Overview
When addressing challenging behavior, actively work to maintain your own growth mindset regarding students and their choices. A growth mindset is the belief that people can grow and change—that even if a young person (or adult, for that matter) does something wrong at one point in time, they are always capable of learning and growing. Conveying a growth mindset to students while addressing challenging behavior is a powerful way to show them that you care and believe in them, even though you might not like what they're doing at that moment.
Through this activity you will be able to:
- Reflect on challenging situations and prepare to address them in a way that conveys a growth mindset.
- Demonstrate respect and care for students in challenging situations.
- Provide feedback on student behavior that supports change and growth.
Conducting the Practice
Note: This practice is most effective if implemented each time you encounter challenging behavior from students.
Step 1: Prepare your strategy for addressing behavior
Because challenging behavior tends to unfold quickly in the moment, it's important to prepare how you want to implement this practice ahead of time. Step 1 should be completed in a quiet spot, away from distractions. This will help you be ready to respond in real-time when challenging behaviors arise.
Think of two or three recent instances where you dealt with challenging behavior in your class. Jot down on a piece of paper or in a blank document:
- What happened?
- What specific behavior were you expecting from the student that they weren't showing?
- Describe the behavior you wanted to see as clear and objective as possible, so that a young person would understand exactly what you mean. If you're not sure, you can even workshop these descriptions with colleagues or even other young people (making sure to always keep all details of specific instances confidential). For example, maybe you wanted the young person to save their questions for a more appropriate time, or handle conflict with a peer by stating feelings in calm language.
- Important: make sure to describe the behavior you do want to see, not just what the student did wrong.
- Consider what skills or behaviors the student(s) have the potential to develop that they can internalize. For example, does the student have the potential to share their ideas at appropriate times? How can they learn to do this?
Now, imagine sharing this with the students in question. How can you make your words convey that you know they are capable and trustworthy and believe they can change their behavior? Write out a few hypothetical responses to students that convey this message.
- Ideally, we recommend providing this coaching out of earshot of other students. For example, you may take the student aside during a class activity or speak to them outside in the hallway. This allows them to focus on the conversation with you, without worrying about what their friends may think.
Ask for feedback from a trusted colleague or coach on what you wrote: do they see any opportunities to make your responses convey even more of a growth mindset?
Step 2: Implement your strategy
Now that you have some worked examples for addressing challenging behavior with a growth mindset, you are ready to put them into action.
When you notice challenging behavior occurring, stop yourself before you assign a negative consequence.
Isolate the behavior you are expecting from the student(s) that they aren't showing, mentally referencing your worked examples.
Using the guidelines and worked examples you developed in Step 1 above, provide in-the-moment, positive coaching/instructions for the student(s) on the behaviors or skills they need.
- If you're not sure what to say in the moment, don't worry! It's OK to tell a student that you'll address what just happened in a few minutes, the next day, etc. Sometimes, taking a few minutes to calm down can also help when addressing challenging behavior.
- You will make mistakes and realize your responses to students sometimes don't convey a growth mindset, even when you're trying to do so. This is OK too! When this happens, you can simply move on and try again next time. Or, you can even let the student know that you wish your response had been clearer, or that it had conveyed more trust and respect. Young people often appreciate this kind of honesty from adults.
Once the situation has passed, reflect on the ways you can set students up for success in the future by focusing on what is within your control. You can do this by:
- Modifying the environment in ways that increase the desired behaviors.
- Providing instructions and opportunities for practice necessary for students to engage in desired behaviors.
- Consider any teacher actions that were precursors to the student actions you observed and determine how you could adjust your own behaviors.
Continue to reinforce good behaviors through positive feedback and praise—especially when you notice the specific behaviors that students were coached on.
This practice was adapted from the Teacher Caring Guide developed by the Learning and Development Group at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research in partnership with PERTS.