrective Procedures……………………………………………………………………………………….36

Tier 3: Supportive Procedures ……………………………………………………………………………………...42

References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….57

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 Philosophy of Teaching and Classroom Management & Mission Statement

“Pass on what you have learned. Strength. Mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of
all. The greatest teacher, failure is. Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all
masters.” – Yoda, Star Wars: The Last Jedi
My current and past experiences working with children and families have enabled me to construct

a strong sense of values and emphases for education, and these have in turn allowed me to determine a

mission statement and philosophy by which I abide. I believe that the purpose of education is to promote

autonomy and problem-solving skills in my students, providing them with tools they need in order to

develop lifelong learning strategies and a sense of personal and social responsibility. Lastly, I feel that it is

very important to understand the individual differences amongst my students and teach my students to

acknowledge and appreciate those differences. After much investigation, I have found my educational

philosophy to be very student-centered and is constructed by progressive, authoritative, and Vygotskian

beliefs. With this philosophy in mind, my mission statement for my classroom is: Every student should strive

to reach their greatest potential in terms of education and character. As a class, we are caring,

understanding, and determined. We take risks and learn from our mistakes. We are always growing and

learning, even when it might not feel like we are. Our intelligence is not fixed, and we can change it every

day. Finally, we are always working toward the best version of ourselves that we can be.

As an early child educator, I find that young children come into this world much like a sponge,

ready and eager to absorb any knowledge and information they encounter. In my experiences, children

learn best when they are guided by instructors in effective and intriguing, yet challenging ways. Therefore,

the teacher I am constantly aspiring to be is one who fosters a love of learning. As a teacher, I want to

provide my students with a learning environment in which they feel encouraged to take risks and learn from

all experiences in the classroom. Further, I am committed to ensuring that my students can achieve their

full potential by providing them with challenging yet achievable tasks and goals. Finally, as a teacher I want

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to ensure that my students are able to develop supportive and trusting relationships with one another –

relationships that are founded on respect for and love toward each other’s differences.

The term ‘classroom management,’ to me, refers to the techniques, skills, and strategies that

teachers use in order to ensure that students are best able to learn. There are many critical components of

classroom management. One essential component includes careful planning for instructional tasks and

delivery of instruction, as well as planned preventative and corrective strategies. Planning these

components ahead of time allows teachers to have a pre-determined course of action to follow and adapt

based on student/class-wide needs throughout the school day.

An additional component of classroom management is dedication to structuring the classroom as a

place where students feel comfortable, safe, and loved. In practice, this classroom is a space where

students feel comfortable taking risks, expressing their true selves. In this environment, students can make

mistakes and fail with grace and a positive attitude, while using these mistakes and missteps as a learning

opportunity. Teachers can achieve this type of environment by fostering a growth mindset amongst

students. As Carol Dweck describes, and growth mindset is one where students believe that their

intelligence is not fixed; rather, it is a fluid and ever-changing part of themselves. Students with a growth-

mindset believe that they can get smarter by working out their “brain muscle,” and understand that effort

makes them stronger students. In order to achieve a growth-mindset amongst students, teachers should

provide genuine praise for effort and hard work rather than simply telling students that they are smart.

To ensure the best classroom management practices are effectively planned and implemented,

teachers must know each student following a “whole child” approach. This means that the teacher is aware

of each student’s personal, social, emotional, and academic background and needs, as well as an

awareness and appreciation for the diverse cultural and learning background they bring to the classroom.

Further, teachers should encourage this same understanding amongst their students, promoting a sense of

sincere appreciation for their peers’ differences and diversity.

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 The physical layout of the classroom should encourage ease of movement and minimize crowding.

Areas or centers should be clearly defined using visual or structural cues for students, and each learning

environment should have a clear function and purpose. Furniture and seating in the classroom should be

flexible and should be organized in a way that promotes student focus on the teacher while also allowing

for collaboration amongst students. Classroom materials should be developmentally appropriate and clearly

labeled using written and visual markers. A daily schedule of activities for each day should be posted, and

the overall structure of the school day should be consistent and predictable from day to day. This schedule

should be visible to all students and feature a combination of visuals and written descriptors for each

activity/task for the day. If possible, teachers should try to provide a week-long schedule so students can

think about their long-term learning.

Like daily schedules, classroom rules, norms, and procedures should be posted where all students

can view them in the classroom. Classroom rules refer to the expectations set by the teacher for classroom

efficiency and safety, and can include statements such as “we use walking feet in the classroom,” “one

person speaks or responds at a time,” and “we use indoor voices in the classroom.” Classroom norms refer

to an agreement amongst community members – in this case, students and teachers – about how they

want to be treated and how they will treat others. Examples of classroom norms should include statements

such as “we will communicate with each other in a positive and kind way,” “we believe everyone can

succeed and grow,” “we will respect and appreciate one another,” “we will help each other,” and “we will

solve problems fairly by working together.” Norms should be set collaboratively with students, and the list of

classroom norms should be revisited frequently through class-wide brainstorming sessions in order to add

to or make amendments to the list, based on student and community needs.

Finally, behavior management techniques should be utilized with grace and poise in order to

ensure optimal classroom management. Using reinforcement and shaping techniques outlined by Skinner,

teachers can help to promote positive, prosocial behavior amongst students while decreasing challenging
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or disruptive behaviors. Providing consistent and genuine praise and reinforcement for positive and

prosocial behaviors not only encourages students to continue engaging in this positive behavior but also

minimizes the amount of time they can spend engaging in challenging behaviors. Further, token charts can

be used with students for whom this is developmentally appropriate. Schedules of reinforcement should be

tailored to each student’s learning and behavioral needs, as well as their developmental level.

I have found my management and teaching practices to align with an authoritative style. I find that

by placing limits and controls on students while simultaneously encouraging independence helps to

promote the best learning environment for my students. I often explain the reasoning behind my decisions,

classroom rules and norms, and expectations. As an authoritative teacher, I am not afraid to dole out

reprimands or discipline measures. However, I will only do so after careful considerations of circumstances,

and I am sure to explain to students why I am doing so and how their decisions affect their own learning

and the learning of others. I am sure to express genuine affection, interest, and concern for my students,

and often use check-in strategies with students to determine how they are feeling when they enter/exit the

classroom and/or are engaging in learning activities throughout the day. I use genuine praise for students’

efforts rather than for correct answers, helping to encourage a growth-mindset and positive attitude toward

learning and mistakes amongst my students.

Further, I do not feel that students should only be exposed to activities and learning experiences

they enjoy or thrive in. I feel that it is important to challenge the child at a developmentally appropriate level

and provide them with the foundation to explore new areas of life and education. While I believe that

ultimately, each student will determine his/her own pace and direction of learning, I feel that teachers must

be flexible yet challenging. Without exposing the child to various experiences for learning, it is impossible

for the student to truly understand what he/she connects with, enjoys, and benefits from most. If teachers

effectively present students with various opportunities and mediums of learning, it will better allow the

student to find a sense of self. A better understanding of the self, in turn, allows students to develop better
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learning habits and increased self-sufficiency, autonomy, and self-confidence. I find that students will get

the most out of the educational experience when they are self-directed and intrinsically motivated. Allowing

the student to choose their own unique means of expression while actively engaging with their environment

allows them not only to better communicate their interests, struggles, and educational preferences, it also

allows them to challenge themselves in ways that are personally effective and fun.

I believe an effective educator is one who is student-centered and am a strong believer in

Vygotskian theory. Effective teachers are willing to present challenging yet engaging experiences for the

students and allow each student to examine and engage in activities that they prefer, while also

encouraging them to explore learning experiences that are not preferable or easy for them. The role of the

teacher is to guide and integrate learning activities so that students can derive meaning from them, and

subsequently determine which of those activities each student relates to the most. It is also important to

understand each child individually, and honestly appreciate their individuality and unique learning

experiences. Teachers should provide a rich, open environment for students to explore and derive

individual meaning from. While providing a rich and engaging variety of learning activities around the

classroom, teachers should act as guides and facilitators of learning. This can be achieved by engaging in

activates alongside students and being eager to guide the students in answering any questions they might

have. Teachers should have a good understanding of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) to best

demonstrate these practices. Further, learning environments should constantly be infused with

socioemotional learning and development opportunities. Constant attention must be paid to the

development of executive functioning, emotion recognition and regulation, and prosocial peer relationships.

The best way to achieve this is to provide a safe and warm environment for children to experience both

success and failure. A foundation of emphasis on the socioemotional development of all students in the

classrooms ensures that they are prepared to learn, grow, and flourish. This foundation of socioemotional

development can be achieved through consistency, consideration, and care. Further, students should be
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provided with scaffolding in order to develop appropriate self-regulation skills, as outlined by Coloroso and

others, as well scaffolding to foster social learning, prosocial behaviors, and socioemotional development,

as outlined by Bandura, Vygotsky, and others.

A positive learning environment is one that is rich and engaging. It provides a multitude of learning

activities and opportunities for the child to explore. There are opportunities for cooperative and independent

learning experiences, and students are encouraged to explore both paths. There are various problem-

solving stations where students can explore open-ended questions and perform experimentation.

Individualized instruction is provided in various facets of the educational experiences, and teachers

understand and appreciate individual differences. Students should have plethora of opportunities to "learn

by doing," meaning activities are set up in which students can explore and investigate both

independently and cooperatively with peers, not based solely on the explanations of the teacher. Allowing

the students to evaluate their own performances and explore their own questions in a free, stimulating, and

open environment is imperative.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an excellent education model for meeting the needs of

diverse needs and learning styles of all students, and one that I abide by in my own teaching and

management practices. UDL is a “set of principles for curriculum development that gives all individuals

equal opportunities to learn” (Rose, 2010). This approach places an emphasis on providing multiple means

of representation, action/expression, and engagement in order to activate the recognition, strategic, and

affective networks of the brain for optimal learning. By utilizing the UDL, teachers can structure their

learning environment and curriculum in order to scaffold and meet the needs of each student, all while

providing engaging and powerful materials and resources. UDL positions teachers to understand the brain

systems which are most integral to learning, thus facilitating a teacher’s ability to adequately determine the

best ways for each student to learn. Too often, curricular and management strategies are inflexible, stifling

potential as students who do not understand what is being taught or what their expectations are end up left
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in the margins and fail to reach their greatest potential. With the infusion of UDL in the classroom, students

will reap the benefits of truly meaningful teaching, and each student will be given an equitable opportunity

to reach his/her highest potential. One valuable resource teachers can use in their UDL curricula is

technology. Technology from companies such as Dell, SMARTboard, Apple, and the Android Market have

begun to demonstrate their commitment to the UDL framework, creating apps and programs that help

integrate technology into the classroom to optimize and diversify learning for all students. As such, I try to

use technology in a variety of functional ways within my classroom.

