Changing Behaviors by Changing the Classroom Environment Essay

M any teachers face roiled manner in their schoolrooms. They ar left with the misgiving how can they key and change the task beas in the schoolroom milieu in order to change the deportment? By collecting selective information on students employment during instruction, degenerate behaviour, and teacher observations, teachers can identify which personal aspects of their schoolrooms need to be improved. unmatchable of the challenges teachers face is dissipated deportment in their schoolrooms.A survey conducted in 2004 showed that 75% of the teachers noted that they would spend more era teaching effectively if they had less disruptive behavior in their classrooms (public agenda, 2004). Examples of these disruptive behaviors include, speech with disclose permission and getting prohibited of the seat. other challenge for the teachers is to find classroom vigilance strategies that are proactive, preventative and relatively prospering to implement and which provid e minimal recess to the classroom.There are different move to changing the milieu of a classroom. The frontmost meter is to observe Finding out things like what types of behaviors occur in your classroom, when are most disruptive behaviors occurring, the time of sidereal day and under which type of circumstances? Where is disruptive behavior occurring? Are students able to puzzle out stray at desks without distractions? Are students able to work in group areas without distractions from the surrounding milieu?The second step is to modify This entails providing areas for person-to-person station (Hood-Smith & Leffing swell, 1983, Visser, 2001), changing or change magnitude placement of stimulating visuals, making hold pathways between students and high trafficked areas (Visser, 2001 Weinstein, 1979), addressing acoustic prime(a) in the classroom by eliminating objects that heighten background noise, modify classroom mood by adjusting lighting, air flow, and temperature. The last step is following up these include questions like, are you using the modifications correctly?Are the modifications macrocosm used consistently? Do any modifications need rearranging, changing, or removal? Do you need to implement additional modifications? Investigations give been done by researchers on the relationship between the classroom milieu, student behavior and donnish scrap (Hood-Smith & Leffingwell, 1983 Visser, 2001). A well organized classroom permits more electropositive interactions between teachers and children, reducing the probability that gainsay behaviors will occur (Martella, Nelson & Marchand-Martella, 2003).In addition, modifying the classroom environment may serve as a direct intervention for children who award ongoing disruptive behavior (Conroy, Davis, give & Brown, 2002). Although the well designed classroom has turn out benefits, there is little research on the carry on environmental modifications have on behavior and learning (Guardin o,2009 Schilling &Schwartz, 2004). Modifications of the environment are preventatives, whole class draw close that may decrease chronic behavior problems, prevent behavior problems for students who are at risk, and allow children with minimal behavior to gateway learning without interruption.Although environmental modifications are an of the essence(p) part of classroom management, many teachers are not aware of the process of implementing them. A guinea pig study was done on Ms. Thompson a fourth grade teacher and her class. The students exhibited high levels of disruptive behavior. During the baseline phase, data on the overall classroom academic meshing and disruptive behavior was serene. Ms. Thompson helped in defining academic as purposive attention such as face lift a hand or tell a question and disruptive behavior as speaking without permission, getting out of seat or non compliance to the teachers directions.During the two weeks of data collection academic engagem ent and disruptive behavior was measured. Ms. Thompson directed a mini-reading lesson, later on which students worked independently. The observation sessions were 15 minutes long during this period some instances were noted where one or more students were not academically engaged during any 15 seconds interval. after(prenominal) the observation, discussions on how to improve the environment were done with Ms. Thompson for example, seating arrangement, creating group space etc.These changes were put in place and beginning the following Monday data was collected for 4 weeks. Ms. Thompson also filled a questionnaire regarding her perception of the effectiveness of changing the classroom environment to improve student behavior. After the classroom was modified academic engagement increased and stayed at or 45% as compared to the previous 3%. to begin with the intervention disruptive behavior occurred about 90% of the time but after it reduced but was inconsistent during the final examination observations.Both the questionnaire and a follow up interview relayed Ms Thompsons satisfaction with modifying her classroom environment to improve student behaviors. With the results gotten from the outcome study, it is with no doubt clear that modifications to the classroom environment increased academic engagement and decreased disruptive behavior. References Martella. R. C. Nelson, J. R. , & Marchand-Martella. N. E. (2003). Managing disruptive Behaviors in the school. Boston, MA Allyn & Bacon. Schilling. D. L, & Schwartz, I. S. (2004).Alternative seating for untested children with autism spectrum disorder Effects on classroom behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 423-452. Visser, J. (2001). Aspects of physical purvey for pupils with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Support for Learning. I6 (2). 64-66 Weinstein, C. S. (1979). The physical environment of the school A inspection of research. Review of Educational Research. 49, 577-610. C onroy, M. A. , Davis, C. A. , Fox, J. J.. & Brown, W. H. 2002). Functional sound judgement of behavior and effective supports young children with challenge Behaviors.Assessment for Effective intervention, 2 4j, 35-47. Guardino, C. (2009). Modifying the environment to improve student behaviors A finisher look at classrooms with students who have a hearing bss. Manuscript in preparation. Hood-Smith, N. E. , & Leffingwell, R. J. (1983). The impact of physical space alternation on disruptive classroom behavior A case study. Education. ?04. 224-231. Public Agenda. (2004). Teaching in Wrnipted Do discipline policies in todays public schools foster the common uncorrupted? New York, NY Author. 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