17 Strategies to Help Students Who Do Not Behave Appropriately

Are you looking for strategies to help students who do not behave appropriately? If so, keep reading.

1. Assess the appropriateness of the task to determine(a) if the task is too easy, (b) if the task is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the task is sufficient.

2. Minimize stimuli that would contribute to unrelated or unacceptable behavior(e.g., testing situations, peers, physical learning activities, etc.).

3. Talk regularly with the learner to keep involvement.

4. Organize the learner’s surroundings so that time does not permit unrelated or unacceptable behavior to happen.

5. Provide the learner with duties to keep them actively involved in the learning experience.

6. Alter or adjust situations that cause the learner to demonstrate unrelated or unacceptable behavior(e.g., keep the learner from becoming overstimulated in learning activities ).

7. Make the appropriate adjustments in their surroundings to prevent the learner from experiencing stress, frustration, anger, etc., as much as possible.

8. Minimize distracting stimuli(e.g., place the learner in the front row, give a table or quiet space away from distractions, etc.). This is used as a way of reducing distracting stimuli, not as a punishment.

9. Select a peer to model on-task behavior for the learner.

10. Talk regularly with the learner to, keep their attention on the learning experience (e.g., ask the learner questions, ask the learner’s opinions, stand near the learner, seat the learner near the teacher’s desk, etc.).

11. Display socially acceptable behavior for the learner (e.g., pat on the back, handshake, etc.).

12. Provide a consistent routine (schedule).

13. Make sure that reinforcement is not provided for the learner’s unacceptable remarks or behaviors (e.g., paying attention to the learner only when they show behaviors that are unacceptable to the situation).

14. Stop the learner from becoming overstimulated by a learning experience(e.g., monitor or supervise learner behavior to limit overstimulation in physical learning activities, games, parties, etc.).

15. Assist the learner in creating attention-keeping behaviors (e.g., keep eye contact, notes on the subject, ask questions related to the subject, etc.).

16. Consider using an adaptive behavior management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

17. Click here to learn about six bonus strategies for challenging problem behaviors and mastering classroom management.