With these priorities and my classroom philosophy in mind, my classroom motto is an acronym for

the word GROW. This stands for:

G – Grow your brain muscles

R – Respect one another

O – Own your learning

W – Work hard

Ultimately, I feel that the early childhood learning experience is all about fostering a passion and

love for learning. By providing a rich environment full of variety and opportunity, students can explore

themselves and find the areas of learning that they are most passionate about. By homing in on the child's

uniqueness and interests, teachers can continually cultivate a love for experimentation, knowledge, and

learning. My most valued goal as a teacher is to provide meaningful, positive learning experiences from a

young age that foster and develop passionate, prosocial individuals who love learning and growing.

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 Tier 1:
Proactive Procedures/Measures

• Messages & Goals

• Community & Relationship building
• Communication
• First Day/Week/Month
• Classroom Layout
• Classroom Rules
• Behavior Management System
• Routines & Procedures
• Classroom Expectations/Policies

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 Tier 1: Proactive/Preventative Management (80-90% of student population)

Tier I Description and Purpose:

Tier I encompasses proactive and preventative classroom management and is meant to target all students
in a class and/or school. While this does not necessarily mean that all students will respond, it is expected
that 80-90% of students will. Tier I measures include goals and expectations for students, plans to reduce
the likelihood of challenging behaviors, routines and procedures, rules and norms, consequences and
rewards, community building, and classroom culture such as relationship norms and character education.
Further, Tier I management plans outline the structure and organization of a classroom, classroom layouts,
Finally, Tier I of Response to Intervention also includes behavior management systems.

Students Targeted and Need for Management Plan

The students being targeted by this Classroom Management Plan are those within a specialized or self-
contained setting; specifically, those with autism spectrum disorders and/or related
developmental/intellectual disabilities. The age group targeted by this plan are preschoolers (three-to-five-
year old students). These students often exhibit behaviors which are challenging and/or interfere with
learning, and as such present a management challenge. Hopefully, using this guide, teachers are better
able to meet the management needs of the class in a more effective and efficient way.

Messages & Goals

✓ Describe the messages you want your classroom to reflect to students and how you will achieve this

Messages:
Three words that reflect students in our classroom:
1. Listening
2. Learning
3. Loving

How I will achieve this message:

The first word that reflects students in my classroom is “listening.” Listening refers to several facets
of a student’s school experience. Listening can refer to following directions, rules, or instructions presented
by a teacher or that are posted in the classroom. Listening can also refer to paying attention your peers’
contributions to learning activities or listening to your peers’ thoughts and feelings during non-academic
tasks. Actively listening to valuing your peer’s contributions demonstrates appreciation and respect for them
and can help to foster a more safe and secure environment in which students feel comfortable. To achieve
this, I will have classroom rules and norms posted throughout the classroom. Classroom rules refer to the
expectations set by the teacher for classroom efficiency and safety, and can include statements such as
“we use walking feet in the classroom,” “one person speaks or responds at a time,” and “we use indoor
voices in the classroom.” Classroom norms refer to an agreement amongst community members – in this
case, students and teachers – about how they want to be treated and how they will treat others. Examples
of classroom norms should include statements such as “we will communicate with each other in a positive
and kind way,” “we believe everyone can succeed and grow,” “we will respect and appreciate one another,”
“we will help each other,” and “we will solve problems fairly by working together.” Norms should be set

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collaboratively with students, and the list of classroom norms should be revisited frequently in order to add
to or make amendments to the list based on student and community needs. During classroom meetings to
reestablish classroom norms, students will listen and be listened to by their teachers and peers.

The second word reflecting students in my classroom is “learning.” I will foster this message by
demonstrating my own love of learning and excitement toward the entire learning process, including
successes and failures. I strive to encourage a growth mindset, as has been outlined by Carol Dweck. As
Carol Dweck describes, and growth mindset is one where students believe that their intelligence is not
fixed; rather, it is a fluid and ever-changing part of themselves. Students with a growth-mindset believe that
they can get smarter and work out their “brain muscle,” and understand that effort makes them stronger. In
order to achieve a growth-mindset amongst students, teachers should provide genuine praise for effort and
hard work rather than simply telling students that they are smart. I will use genuine praise for students’
efforts rather than for correct answers, helping to encourage a growth-mindset and positive attitude toward
learning and mistakes. Posters and visuals around the room will reinforce a growth-mindset and set a
framework for positivity and love for learning. Finally, students will be regularly reminded that mistakes are
essential for learning. When students ask me a question that I may not know the answer to, I will respond
honestly by saying “I’m not sure about that, let’s figure it out, together!” This further reinforces to students
that they are not only masters of their own learning process, but they can also find joy in the unknown and
the search for knowledge. By providing a role model for students to see that their teacher can own her own
mistakes or unsureness, students themselves will be more comfortable with their own experiences with
these occurrences.

The final word which reflects students in my class is “loving.” I am a firm believer that academic
success cannot be achieved without first fostering socioemotional learning amongst my students. I will
serve as a role model for my students, demonstrating a variety of prosocial behaviors such as active
listening, emotional inquiry, empathy, and understanding. Further, I strive to implement socioemotional
curricular tools such as Second Step™ and other models which foster emotional intelligence, empathy,
understanding, and prosocial behavior amongst students. Through the use of morning circle meetings and
classroom brainstorms, I will encourage students to share their experiences, thoughts, and feelings with
their peers (as they feel comfortable) and encourage students to demonstrate love, understanding, and
support for one another. Further, students will constantly be reminded to serve as loving, positive role
models for one another in the classroom, and that they should always be striving to do the right thing, even
when no one is looking, through visuals, posters, and books throughout the room.

✓ Describe the goals you have for your students and how you will convey these messages to them

Goals for my students:

1. Confidence
2. Self-sufficiency
3. Love of learning

How I will convey this message:

The three goals I have for my students is the development of confidence, self-sufficiency, and a love of
learning. All three of these goals will be conveyed and fostered through the encouragement of a growth
mindset amongst individual students, and the portrayal of the classroom as a whole as one with a growth

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mindset toward learning and community development. I hope to foster confidence amongst my students to
enable them to tackle learning tasks and socioemotional tasks which may seem challenging or are not
preferable by providing emotional support and genuine praise for effort, not product. Further, I hope to
foster a sense of self-sufficiency amongst my students. Self-sufficiency amongst students looks like an “I
can do it!” attitude Students who are self-sufficient utilize a variety of problem-solving strategies to find
solutions and are able and willing to try to tackle learning activities on their own. This will be achieved by
providing students with learning activities and tasks which lay within their zone of proximal development
(ZPD) and by following lesson structures which feature a gradual release of responsibility model (I do, we
do, you do). Finally, I hope to foster a love of learning amongst my students. Visuals and posters
throughout the room will help to foster an appreciating for the entire learning process – including successes
and failures. As their teacher, I will demonstrate a personal love of learning through genuine enthusiasm
and excitement toward both teaching and learning. Further, I will encourage students to teach me new
things, and to be as actively involved in their own, their peers, and my own learning processes as possible.

✓ Consider developing a motto, chant, song, or poem to convey these ideas (*optional)

Our Classroom Song

(to the tune of “If You're Happy and You Know It”)

If you really love to learn, shout hooray! (Hooray!)

If you believe in yourself, shout hooray! (Hooray!)
If you really want to do it,
You just put your mind to it,
If you really love to learn, shout hooray (Hooray!)

✓ Create a Code of Conduct (3 behavioral expectations and 3 specific sample behaviors)

Behavioral Expectations:
1. Eyes are looking
2. Hands and bodies are calm
3. Ears are listening

Sample Behaviors:
1. Students eyes are on the speaker; students respond to their name being called; students look at
their peers/their work when they are showing/telling others about something
2. Students keep their hands to themselves; hands are waiting in laps; bodies stay in chairs/nearby
table when working; students move about classroom with calm bodies by walking; students are
aware of their body in space
3. Students pay attention to teacher/peers when they are communicated; students do not talk over
their peers/interrupt their peers while they are communicating

✓ Explain how you would introduce, explain, remind, and reinforce these guidelines to your class

These behavioral expectations will be introduced during the first morning circle meeting of the
schoolyear. Teachers will verbally explain each behavioral expectation, along with sample behaviors which
help to illustrate these expectations. Students attention will be directed to the behavioral expectations visual
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poster - which is hung on the circle time bulletin board year-round. This poster will feature both the written
expectations and an illustration of each expectation. When students are observed engaging in behaviors
outlined by the behavioral expectations listed above, they will receive reinforcement in the form of specific
verbal praise (i.e. “I love how you're sitting calmly in your chair with your hands in your lap!” or “I really like
how ______ is looking at me when I am speaking, and using his listening ears and body to show me that
he cares what I am saying and that he is really paying attention.”) Vicarious reinforcement will be used to
further encourage students who may not be following behavioral expectations to adjust their behavior to
meet these expectations as needed throughout the day.

Example of Behavioral Expectations Poster for classroom Example of a poster setup featuring three-dimensional
visual cues for each expectation. This can help visually
impaired students or students who require more concrete
visual cues.

❑ Community & Relationship Building

✓ Describe 3 ways you will build and establish a sense of community among your students

1. Norm Setting

Students will be given the opportunity to help establish classroom norms during group talks and
brainstorms throughout the year. Norms serve as an agreement among students in the class about
how they will treat one another. Norm setting allows students to examine what is working well and what
can be improved within the classroom. Teachers and support staff should begin norm setting activities
with greater levels of support at the start of the school year, and gradually release the responsibility of
norm setting to the students as the year progresses. During norm-setting meetings, teachers can ask
students to think about what they want, need, and can do better as a class. Classroom norms consider

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 the values of the classroom community as a whole and help the class to function more cohesively as a
unit. Norms will be posted, along with visual accompaniments, in the classroom in a space which is
easily accessible for students to reference throughout the day.

2. Similarities Scavenger Hunt

After the All About Me Unit has started and related arts and crafts and other student work samples
from this unit have been posted throughout the classroom, students will be encouraged to go on a
scavenger hunt around the room to find students who have something in common with them. This can
include favorite color, family size, hair color, favorite toy, favorite food, and many other qualities/traits.
This scavenger hunt not only helps students to learn about one another, but also reinforces to students
that despite what they may thing, they are not all that different. By focusing on the things they have in
common during this activity, students are reminded that they are a community of learners who at their
core, value many of the same experiences and activities as one another.

3. Celebration of Differences

In my classroom, student differences will be celebrated and appreciated, rather than overlooked or
ignored. Teachers and support staff will use verbal reminders to students that each individual’s
differences are what makes them unique, and that each difference allows each student to bring
something special to the classroom community. Examples of difference celebrations that may be heard
in the classroom include:
• “In Naomi’s family, they celebrate Ramadan this time of year. (Explain what Ramadan is). Let’s
talk about the different ways we celebrate in our families!”
• “I love that even though it is hard for her, Ginny is really trying to walk step-over-step on the
staircase.”
• “Johnny is an excellent reader and speller; he can spell all kinds of new words after only
looking at them one time!”
• Tobi really loves animals. He knows lots of facts about animals, and call point out different
animals when you ask him to find them.
• “Alex’s wheelchair helps him to get around the classroom. Because his legs work differently
from ours, he has a different way of moving. Everyone moves differently, some of us prefer to
skip, some of us love to run, and Alex loves to roll!”

