Self+Monitoring+Behavior

 Self monitoring behavior strategies are good ways to shape students and their behaviors. “Students with behavioral and academic difficulties typically have limited awareness and understanding of their own behavior and its effects on others. Self monitoring interventions equip students to recognize and keep track of their behavior. Using these strategies, students can learn to identify and increase positive, pro-social behaviors” (Impact). These are the types of behaviors that will help students become successful in the classroom. Self-monitoring interventions are incredibly flexible, useful, and effective for students who struggle with behavior or academics. Strategies and interventions have been proven to work on children from preschool to adulthood. Students with disabilities can benefit from these interventions. “Self-monitoring interventions foster independent functioning, which allows individuals with disabilities to rely less on prompts from others” (Impact).  There are five steps to planning a self-monitoring intervention. The first is to identify the target behavior. The second is to select and design a self-monitoring system. The third is to choose reinforces and how the student will earn them. The fourth step is to teach the student to use the system, and the last step is to fade the rod of the adult in the intervention (Impact).  When choosing the behavior you want to monitor, you need to keep in mind that reinforcing good behavior is more productive that punishing bad behavior. When you are trying to teach a student to “appropriately” raise their hand when they have an answer or question, they should be reinforced when they do it correctly. They shouldn’t be punished when it isn’t done in an appropriate manner. The self monitoring part comes into play because the student will simply keep a chart of the times he is successful in his goal. If he is working on sitting in his desk when the bell rings, he could place a sticker on his chart every time it was done. Frequent reinforcement is required at the beginning of an intervention. For some students that could be simply giving themselves a check mark, others need a high five from the teacher. There are different types of reinforcement for different types of students. “ For example, in the classroom a student may use a system in which she gives herself a check for every five minutes she spends on-task. When she has four checks, she brings the paper to her teacher and is complimented on work well done. Self-recruited praise is especially useful for students whose disruptive behavior is used to gain attention from teachers. However, it is important to determine that a student finds praise reinforcing. Many students, particularly adolescents, may prefer not to receive overt teacher attention; using teacher attention in such a situation as a reward could actually worsen behavior” (Impact).  Once reinforcement and praise is figured out, there needs to be a discussion between the teacher and the students as to what would qualify as the desired behavior and what wouldn’t. This will help the students and teacher be on the same page and allow the students to know exactly what is desired. When students are involved in the planning, many times they become more invested in the intervention. Communication must be open between the teacher and the students so that they can compare their information. The teacher must give the student feedback as to how they feel the student has filled out their tally sheet or whatever their chart may be.  As the student becomes better at the desired action or behavior, the reinforcers should start to diminish, but the expectation of behavior will not. Teachers need to figure out where the student’s level of independence is at its maximum and is still successful. As with many techniques in the classroom, no two plans will work the same. They are tailored to individual students. Teachers must learn what is positive and reinforcement for them. A student who hates attention would not be reinforced by public acknowledgment in front of peers. []

The picture below is a chart for a student who is learning to raise their hand, work quietly, and remain in their seat.