✓ Describe 5 relationship building activities you will use with your students

1. Morning Circle activities

During morning circle, a variety of tasks and activities which help to build and support relationships
amongst students. Students will sit around a horseshoe table for morning circle activities, and the teacher
will sit in the middle to help direct activities and support student engagement. To start morning circle, the
teacher will greet each individual student by name. Next, the teacher and students will sing the “good
morning” to each student. The “good morning” goes as follows: “Good morning, good morning, good
morning to you. good morning, good morning, oh, how do you do? Good morning (student name), how are
you? Say hello to your friends, who sit around you!” Each student will then be asked to say hello to each
student around them in whatever communication method they primarily use (i.e. gestures such as waving,

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pointing; vocalizations such as “hello” or “hi _____;” sign language; use of an alternative communication
device, etc.). Students will also be encouraged to sing along to the “days of the week” and “months of the
year” songs, as well as count together to determine the date. Students will participate in the “What’s the
Weather?” song and will also take turns choosing a story to read or video to watch at the end of morning
circle.

2. Collaborative art projects

An additional relationship building activity that I use with students is collaborative art projects. These
are art projects which require multiple parts, or that students work on collaboratively. By encouraging each
student to contribute their own piece to a larger art project, this can help to foster a sense of respect and
appreciate for one another. Further, it can help students to trust and rely on one another for support.
Additionally, by allowing students to work together using either the same medium (i.e. a giant finger paint
piece completed by all students to be used as a bulletin board background in the classroom) or different
media (i.e. a multisensory, multi-textured piece in which all students contribute a different material),
students will begin to gain an appreciate for one another’s work, stimulate discussion and facilitate
communication skills.

3. Group parallel/free play

Students will engage in group free play in the toy area or group parallel play at the horseshoe table in
order to foster relationships. While engaging in free play, students will have the opportunity to become
aware of one another, visually reference their peers, and socially interact with their peers during their play.
Play gives students the opportunity to build communication and collaborative problem-solving skills, as well
as to observe and learn from their peers. Play allows students to learn about themselves and others
through relevant, developmentally appropriate activity. Group play promotes attachments to one another,
which allows them to become more self-confident and self-aware. Further, play encourages critical thinking,
creative innovation, and confidence amongst students, and these skills can help to further improve
students’ ability to form and maintain relationships with others.

4. Follow Me!

Students will engage in an activity called “Follow Me!” in which they are asked to copy the gross motor
movements of their peers. Students will sit amongst one another, either in a circle on the rug, at a
horseshoe/kidney table, or in other spaces around the classroom. One student will be assigned the
“leader,” and they will demonstrate a gross-motor activity for their peers (i.e. clapping hands, patting head,
stomping feet, waving, etc.) Peers will then imitate the leader, following their gross-motor actions and
performing them themselves. Leaders are free to switch up their gross motor actions and peers are
encouraged to keep up with them and change their imitations to match the leader. This activity encourages
improved eye contact and visual attention to peers.

5. Picture talk

During picture talks, students work in small groups and look at a picture together (i.e. an animal, a toy,
an object, etc.). Students can use a variety of communication means (i.e. speaking, writing, drawing,
alternative communication device) to describe the picture together. Students will then be asked to describe
their picture to another group, by using characteristics such as shape, color, size, appearance, and other
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characteristics without naming it. This helps to improve students’ ability to work together, communicate with
one another, take turns, problem solve, and encourages social interaction amongst children.

✓ Describe 3 ice breakers you plan to use with your students (explain if individual or group)

1. Show and Share

a. Have each student bring in a toy or object that they love from home. Students can share
their toy/object from home with the class in a variety of ways (i.e. verbally, pointing,
describing, etc.)
2. Collaborative tower build
a. Give each student a different block. Students are tasked with building a tower by working
together and using each student’s block in the tower. See how many different towers they
can build using the same set of blocks.
3. Picture Greetings
a. Hang pictures of students around the room. Have each student walk up to and pick a
picture. They then have to find the student whose picture they chose, find them in the
room, and say hello/greet them.

✓ Describe 5 ways to integrate character education in your classroom

1. Random Acts of Kindness – RAK Tokens

Students will be intermittently rewarded with a RAK (Random Act of Kindness) token for each random
act of kindness the demonstrate within the classroom or around the school. RAK tokens will be readily
available to teachers in each classroom in the school. When teachers or related service staff see students
engaging in a random act of kindness – for example, giving a friend a hug, sharing their toys, comforting a
friend when they are upset/crying, complimenting another student’s work, etc. – teachers may offer them a
RAK token which can be added to the class wide RAK token board. This token board will be posted on the
front door of the classroom, so other school staff and students may also see how many RAK tokens the
class has earned. Further, by posting this token board on the classroom door, students can see how many
tokens their class has achieved each time they enter the classroom, reminding them to continue to engage
in acts of kindness. After the entire class has received ten RAK tokens, the class will have a Kindness
Celebration where their favorite treats and toys will be available.

2. Catch ‘Em Being Good

This philosophy will be implemented across the classroom. Students who are caught in the act of doing
kind things for one another and/or engaging in prosocial, appropriate behaviors will receive immediate
reinforcement. Reinforcement can include verbal praise, edible reinforcers, and/or access to highly
preferred activities or toys. This Skinnerian practice will help to shape student behavior in a way that
encourages prosocial and kind behaviors. Further, a “Catch ‘Em Being Good” poster will be hung in the
classroom to remind students and staff of the positive behaviors which can be easily and readily reinforced
in and outside the classroom

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 3. All About Me Unit

The first class-wide unit I will implement is an All About Me unit. This is a unit in which students have
the opportunity to self-examine, determining and communicating their likes, dislikes, character traits, and
other qualities about them. Another feature of this unit is the completion of arts and crafts projects centering
around qualities of each, their families, and their culture. Student work samples will be hung around the
room for all students to look at, and we will do an “All About Me” museum walk around the classroom at the
end of the unit. During the walk, students will be encouraged to look at each other’s artwork and appreciate
the differences and similarities they have with other students. Students will then be encouraged to say one
nice thing or demonstrate one nice gesture to a classmate. This unit aims to build an appreciation for one
another’s similarities and differences, as well as to draw out the similarities between things that students
like as they relate to acts of love and kindness.

4. Emotions and Kindness Unit

As a subsection of the All About Me unit, there will be a subunit specifically focused on emotion
recognition and regulation, as well as kindness in the classroom. This unit will feature stories and lessons
focusing on ways to recognize how you and others may be feeling. By examining facial expressions and
body language, students will be encouraged to pair visual cues with emotion labels. For example, lessons
in this subunit may feature a storybook on emotions, as well as an “emotions talk,” in which students
identify a time that they also felt the emotions portrayed throughout the story. Additionally, students can
become “emotion detectives,” using “emotion clues” to determine how their classmates and/or characters in
a story/video may be feeling. Emotion clues can include facial expressions, body language, and/or things
that a person shows or says which help us to recognize how they might be feeling. Students will then be
encouraged to generalize these emotion recognition skills through the use of verbal and visual labeling of
emotions as they pop up throughout each school day. Ultimately, by using a combination of mini-lessons,
read-alouds, and emotion labeling, students will gain a better understanding of how their peers may be
feeling, and be further encouraged to display prosocial and kind behavior toward them.

5. Read Alouds - Everybody’s Welcome by Patricia Hegarty, A Walk With Vanessa by Kerascoeet,
and How Kind by Mary Murphy!

I will use storybook read alouds to further encourage kindness and positive character education in my
classroom. One of the first read alouds I will do with my class at the start of the school year will include
How Kind! By Mary Murphy aloud to my class. This is the story of a generous hen who gives an egg to a
pig and starts a domino effect of kindness that spread around the farmyard animals. This story is
straightforward and simple, and is a great way to introduce conversations about kindness in the classroom.
Another story I will use to encourage kindness and promote character education in my classroom is
Everybody’s Welcome by Patricia Hegarty. This is the story of a mouse who begins building a house for
himself, when suddenly a sad frog appears and tells the mouse his pond has dried up. The mouse then
offers to have the frog live with him, and soon a collection of animals who lost their home join together to
build a home where “everybody in it will feel like they belong.” This story will help to encourage inclusion, as
well as facilitate conversation about inclusion, acceptance, and kindness. Finally, A Walk With Vanessa: A
Story about a Simple Act of Kindness by Kerascoeet. This wordless picture book illustrates the story of a
classmate who wonders how she can help her new classmate, Vanessa, when shes sees her walking
home crying. This story can help to facilitate conversations about caring and kindness within the classroom,
and further reinforces these character concepts to children.
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❑ Communication

✓ Describe 3 ways you plan to involve parents and families

1. Daily communication forms sent home via take-home folder

Daily communication sheets will be sent home each day with students via their take-home folder.
These communication sheets will have several sections that are informative yet quick and easy for parents
and teachers to fill out. These forms will allow parents to learn about their child’s school day by providing
information such as the child’s mood upon arrival, amount of lunch/snack eaten, challenging behaviors
demonstrated, activities the class/individual students engaged in, centers they visited, and
toileting/diapering. Likewise, they allow teachers to learn about each child’s night and morning prior to
arriving at school each day by providing information about the child’s sleep, dinner/breakfast, mood, and/or
challenging behaviors that were exhibited. Each side also features a section where teachers and parents
can write comments to one another and/or ask question.

“From School” Side: “From Home” Side

2. Emails with pictures, lessons sent home to parents

I also plan to involve parents and families in the learning experience of their students by sending
them emails featuring pictures, lesson plans, and lesson summaries from the day or week. By providing
parents with lesson plans and/or summaries, parents not only are provided with insights into their child’s
school day, but also provide parents with ideas for extension/enhancement activities they can engage with

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at their child. Sending home pictures of students engaging in learning and play activities provides parents
and families with insights into the student’s school day, preferred activities, and strengths in the classroom.

3. Team meetings

Team meetings will be scheduled regularly with parents/families. Team meetings will focus on
individual children, and serve to relay important information, progress, and concerns between
parents/families and school staff. Team meetings will feature the child’s special education teacher, related
service providers including speech, occupational, and physical therapists for the child, the classroom
supervisor (board certified behavior analyst), and the child’s parents/family. These meetings serve as a
forum for both parents and teachers to update one another on progress, goals, and concerns for their child.
These meetings help to ensure that parents and school staff are on the same page and help to promote
consistent behavior management and instructional strategies between the child’s school and home
settings.

✓ Describe 3 ways you plan to collaborate with stakeholders and support staff

1. Push-in services for students

Once a month, occupational, speech, or physical therapist providers will push into our classroom and
engage in a class-wide activity with students. These activities can include fine-motor improvement tasks,
handwriting tasks, imitation games, arts and craft activities, sensory activities, music and movement
activities, games, and other activities which incorporate the targeted skills of each related service. This will
help to promote a sense of consistency between in-therapy services and goals and classroom services and
goals. Further, it provides students with the opportunity to engage with therapists in a setting that is not
strictly one-on-one, and on tasks that may be novel to them. This also gives classroom teachers and
support staff a glimpse into the services provided by each of the three therapy providers and can help to
inspire teachers to incorporate new tasks and activities in the classroom to foster the development of skills
targeted by each of these services.

2. Emails with related service team for each student upon major progresses, challenges

Regular emails should be sent back and forth between students’ classroom teacher and their related
service providers, such as speech, occupational, and physical therapists, as well as-home therapists to
update one another on progress, challenges, and management needs of each student. This can help all
parties to get on the same page, set appropriate goals, reinforce behaviors/skills across multiple settings,
and help students generalize skills across multiple settings and people. This can also help promote a
sharing of ideas and strategies for management and instruction with regards to a group of students or
individual students.

3. Collaborating with related service providers to create each student’s communication book

Teachers and related service providers, such as speech and occupational therapists, should work
together to customize each student’s picture communication book. Speech providers can make
recommendations for the form and function of the communication book, as well as suggest pictures of
phrases, responses, and highly preferred speech activities associated with speech therapy, specifically.
Likewise, occupational and physical therapists can do the same.
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✓ Describe 3 ways you plan to integrate school-wide policies into your classroom

1. Use of school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports in my classroom (e.g. Bees)
To integrate school-wide policies in the classroom, class-wide tokens used for the class-wide token
board will match the school’s mascot for their PBIS. For example, the school-wide PBIS mascot may be a
bee who encourages students to “’Bee’ kind, ‘bee’ respectful, and ‘bee’ your best.” By using bee stickers or
bee tokens throughout the room, we can help to further enforce these practices and remind students of the
kinds of individuals they should always strive to be.
2. Team meetings with administration and support staff
Holding weekly or monthly meetings with administration and support staff throughout the school
can provide a forum for brainstorming ways that school-wide policies can be implemented in individual
classrooms. By consulting with related service providers, teaching assistants, program directors, and others
throughout the school, ideas for school-wide policy integration on a class level and an individual student
level may be generated.
3. School-wide assembly meetings
School-wide assemblies - which students have the opportunity to attend – can be a powerful
method for helping students to translate school-wide policies and priorities in their own classrooms.
Assemblies should have interactive portions in which students can practice demonstrating skills and
school-wide expectations. Further, take-home sheets summarizing the assembly should be sent home with
students, so that parents may help to encourage the integration of these school-wide policies at home and
in the classroom, and teachers should also be provided with access to these summary sheets.

❑ First Day/Week/Month (chart)

First Day First Week First Month

• Introduce myself • Set mourning routine • Transitioning
• Introduce classroom rules • Set morning circle norms and • Reinforce rules
• Introduce classroom expectations • Community building
expectations • Remind students of • Using materials
• Introduce communication expectations/rules appropriately
books • Continue establishing norms • Classroom jobs
• Introduce bathroom symbols for asking for help • Practice mastering use of
• Learn student names • Organizing materials communication books
• Learn challenging behavior
triggers for each student

❑ Classroom Layout
✓ Explain how you would organize your classroom and provide a sketch or drawing
✓ Explain how you would arrange your classroom and materials and incorporate centers/anchor
areas
✓ Explain which seating arrangements you would use and why
✓ Describe how you would use two of your bulletin boards/wall spaces in your room

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 I would arrange my classroom with four major areas in mind. First, I would have a designated circle
time and parallel table-top play area (see the left side of the layout sketch). This area would consist of a
horseshoe/kidney table, and student seating would be flexible. Seating options would include traditional
wooden preschool-sized chairs, wobbly stools, and therapy balls, as well as space for students to stand.
Additionally, sensory seat cushions such as wiggle seats and textured cushions will be made available to
students to add to their seat as needed. On the wall behind the horseshoe/kidney table would be the
morning circle board. This bulletin board would contain a calendar, updated daily to reflect the current date,
month, and year. It would also contain a daily attendance sheet which can be removed, in which students
can place their picture on the “I am in school today” side during morning circle. Beside the calendar would
be a weather information space, which would be updated consistently to reflect the current weather. To the
left of the calendar would be a list of the months of the year, and to the left would be a list of the days of the
week. Further, this board would contain a list of class rules and norms.
The second main center would consist of two worktables in which students can engage in one-to-
one instruction. These tables would feature teacher chairs where teachers and teaching assistants can sit
during one-to-one instruction, as well as feature flexible seating options, including those described for the
circle time table. These tables would also include dividers which can be placed on the table during one-to-
one instruction to help reduce distractions and help students avoid sensory overload during instruction.
In one corner of the room would be the toy area/free play area, which would feature a soft,
cushioned play mat for students to play on. The toy area would be set up with two shelves on either side of
the mat, in which students can choose what toys they want to play with, and practice cleaning up when they
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are done playing by returning toys to the shelves.
Behind one of these shelves would be a zone for
the teacher’s desk and teaching materials. A
bookcase behind the toy area, which faces the
teacher’s desk, as well as a bookcase along the
wall serve as a place to store work bins
containing each student’s one-to-one
instructional materials, data binders, and other
teaching materials and resources. On the wall
opposite the teacher’s corner, lining the toy area,
will be the thematic unit student work bulletin
board. Student work samples, such as authentic
student artwork and crafts, will be displayed on
this board on a rotation throughout the year,
based on the current thematic unit that the
classroom is focusing on.
This classroom would feature an in-
classroom bathroom, containing storage drawers
for each student’s diapers and extra clothes. This
bathroom would be complete with a stepstool for
the toilet and sink, as well as a soap and paper
tower dispensers which are lowered to student
eye level. The toilet would be outfitted with
training potty seats, and shelves along the tops
of the walls (out of student reach) would provide
room for additional storage of cleaning and
bathroom materials such as paper towels, Lysol
wipes/spray, and extra wipes, amongst others.
Additionally, an in-wall walk in closet would
provide ample storage for toys which can be
rotated in and out of the toy area throughout the
year, to ensure that students do not become
satiated with the toys they are exposed to.
Finally, this classroom would feature a
designated cozy corner, which would be enclosed
by walls on three sides. The cozy corner would
serve as a sensory cooldown zone, and the walls
of this space would be lined with soft, color-
adjusting fairy lights. The walls of the cozy corner
would feature tactile covers, consisting of several
fabrics and textures for students to feel. Seating
in the cozy corner would consist of beanbags,
pillows, and other soft cushions, and weighted blankets would be made available to students. Additionally,
a mood meter would be posted on one of the walls inside the cozy corner. This can help students to begin
to identify and label how they are feeling. This is a space that is always readily available to students during
the school day and can be used to calm a student who is upset, offer relief from sensory over-stimulation,
or simply provide a space to relax.
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 Anchor charts and labels that would be featured on the wall space throughout the classroom
include:
- Emotion posters
- Rules poster
- Norms poster
- Written and visual
labels for
centers/spaces in
classroom
- Mood meter
- Emotion regulation
posters
- Thematic unit posters (rotated throughout the
year)
- Shapes poster
- Alphabet ribbon along ceiling
- Number line along ceiling

❑ Classroom Rules
✓ List 5 rules that you would use to govern
your classroom (thematic or not)

1. Use an inside voice

a. I will use a soft voice inside
the classroom
2. Helping hands
a. I will use my hands for
helping and not hurting
3. Walking feet
a. I will walk in school to be safe
4. Feet stay on the floor
a. I will not climb on furniture or
chairs
5. Take turns
a. I will share toys with my
friends and let them have a
turn, too

✓ Explain when and how you would

introduce/teach them to your class
(teacher/student made/class meeting)

Classroom rules would be introduced on the first day of school during our first morning circle
meeting. During this time, I will explain each rule to students, and explain why each rule is important. It is
essential that you not only tell students what the rules are, but also explain why these rules are important
(i.e. so we can do our best learning, so we keep our bodies safe, so we do not hurt our friends, so that our
friends can learn, etc.). I will show each student the poster which displays the rules and visual cues which
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accompany each written rule. I will then show students where the poster will be displayed in the room and
be sure to post it in a space that is accessible and visible to all students. Classroom rules will be repeated
and reinforced during morning circle activities for the first two weeks and will be revisited during morning
circle periodically throughout the year. One way to revisit the classroom rules is through song, which can be
sung during morning circle or during music and movement times.

The Classroom Rules Song

(To the tune of Where is Thumbkin?)

Inside voices, inside voices

Helping hands, helping hands
Feet are used for walking, feet stay on the floor,
Let’s take turns, let’s take turns

✓ Describe how you would reinforce these rules and hold students accountable (signals, praise,
rewards, etc.)

• Reiterate and reinforce classroom rules using:

o Posters
o Classroom Rules song
o Classroom rules will be repeated and reinforced during morning circle activities for the first
two weeks and will be revisited during morning circle periodically throughout the year. One
way to revisit the classroom rules is through song, which can be sung during morning
circle or during music and movement times.
• Reinforce following classroom rules through:
o Verbal praise
o Edible reinforcers
o Access to preferred items
o Vicarious reinforcement
o Proximity

❑ Behavior Management System

✓ Describe 3 strategies you would use to increase motivation for the students in your classroom

1. Individual student token boards

Token boards can be used as a way of helping

students to understand behavior contingencies, and to
master the demonstration of appropriate classroom
behavior while supporting the maintenance of these
behaviors through the use of positive reinforcement.
Token boards provide a simple, visual method of showing
students behavioral expectations, contingencies, and
reinforcement delivery practices. They can also help to
support students in tolerating delayed gratification, and help them learn to defer gratification. Individual
token boards will have a different number of Velcro token slots, depending on the expectations of students

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in terms of their current and desired level of gratification deferral, and tokens will be physically moved from
the back of the board to a token slot upon the display of appropriate behavior. These appropriate behaviors
will be tailored to each student’s needs and may address behaviors such as “remining in chair for two
consecutive minutes,” “keeping hands to self,” “coming to table for work after being asked the first time,”
amongst others. Once students have filled all of their token slots, they will earn the reward placed on the “I
am working for ____” space on their board. The reward for gaining all of their tokens should be determined
by the student at the start of each day, or at the start of each new use of the token board.

2. Class-wide token board and visual schedules

Like individual student token boards, a class-wide token board and

visual schedule can be used to improve student motivation and help
keep them on task. Student with autism benefit from visual schedules
and reminders of task expectations/order and can help to keep
challenging behaviors at bay. A class-wide token board would follow the
same principles as those for individual student token boards but would
focus on the ability of the class as a whole to accomplish tasks
successfully and with minimal challenge throughout the day. For each
task on the visual schedule, the class will have the opportunity to earn
one, two, or three tokens based on class-wide motivation, ability to
follow directions, and problem behaviors displayed/avoided during each
task. Class-wide rewards such as dance parties, extra time with sensory
toys, or extra playground time, amongst others, will be provided based
upon the achieving of a set number of tokens for the day.

3. Mand instruction

Mand instruction refers to a system of teaching students how to make a request for something they
want/need. Mands (requests) can be emitted vocally, using a picture communication book, by pointing, or
through other gestural methods. Prior to the start of all one-to-one and small-group instruction, students will
be provided with a brief period of designated mand instruction, with the intent to build student motivation.
By beginning periods of instruction with designated time for student to practice making requests for what
they want, teachers are not only able to determine what students will be most motivated to work for, but
also increase the likelihood of responding during one-to-one instruction by scaffolding their responses with
immediate access to highly-preferred items/activities.

✓ Describe a system you would use with students to shape and reinforce positive behavior (cite
theorists)

There are a few theorists whose practices I would utilize to shape and reinforce positive behavior.
The first of these theorists is B.F. Skinner; specifically, his approaches to shaping positive behavior.
Skinner defined shaping as a practice of differentially reinforcing successive approximations or sub-tasks
as individuals work toward an ultimate behavior goal. Rather than simply reinforcing a positive behavior, I
plan to reinforce approximations and sub-task completion. For example, if the behavior I want to shape is
for a student to use their words to say “I want a chip” when they want a chip, rather than grabbing them
from my hands, I would begin by reinforcing any attempted approximations of the desired behavior, such as
saying “chip,” “want,” “/ch/,” or “I want.” As students begin to demonstrate mastery of each sub-task or
25
approximation, reinforcement will be delivered contingent on a more appropriate approximation. By using
these practices, I can help students to progressively work toward the ultimate behavior goal of using the
phrase “I want a chip.” Further, I am a believer in the Fred Jones positive management theory. By using
rewards and incentives with students, I can increase their motivation to make positive behavior choices.

✓ Develop this discipline hierarchy and explain how you would introduce and teach to your
students

My discipline strategies for students would follow a diamond hierarchy approach, illustrated below.
Discipline strategies would be introduced throughout the first week of school and reinforced to students
during morning circle time each morning. This discipline approach would incorporate a series of rewards for
students when they display positive behavior(s) and consequences for when they display
undesired/challenging behavior(s)**. All students start each task at the center of the diamond and move
throughout the diamond contingent on their behavior. For example, if a student continually demonstrates
positive behaviors during morning circle (e.g., remains in seat, sings along, imitate gross motor actions,
responds to questions/prompts, etc.), they will continue to earn rewards as they move up the diamond.
Alternatively, if students display noncompliant or challenging behavior during circle time (e.g., getting up
from their seat, refusing to respond, distracting other students, shutting their eyes, etc.), they will move
down the diamond and continue to face consequences for their behaviors. These consequences should not
be confused with punishment. Rather, consequences serve as a way for students to be redirected to task
or reminded of their behavioral/academic expectations. See the list of rewards and consequences below.

✓ List and describe 5 rewards and 5 consequences you would incorporate into your plan

Rewards:

1. Access to snacks/edible reinforcers

2. Access to highly preferred toys
3. Access to highly preferred activities
4. Trip to the Common Area for gross-motor
play
5. Extra recess/OT/PT Gym
time

Consequences:
1. Verbal reminder
2. Use of first-then visual chart
3. Take a break in Cozy Corner/Sensory Cooldown
Zone
4. Removal of preferred item for pre-determined amount of
time (set timer)
5. Removal of student from group activities for a pre-determined amount of time (set timer)

**Note: Certain students may respond better to different rewards or consequences, and as such, their order
of delivery for each of these rewards/consequences may differ on a student-by-student basis to best
address their behavioral and learning needs. For example, some students may

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 ✓ List and describe any incentives you plan to incorporate to motivate students (individual or
class wide)

In addition to the incentives described above, I plan to use additional incentives to motivate students on
a class-wide and individual basis. Additional incentives and rewards to help motivate students can include
going for a walk around/outside of the school, going to play in the courtyard with bikes/scooters, playing
with the bubble machine inside or outside the classroom,

❑ Routines & Procedures

✓ List and describe 5 specific routines you plan to use in your classroom (teacher or student
driven)

1. Morning Arrival Routine

Each morning, students will be expected to complete their morning arrival routine. Students are
expected to enter their classroom, take off their backpack, take off their coat, unzip their bag, remove their
lunch, place their lunch/snacks in the lunch bin, remove their communication folder, place their folder in the
folder bin on the teachers desk, hang their bag in their cubby, and return to the classroom. Students will be
provided with different levels of prompting to complete each subtask (e.g.,, some students may be able to
enter the classroom and remove their backpack/coat independently, but require a gestural prompt to
remember to unzip their backpack, or a partial physical prompt to help them remove items from their
backpack). Throughout the year, prompting will be gradually reduced with the ultimate goal of self-
sufficiency and independence in completing their morning arrival routines.

2. Morning Circle

Morning circle will consist of a variety of tasks and activities which help to build and support
relationships amongst students. Students will sit around a horseshoe table for morning circle activities, and
the teacher will sit in the middle to help direct activities and support student engagement. To start morning
circle, the teacher will greet each individual student by name. Next, the teacher and students will sing the
“good morning” to each student. The “good morning” goes as follows: “Good morning, good morning, good
morning to you. good morning, good morning, oh, how do you do? Good morning (student name), how are
you? Say hello to your friends, who sit around you!” Each student will then be asked to say hello to each
student around them in whatever communication method they primarily use (i.e. gestures such as waving,
pointing; vocalizations such as “hello” or “hi _____;” sign language; use of an alternative communication
device, etc.). Students will also be encouraged to sing along to the “days of the week” and “months of the
year” songs, as well as count together to determine the date. Students will participate in the “What’s the
Weather?” song and will also take turns choosing a story to read or video to watch at the end of morning
circle.

3. Dismissal

Each afternoon, students will be expected to respond to their name being called (upon the arrival of
their bus/parents), walk to the door, put on their coat, put on their backpack, exit the classroom, and walk
calmly with a teacher/assistant to their bus. Students will be provided with different levels of prompting to
complete each subtask (e.g., some students may need a partial physical prompt to respond to their name
being called, while others can independently respond to their name being called. Likewise, a student may
27
need partial physical prompts to put their coat on, but be able to independently put on their backpack).
Throughout the year, prompting will be gradually reduced with the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency and
independence in completing their dismissal routines.

4. Sign Language Cues

Several sign language cues will be used

throughout the classroom in order to aid both
management practices and in order to quickly
communicate student needs. For example, teachers
may use the sign for “sit down” to silently remind
students to return to their chair during instructional
tasks. Additionally, students may use the sign for
“bathroom” if they need to use the bathroom during
instructional tasks, or the sign for “water” or “milk” if
they become thirsty during the day. Students can point
to the cozy corner/sensory cooldown zone if they feel
they need to take a break. Further, students will be
taught the sign for “help” in order to communicate their
need for help from an adult/friend while completing an
instructional task or while playing with peers. Similarly,
students will be taught the sign for “more,” “give me,”
“please,” and “thank you.” Through the use of sign
language cues, teachers and students alike can
minimize verbal distractions. Further, signing can
provide students with an alternative means of
expressing themselves, and can be especially helpful
for students who are functionally non-verbal.

5. Transition Support

Support will be provided to students during transitions

throughout the day. Transitions may include physical transitions
between locations, such as the classroom to related services, or the
playground to the classroom. Transitions may also include shifting
from one task to another within the classroom, for example, from free
play to one-to-one instruction. Transition support will be provided to
students on an individual basis, based on their personalized needs
and goals relating to transitions. For example, some students may be
able to respond to a simple verbal direction (e.g., “Okay, John, we’re
going to start one-to-one instruction now, please come to the table),
while others may not respond to their name being called and require a partial physical prompt (e.g., holding
your hand out to indicate they should stand up and walk with you to their work table). Additionally, timers
will be used throughout the day to provide students with a warning of upcoming transitions, with verbal
reminders every few minutes to better prepare students for transitions.

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 ✓ Describe any special routines you plan to integrate which are unique to your content
area/grade level

As described in the “transition support” and “morning/dismissal routine” sections, the students that
this management guide supports – preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders – require a great deal of
prompting, scaffolding, and support in completing many tasks, particularly, transitional tasks. For this
reason, prompting levels will be intentionally differentiated as per individual student need, and a great deal
of transitional support will be provided to students as they shift between locations in/out of the school, as
well as activities within the classroom.

✓ Explain procedures for early finishers (anchor activities) and how to integrate PAT & sponge
activities

Preferred Activity Time (PAT), which has been described in the above sections, will be used to motivate
and reinforce positive behavior amongst students. PAT encourages students to become responsible for their
actions and behavior, and motivates them to work hard in order to earn PAT. Different PAT activities may
include extra playground time, extra free play time, extra time in the OT/PT gym, or time to play in the
common area with balls, bikes/trikes, scooters, or other gross-motor activities. I have also planned for several
sponge activities – those that can fill five-to-ten-minute periods of transition or unplanned time. We can listen
to books on tape, watch a song relating to our common core unit on the iPad, have an impromptu music and
movement session, practice counting or singing the alphabet aloud, play “name the color” or “name the
shape,” amongst other activities.

❑ Classroom Expectations/Policies
✓ Create a classroom handout that covers 5 of the following areas:
1. Supplies
2. Grading Policy
3. Work Expectations(reading/writing/test/quizzes/notebook)
4. Class Expectations (be specific)
5. General Behavior (what works & doesn’t work)
6. Homework Policy
7. Late assignments
8. Tardiness
9. Absences
10. Classroom Routines (collecting work/distributing materials)
11. Transitions

See below: Introduction Letter and Back to School Night Packet

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30
 Parent Packet
Pre-K 4
Teachers: Jess Livornese
Teacher’s Assistants: ____________________

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Dear Parents,
Welcome to Pre-K 4! The students, classroom staff, and I are so excited you are here to
see and learn more about our room. This packet will provide information about classroom
procedures, expectations, and activities. I hope this can be a useful tool that can help answer
any questions you may have about your child’s class. Please read and hold onto this packet for
future reference! Thank you!

Back to School Night Agenda

1. Feel free to move about the classroom and explore! Try to find your child on our
Common Core bulletin board, check out their artwork, and become comfortable with the
layout of our room
2. Convene for a brief overview of this packet with Jess, including what a typical day in Pre-
K 4 looks like
3. Time for questions pertaining to the whole class
a. Questions/concerns regarding an individual child will need to be discussed at
another time. This meeting is designed to give a quick overview of our classroom
and a day in the students’ lives in Pre-K 4. Please see the parent-teacher
conference/team meeting sign-up sheet at Jessica’s office upstairs to request a
team meeting, if desired.

About the Teacher

From Jess: This is my ninth year working at the preschool. I most recently earned my master’s
degree in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard Graduate School of Education
(2018), after completing my bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood/Childhood Education at SUNY
Cortland (2017). I have spent time in the preschool in the role of both a teacher, teaching
assistant, and researcher. Outside of school, I enjoy watching and playing ice hockey, listening
to music, watching Marvel movies, spending time with family, and playing with my dog, Cooper!

Parent- Teacher Communication: The Important Blue “Take Home Folder”

We strongly believe that communication between parents and teacher is necessary for
your child to have the best year possible! Please contact me if you have any questions or
concerns. In addition, please contact me if anything is going on at home that you think might
affect your child’s behavior in class. Knowing about any issues allows us to be sensitive to
them at school.
The best way to reach us is either calling the classroom from 7:45 – 8:15 and 2:30 –
3:45 (ext. 1128) or by email at [email protected]. I try to respond to emails within
24 hours during the school week. If that is not convenient for you, you can always send a note
to school with your child or leave a message with Jessica at the front desk (ext. 1008). All
contact information is listed at the bottom of the packet.
The blue plastic folder is the primary way that we will communicate with one
another. PLEASE be sure to check your child’s folder every night, as this is our way of sending
important information and papers to you. It is very important that you empty the “Keep at Home”
side of the blue folder every day and return the folder to the backpack, and that you fill out the
home communication sheet sent home each day. This lets us know about your child as they
enter the classroom each day, and better tailor their school day to their needs.

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 The Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program (VB-MAPP)
Your child’s one-to-one instruction programs are based off a combination of their IEP
goals and the VB-MAPP. The VB-MAPP is designated for children with autism and other
individuals who demonstrate language delays. It provides a representative sample of a child’s
existing verbal and related skills across three developmental milestone levels. The skills
assessed include mand (request), tact (label), echoic, intraverbal (conversational), listener,
motor imitation, independent play, social and social play, visual perceptual and matching-to-
sample, linguistic structure, group and classroom skills, and early academics. The VB-MAPP is
conducted approximately three to four times a year, in order to stay most up to date with our
students’ achievements and needs.

Attendance and Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

Attendance
Please do not send your child to school if he/she is sick. Children too sick to participate
in the full program, including outside play, should be kept at home. When in doubt, keep them at
home. Please let the illness run its course and do not send your child back to school until 24
hours after the last sign of the illness (e.g., fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea). If your child arrives
to school ill or becomes ill or injured while at school, parents/guardians will be notified. When a
child is sick and unable to be picked up from school, a staff member must stay with the child in
the nurse’s office, changing the staff-to-child ratio.
If your child will be absent, please call either Jessica at the desk or the classroom phone
before 8:15. You may also send an e-mail if that is easier. After any absence due to illness or
doctor’s appointment, please try to send in a doctor’s note describing the reason for the
absence.
Arrival and Dismissal
Students arrive at school after 8:15. They are taken off the bus, complete the morning
routine, and are brought to the bathroom for toileting/diapering. Likewise, parent drop-off begins
at 8:15 am. The dismissal routine begins at 1:50. Students’ diapers are checked and changed
before being put on the bus.
Pick Up from School
Please send a note to let me know if you will be picking your child up from school
instead of going home by bus. Please stop at the front desk to sign your child out. Jessica will
call down to the classroom to let us know that you have arrived, and a staff member will bring
your child to you.

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 Pre-K 4’s Schedule
While our schedule may change from time-to-time, we generally follow the below schedule
of activities and tasks each day.

Morning Arrival
8:15-9:15
Pick-up, morning routine, free play/parallel play at the horseshoe table

9:15-9:45 Morning Circle

9:45-11:30 1:1 Instruction

11:30- Common Core Activities

12:00 Story, arts and crafts, Common Core theme videos

12:00-
Instructional Lunch
12:30

12:30-1:00 Playground/Gross Motor Activities

Group Play/Arts and Crafts

Books, blocks, coloring, fine motor activities, play-doh, puzzles, or sensory
1:00-1:30
activities
Activity Room (Tuesdays/Thursdays)
Free Play/Music and Movement
1:30-2:00
ADLs/Toileting, dismissal

Specials
Each week, your child will participate in a variety of group management play sessions
and other class specials. Group activities include arts and crafts, blocks, books, coloring, fine
motor activities, music, Play-Doh, puzzles, sensory activities, and story-time. On Tuesdays and
Thursdays, we go to the Activity Room/Common Core Room. Weather permitting, we go out
onto the playground daily. On days we are unable to go outside due to weather, we try to bring
our class to the common area for free play with bouncy balls, bikes, or other gross motor
activities. A few times a week, we bring students out to the courtyard to complete simple
obstacle courses and play with bouncy balls. This helps students to improve their motor
planning and gross-motor coordination skills and encourages students to engage in social play.
Rewards/Reinforcement
As a tactic of Applied Behavior Analysis, the classroom staff uses frequent positive
reinforcement for good behavior in and around our classroom. This occurs in the form of verbal
praise, as well as access to edible reinforcers and other tangible reinforcers (e.g., time given to
play with a preferred activity/toy).

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 Clothing
Your child should dress in casual, comfortable play clothing. If possible, please try to
send your child in wearing elastic-waist pants, especially if they are working on toilet
training. Please no flip-flops or Crocs. Children might get dirty, as our preschoolers participate
in many hands-on activities. Please your label children’s clothes, and if possible, diapers.
Please make sure your child has enough spare clothes at school.

Money
On occasion, it will be necessary for your child to bring money to school. Always send
money in an envelope or Ziploc bag that is clearly marked with the child’s name, the
amount, and the purpose of the money (Scholastic book money, picture money, etc.).

Conferences and Report Cards

Conferences: Our school does not have designated times for parent-teacher conferences
(known as team meetings). If you have a concern at any time of the year, however, please
contact Jessica about scheduling a team meeting. The team meeting generally consists of the
parent(s), classroom teacher, classroom supervisor, and related services providers.
Quarterly Reports: Quarterly reports will be issued four times throughout the year, as well as an
Annual Report and Summer Report. They will be sent home with the children.
I know this year will be an exciting journey in which you will see much growth in your child in
many areas. I am looking forward to a great year of working with your child. Thank you in
advance for your support throughout the year!

Sincerely,
Jess

How to contact Jess:

School: 914-592-8526, ext. 1128
(between 7:45-8:15 am or 2:15-3:30 pm)
E-mail: [email protected]
(anytime)

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 Tier 2:
Corrective Procedures

• Strategies for promoting compliance

• Sample discipline with dignity script
• Assertive techniques
• Language strategies
• Ways to uphold high behavioral expectations

36
 Tier 2: Corrective Procedures (5-15% of student population)

❑ Describe this tier and its purpose as it relates to school-wide and classroom management

Tier 2 management procedures consist of corrective and/or response procedures with a classroom or
school. These measures target between 5-15% of students and focus on management for students who
exhibit disruptive and/or defiant behaviors. This tier addressed targeted behavior, and incorporates
discipline, reinforcement, and consequence procedures to hold students accountable and encourage them
to uphold behavioral expectations.

❑ Describe students being targeted and why these students present a management challenge

The students targeted by Tier 2 management procedures include those who engage in challenging
disruptive and/or defiant behaviors. Disruptive behaviors can include intentional or unintentional behaviors
which distract the student or his peers from learning. For example, students may be off task (i.e., staring
out the window, fooling around), attention seeking (i.e. screaming, getting out of seat, meandering the
classroom), unmotivated (i.e., unwilling to participate in activities/academic tasks), noncompliant (i.e.
refusing to engage in a task, throwing self on the floor, task avoidance), or power seeking (i.e.
arguing/debating with teacher. Defiant behaviors include intentional behaviors such as task refusal,
noncompliance, hostility, or confrontation. Students who exhibit these behaviors present a management
challenge, as they impede both their own learning and the learning of others. Further, these students
present challenges to the teacher, as they may distract them from the teacher’s ability to provide
instruction. It is extremely important that teachers work to understand the underlying reasons for these
behaviors. Some behaviors may be exhibited due to incompetence, in which case scaffolding and modeling
from the teacher can help to teach the student appropriate/corrective behaviors. Behaviors may also be
generated by challenges in a student’s home life, emotion regulation abilities, physical health, or mental
well-being. By understanding the root causes of different student behaviors, teachers are better able to
target corrective procedures to ensure students have equal opportunities to learn and grow within the
classroom.

❑ Describe the top 5 strategies for promoting compliance in the classroom (include examples)

1. 100 Percent

This technique establishes an expectation that 100% of students must follow a direction, every
time. This technique functions in order to maintain authority by the teacher in the classroom, as well as to
prevent students from becoming noncompliant. 100 Percent involved six levels of intervention, which
include the following intervention and correction techniques:

- Nonverbal intervention – proximity, “withitness” (walking around the room, eye contact with as
many students as possible), signaling with eye contact and facial expressions, signaling with
gestures (pointing to the rules, raising a hand, leaning in toward a student), nonverbal
signaling/cueing (raising arms, clapping signal), intentional non-eye contact for students who are
looking for a response/attention from the teacher
- Positive group correction – “I love the way this table is working on their activity with quiet voices,” “I
see that four friends are ready to learn, now five friends are ready to learn;” providing reinforcers
(edible reinforcers, access to toys, stickers, tokens) to students/groups of students
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 - Anonymous individual correction – “remember we should all have our eyes up here on the teacher”
- Private individual correction – Approaching an individual student who is demonstrating disruptive or
defiant behavior(s) and quietly say “Do you remember what rule number two of our class is?
Remember, we have quiet mouths and calm bodies when we are learning. I know you can do that,
show me how you do it!”
- Quick public correction – “Johnny, remember we have our pencils down,” “Who can remind me of
rule number two in our class?”
- Consequence – Offer some consequences, providing students with choices. “Either you can show
me a calm body using your cooldown techniques, or you will need to take a break in the cooldown
zone.”

2. What to Do

This technique encourages teachers to give clear, concise directions to guide students through a
task or activity. By providing clear and useful directions, it allows students and teachers to distinguish
between incompetence and defiance. These directions should be specific (“When you heard my clapping
signal, get ready to clap along with me and put your eyes on me”), concrete (“Look on the Circle Time
bulletin board for the poster about animals and pick one animal to draw a picture of”), sequential (i.e. “First
you will _____, then you will ______”) and observable (“Show me that you are listening to your friends by
having a quiet and calm body, looking eyes, and listening ears”).

3. Strong Voice

Using a strong voice allows you to command respect and compliance from students. A strong voice
is not yelling or using emotion to drive your tone, but rather, refers to the ability to use the tone and volume
of your voice intentionally to convey messages to students, and help them to respond accordingly. A strong
voice may also accompany strong body language, like an erect stature, purposeful eye contact, and a
slightly louder and more enunciated tone.

4. Do It Again

Have students repeat and practice an action, task, or behavior until it is done correctly/
appropriately. This strategy encourages students to do better, and reinforcers that you will not settle for less
than what your expectations are. For example, students may be asked to retry walking into the classroom
with “walking feet” instead of running through the door. An additional example would be asking students to
“try again” when they throw away a crayon or toy when they are done using it. Students may require
different levels of scaffolding in order to complete tasks appropriately. For example, students who are
demonstrating noncompliance in picking up their toys may need a partial physical or gestural prompt in
order to know what they are expected to do and to help them complete that task appropriately. Scaffolding
for having students “do it again” should be gradually released as students are more capable of completing
expected tasks independently.

5. List of consequences with a “What If?” chart posted in the classroom

In addition to these in-the-moment techniques, anchor charts and visual posters should be
displayed around the room to serve as a reminder of potential consequences. For example, an anchor

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chart may simply list a set of possible consequences that students are familiar with, including “take a
break,” “you break it – you fix it,” and/or “loss of privilege.’ These consequences should be developmentally
appropriate. An additional example of a consequence list can be individualized for students who need more
concrete examples of an “if, then” scenario. These reminder charts can be posted as a class-wide anchor
chart or can be delivered to students in the form of a personal handout or booklet. Further, consequence
reminder charts should be adapted and modified throughout the year as teachers observe new
disruptive/defiant behaviors and find new solutions and corrective procedures/consequences for these
behaviors. Examples of consequence reminder posters and charts are below.

6.

❑ Include a sample discipline with dignity script based on a classroom scenario or situation (annotate
dialogue with strategies that are being used)

Carter, a non-verbal student, engages in screaming/shrieking behaviors throughout the school day.
He often exhibits these behaviors during group learning activities when he is excited, as a self-stimulatory
behavior, or when he is looking for the attention of an adult in the room. When he shrieks, he almost always
looks at an adult for eye contact or some kind of reaction and smiles even when he is being redirected or

39
asked to have a quiet voice. Despite using thick schedules of reinforcement, including access to preferred
edibles, toys, or activities, this student has continued to engage in this disruptive shrieking.

Adapted Dialogue:

(When in a 1:1 instructional setting, the teacher will engage in this adapted dialogue with Carter)

TEACHER (restate; remind; examine the cause): Carter, I notice that when you are very excited, or when
you want attention, you will scream and make loud noises. This can distract your friends and make it hard
for them to hear. It also makes it hard for you to hear me. Let’s find a better way for you to get my attention
or tell me that you are happy.

TEACHER (redirect): When you want my attention, you can gently tap my side (show a visual of a student
tapping an adult gently). Then, I know you want me to look at you or play with you, or that you have
something to say. Let’s practice this.

Reinforce: (The teacher allows Carter to practice tapping her to grab her attention. The teacher provides
partial physical hand-over-hand prompting to really show Carter what a gentle touch looks and feels like.
Each time he uses a gentle tap, the teacher turns her whole body, looks at Carter’s eyes, and says “I love
how you told me quietly that you wanted me to look at you!” “You seem so happy Carter! I am glad you are
feeling happy!” or “Did you want to tell or show me something, Carter?” with a genuine and excited tone.
The teacher immediately presents his picture exchange communication book, allowing Carter to scan the
pictures and point to one if there is something specific he wants. Gradually, the teacher reduces the level of
prompting she provides to Carter, shifting from hand-over-hand prompting to a simple gesture from his
hand to her side, and finally, removing the prompt altogether.)

TEACHER: You can also try raising your hand during morning circle. If you put your arms up in the air with
a quiet voice, it shows me that you want me to look at you. Let’s practice putting your arms up, and I’ll
practice showing you that I see you.

Reinforce: (The teacher allows Carter to practice raising his arms to garner her attention. The teacher
provides a model prompt by raising her own arms to cue Carter to do the same. When he raises his arms,
the teacher turns her whole body and face to Carter and provides genuine positive attention by saying “I
can see you want to share something with me,” or “Nice raising your arms, Carter.” The teacher
immediately presents his picture exchange communication book, allowing Carter to scan the pictures and
point to one if there is something specific he wants. Gradually, the teacher reduces the level of prompting
she provides to Carter, shifting from hand-over-hand prompting to a simple gesture from his hand to her
side, and finally, removing the prompt altogether.)

TEACHER (reinforce): I love how you practiced getting my attention. (Restate; label the emotion, examine
the cause) I also notice that when you get very excited, you will scream and make loud noises. I love that
you are so happy in school! How about, when you’re excited, you show me a silent clap.

(The teacher demonstrates the ASL sign for “applause”)

TEACHER: Let’s practice this together!

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Reinforce: (The teacher models the sign for “applause” again. She encourages Carter to practice
demonstrating this sign. Each time he demonstrates the sign, she excitedly exclaims “You look so happy!”
or “I’m glad you’re feeling so excited!” She also reinforces this behavior by saying things like “I love that you
have a quiet voice even though you are so excited!” or “Nice job showing me silent clapping!”

TEACHER: Let’s look at this book that’s just for you, where you can see all the ways you can show me that
you want my attention!

Reinforce: (The teacher hands Carter a small flip book, with visuals depicting several ways Carter can
gather his teacher’s attention. The teacher verbally explains each picture, reminding Carter of each way he
can gather his teacher’s attention.)

TEACHER: Let’s put this book in a place you can always find it.

(The teacher shows Carter where his book will be kept in the room. This is a space which is constantly
accessible to Carter so that he may reference it as needed.)

TEACHER (use positive words): Carter, I am so proud you! You are working really hard to learn these new
ways of showing me you want me to pay attention to you. We can keep on practicing these skills. Great job
today!

❑ Consider assertive techniques, verbal language strategies, and ways to uphold high behavioral
expectations

- 3 R’s
o The “Three R’s” to support and uphold high behavioral expectations. The first “R” stands
for “remind,” in which teachers use specific and direct language to remind students of what
they should be doing. (i.e. “We can begin when I see everyone has looking eyes, listening
ears, and calm bodies.”) The second “R” stands for “redirect,” in which teachers provide
steering for students to bring them back onto task. Finally, the third “R” stands for
“reinforce”, in which teachers provide positive feedback and some kind of reward (access
to a highly preferred activity, toy, or snack) when they observe students upholding their
high behavioral expectations. This Skinnerian technique helps to shape student behavior,
reinforcing appropriate behavior while simultaneously reducing the amount of time
students can engage in disruptive or defiant behavior.
- Proximity
o Moving closer to students who are engaging in disruptive/distracting behavior
o Stand behind students who may be looking to leave the table, leave an activity
- Tone/body language
o Strong voice, slightly raise voice when providing redirection/
discipline reminders
- Encourage students to self-monitor
o Mini-lessons/unit on self-regulation/self-management
strategies
o Mood Meter (NAEYC, 2017)
o Self-management posters on wall (see examples below)

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- Situational assistance
o Help students clean up with hand-over-hand prompt for first two items they need to put
back into the box
o Provide gestural prompts (i.e. pointing at a puzzle piece and then pointing to the box
where it should be placed during clean up) while continuing to deliver instruction to the
whole class
- Tight transitions
o “When the timer goes off, you’re going to put crayons down and put eyes on me”
o “One, two, three, eyes on me”
- Build rapport through positive and consistent interactions

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 Tier 3:
Supportive Procedures

• Strategies for managing behaviors in the

classroom
• Sample case study
• Sample behavior intervention plan
• Tools, tactile devises, social skills activities,
therapeutic treatment, replacement behaviors,
contracts

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 Tier 3: Supportive Procedures (1-5% of students)

❑ Describe this tier and its purpose as it relates to school-wide and classroom management

The purpose of Tier 3 is to support students who demonstrate several behavior challenges in the classroom
and targets the 1-5% of students who do not respond to Tier 1 or Tier 2 interventions. These students
require specific, individualized interventions to deal with challenging behaviors, and these interventions
should be taught on an individual basis. Intervention strategies for supportive management aim to reduce
safety concerns, damage to the classroom and/or materials in the classroom, and to prevent students from
derailing instruction or interfering with their own/others learning.

❑ Describe students being targeted and why these students present a management challenge

Students who require Tier 3 interventions often display emotional deficits or have a poor locus of control.
Examples of behaviors that may be managed through Tier 3 interventions include meltdowns, physical
aggression, property damage, dropping to the floor, screaming, throwing/flipping materials/furniture, fighting,
threatening, self-injurious behaviors, and/or running/walking out of the classroom. Further, these students
often have poor anger management and/or coping skills, are impulsive, and have limited self-awareness.
Behavior escalation can be broken down into six sections. First is the calm phase, in which students are
relatively calm and cooperative. Teachers should try to maintain this phase via preventative measures. Next
is the trigger/agitation phase, in which a student experiences something which generates stress or anxiety.
The third phase is acceleration, in which the student becomes increasingly defensive, hostile, unfocused,
and/or upset. The fourth phase is peak, in which the student acts out or exhibits extreme behaviors. Following
the peak is the de-escalation phase, in which the energy level of the student drops following the crisis, and
the teacher should help to reduce the tension that the student is experiencing. Finally, the recovery phase is
the phase in which students may feel shame, sorrow, fear, or regret, and where teachers should focus on
therapeutically debriefing the student as well as work with the student to teach replacement behaviors.

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❑ Describe the top 5 strategies to help students manage/control behavior in the classroom (include
examples)

1. Brain Breaks/Sensory Breaks

Brain breaks/sensory breaks can be used to provide students with an alternative to inappropriate
behaviors in a moment where they are beginning to escalate. When students are showing signs of agitation,
disruption, or off-task behavior, teachers can present an opportunity for a break in which students can work to
re-regulate themselves. Students can either point to a desired brain break on a poster or in a picture
communication book, or choose a brain break activity from a wheel or bucket or randomized brain breaks.
Brain break activities can include activities such as “10 jumping jacks,” “break in the sensory corner,” “find a
sensory toy,” “five-minute yoga break,” “trip to the sensory hall,” and others.

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 2. Mood Meter

A mood meter is a concrete visual tool which can help students to label and discuss their feelings. It
can also help to encourage a more nuanced and robust conversation about feelings and shift them away from
simple labels like “mad” and “happy” to more context-appropriate labels such as “frustrated” or “anxious.” The
horizontal axis of a mood meter provides a scale of pleasantness (this feels good vs. this feels bad), while the
vertical axis provides a scale of energy that we feel (high energy vs. low energy). The mood meter can be
hung in the classroom where all students can see it, and emotion labels should be added to each appropriate
quadrant as they are encountered or discussed throughout the schoolyear. Students can also have
individualized mood meters which they can keep at their desks, in their cubbies, or in their picture
communication books, and should be encouraged to move an indicator around the mood meter as they feel
their emotions changing throughout the day. This can help students to self-monitor their own emotions, as
well as provide insight to teachers as to how students are feeling throughout the day.

3. Teach Coping Skills

Teaching coping skills have help students improve their self-control, and also help encourage them to
self-monitor. Often, students can struggle with impulse- and/or self-control due to learning differences, social-
pragmatic disorders, developmental delays, frustration, or difficulties in their home life. Over time, teachers
can gradually release the responsibility of suggesting coping skills and strategies from themselves to the
student. Some ways that teachers can help to encourage coping skills is to give words to feelings by labeling
and discussing them. Asking students questions such as “How are you feeling right now? “Where in your
body do you feel it?” and “What do you think caused this feeling?” and allowing them to answer verbally,

46
gesturally, or visually (e.g., drawing, writing, etc.) provides students with multiple means of representation.
Further, scaffolding students in determining and labeling their own triggers are can help them develop self-
monitoring strategies and prevent future meltdowns by avoiding trigger events. Teachers can provide
students with suggestions of coping strategies for big emotions, such as taking a break, taking five deep belly
breaths, doing jumping jacks, telling a teacher, using your words, etc. These coping strategies should be
posted on the classroom using visuals, posters, and anchor charts, such as those featured below.

4. Emotional First Aid

Emotional first aid is a strategy that can be used for on-the-spot support for a student who may be
entering an emotional crisis. Allowing students to vent or discuss his/her emotions without interfering or trying
to change the way he/she is feeling. Teachers can then support students by sorting through events and

47
putting the problem in perspective (e.g., “I can definitely understand how you feel that way. As an outsider, I
see it like this: ______” or “I hear what you’re saying. Do you think maybe you think this way because you are
feeling ________”)? Teachers should help students to communicate about their feelings, or to communicate
about anything, regardless of the topic. This can help to distract students from the upsetting situation or
trigger event. Teachers can then help students regulate by providing consistent application of rules and
guidelines in a calm, patient manner, or by offering choices or strategies they can use to help them to enter a
more comfortable emotional state (e.g., suggest yoga/mindfulness techniques, yoga strategies, sensory
breaks, etc.). Finally, teachers can aid in resolving a situation by using their best judgement to make a fair
decision after reviewing all information related to the situation. Emotional first aid strategies can be hung in
the classroom to remind students of things that can happen when they are feeling “out of control,” as well as
to remind staff members of ways they can help students in response to serious emotions.

5. Behavior Management Chart

Behavior management should list the appropriate behaviors that a student should engage in
throughout the day and can be tailored to each individual student’s behavioral needs and expectations.
These charts can be completed with teachers and students in tandem, allowing students to self-assess and
self-monitor. Examples of behaviors that can be targeted on the behavior chart include “I used an inside
voice,” “I kept my hands to myself,” or, “I used kind words,” amongst others. Each student’s behavior
management chart can be outfitted to target their specific behavioral needs and can be kept in a private
space which is shared between only that student and the teacher. Behavior management charts can be
visited at specific checkpoints throughout the day/week (e.g., on an hourly schedule), at the end of each day,
or at the end of each week.

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 6. Behavior Contracts

These contracts should be largely informal, kid-friendly, as act as a sort of “reward form”. Behavior
contracts should feature the following information:

1. Target/expected behavior
a. 3-5 behaviors
2. Specific criteria
a. Time
b. Specific actions they should complete
3. Teaching
a. Alternatives
b. Replacements
4. Reward
a. Must be student-selected
b. Rewards can be tiered (small, medium, large)
c. Frequency of delivery should be outlined
5. Consequences
a. Phrased like a back-up plan
6. Follow-up
a. Check-in
b. Tweak contract

❑ Include a behavior intervention plan/contract based a student case study

Case Study: Carter is a four year, eight-month-old boy who attends 6:1:2 (student-to-teacher-to-
paraprofessional) (variance: 7) school in a specialized preschool program. This is a program focused on
utilizing principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for instruction. Carter’s classroom has a total of seven
students, one head teacher, and two teaching assistants. There are no one-to-one aides present in his
classroom. Carter has a history of lead poisoning, a diagnosis of mild to moderate autism spectrum
disorder, speech delays, and overall developmental delays. Carter is a bright, bubbly young boy who
enjoys playing with small manipulative toys such as cotton balls and stickers. Carter is functionally non-
verbal; however, he often makes spontaneous vocalizations and pre-word speech sounds such as “ga,”
“da-da,” “shu,” “ma-ma,” amongst others. He is learning to use a picture exchange communication book in
order to communicate his wants and needs to his teachers. Although non-verbal, Carter appears to be very
deliberate in his jargon, and will often approach a teacher or student, look them in the eye, and begin to
babble in a way that seems very intentional. It seems that Carter knows what it is he would like to say but is
physically unable to produce the sounds necessary for functional communication. He frequently uses
gestures such as pointing to or touching to try to communicate, and makes excellent eye contact, especially
with adults. He was transferred into his current classroom from another room in the same school in mid-
October. The weekend before he was moved into his new classroom, his mother gave birth to his baby
sister, who is now approximately one-month old. His new baby sister is Carter’s first and only sibling.
Carter demonstrates several challenging behaviors that hinder his success in the classroom. One
of his most challenging behaviors is screaming and shrieking. During learning activities, free play, and other
times throughout the day, Carter will often scream or shriek as loudly as he can. These shrieks can be
sustained for as long as 10-15 seconds at a time, and often occur in clusters (e.g., five ten-to-fifteen-

49
second shrieks over the course of two minutes). This behavior is most often exhibited during group
activities such as morning circle time or structured group parallel play, and also happens very frequently
when Carter is engaging in free play as other students receive one-to-one instruction. Carter will often use
this shrieking behavior in order to gain attention from his peers or teachers. Carter is not normally upset or
sad when he begins to scream; in contrast, he is usually smiling or laughing whilst screaming. This
screaming behavior inhibits Carter’s ability to engage in learning activities, follow directions, hear his name
being called, or play functionally with his peers. Additionally, his shrieking poses a serious distraction for
many students, as they become unable to hear and/or focus on their instructional tasks while he is
screaming. Two students in this class who experience severe sensory defensiveness are triggered by loud
noises, and often, Carter’s shrieking results in a chain reaction throughout the room where many students
end up distressed, distracted, and/or crying.

Behavior Intervention Plan:

Background Information Carter is a four year, eight-month-old boy with a
(Include any information helpful in designing the history of lead poisoning, a diagnosis of mild to
behavior plan that does not fit into another moderate autism spectrum disorder, speech
category) delays, and overall developmental delays. Carter is
functionally non-verbal; however, he often makes
spontaneous vocalizations and pre-word speech
sounds such as “ga,” “da-da,” “shu,” “ma-ma,”
amongst others. He is learning to use a picture
exchange communication book in order to
communicate his wants and needs to his teachers.
Although non-verbal, Carter appears to be very
deliberate in his jargon, and will often approach a
teacher or student, look them in the eye, and begin
to babble in a way that seems very intentional. It
seems that Carter knows what it is he would like to
say but is physically unable to produce the sounds
necessary for functional communication. He
frequently uses gestures such as pointing to or
touching to try to communicate, and makes
excellent eye contact, especially with adults. He
was transferred into his current classroom from
another room in the same school in mid-October.
The weekend before he was moved into his new
classroom, his mother gave birth to his baby sister,
who is now approximately one-month old. His new
baby sister is Carter’s first and only sibling.
Strengths and Interests Carter is a bright, bubbly young boy who enjoys
(To be used throughout the behavior intervention playing with small manipulative toys such as cotton
plan for reinforcers, interest-based curriculum, and balls and stickers. He also enjoys playing with Hot
so on) wheels cars, and likes snacks such as Oreos,
Doritos, Chips Ahoy, and fruit snacks.

50
 Problem behaviors Carter frequently engages in screaming/shrieking
(Operationally define to pass the stranger test, and behaviors. Carter will suddenly begin to shriek as
provide baseline if possible) loudly as he can, making a trilling siren-sounding
noise. Carter typically appears happy or excited
when engaging in this shrieking behavior, often
smiling and looking to a teacher. These shrieks
can be sustained for as long as 10-15 seconds at a
time, and often occur in clusters (e.g., five ten-to-
fifteen-second shrieks over the course of two
minutes).
Setting events and triggering antecedents Carter’s screaming behavior occurs most
frequently during;
- Group learning activities
- Morning circle
- Group parallel play
- Free play
Maintaining consequences Carter has typically been given attention at home
(What is the naturally occurring payoff?) and in school with his previous teacher when
exhibiting this screaming/shrieking behavior, as
both have reported providing negative attention
such as a verbal reprimand or a stern look/eye
contact.
Hypothesized functions Carter demonstrates this screaming/shrieking
behavior to:
- Gain attention from adults in the classroom
- Communicate feelings of excitement or joy

Replacement behavior suggestions:

• Tap teachers’ shoulder/arm to get attention
• Raise arms to cue teachers that you want attention/are excited
• Use picture communication book to show teacher what you want/that you want attention
• Use a sign language cue for “look at me” to gain teachers’ attention
• Use the sign for “clapping” to demonstrate excitement

Teachers should scaffold Carter’s ability to demonstrate these behaviors through simulations/acting it out.
Reinforce each step toward gaining attention in a more appropriate manner. Provide genuine praise and
attention for each time Carter utilizes one of these replacement behaviors. Provide access to Carter’s
highly preferred reinforcers when he uses his replacement behaviors or self-corrects his screaming
behavior and instead uses an alternative.

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Sample Behavior Management Contract + Plan

_______________’s Plan
(name)

Did I… Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Unpack my
belongings
without
screaming?
Use an inside
voice during circle
time?
Work quietly
during one-to-one
instruction?
Use an inside
voice during free
play?
Use an inside
voice during group
activities?
Use a silent sign
to tell my teachers
I want attention?
Use a silent sign
to tell my teachers
I am excited?
Teacher
Signature:

I made this plan with my teacher and I promise to try my best to follow it during school.
When I reach 15 ☺s, I will earn ________________.
My Signature: _________________.

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❑ Consider tools, tactile devices, social skills activities, therapeutic treatment, replacement behaviors,
contracts
• Flexible seating options

• Social Stories

53
• Tactile wall

• Sensory Bucket/bin filled with sensory toys, fidget toys, and other tactile experiences

54
55
• Cozy Corner/Sensory Cooldown Zone

56
 References

Jones, V. (2015). Practical classroom management. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.
Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion: 49 Techniques that put students on the path to college. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Marzano, R.J., and Marzano, J.S. (2003). The key to classroom management. Educational Leadership 61(1),
6-13.
Skinner, B. F. (1957). Verbal behavior. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.
Skinner, B. F. (1965). Science and human behavior (No. 92904). Simon and Schuster.
Stio, S. (2019). Classroom management for special education [Powerpoint slides].
Stio, S. (2019). Discipline with dignity [Powerpoint slides].
Stio, S. (2019). Establishing classroom harmony [Class handout].
Stio, S. (2019). How should we handle disruptive and defiant behavior? [Powerpoint slides].
Stio, S. (2019). Managing severe behavior [Powerpoint slides].
Stio, S. (2019). Setting and maintaining high behavioral expectations [Powerpoint slides].
Stio, S. (2019). Some positive responses to student misbehavior [Class handout].
Stio, S. (2019). The behavior escalation model [Class handout].
Stio. S. (2019). What are school based approaches to management? [Powerpoint slides].
Stio, S. (2019). What are the guidelines for creating a positive classroom environment? [Powerpoint slides].
Tominey, S., O'Bryon, E., Rivers, S., & Shapes, S. (2017, March). Teaching Emotional Intelligence in Early
Childhood. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/mar2017/teaching-
emotional-intelligence.

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