Behavior Bulletin

February 5, 2025

Welcome

The Behavior Bulletin aims to empower campus leaders in coaching classroom teachers to improve student behavior and outcomes. By providing resources, training, and support, we aim to equip educators with the tools they need to create positive and supportive learning environments, reducing the isolation teachers often feel when dealing with discipline challenges.

Weekly Behavior Tip

Scenario

Do you have students experiencing disengagement, meltdowns and/or restlessness when faced with challenging or non-preferred material? How can we help them overcome anxiety and disengagement?

Your partner teacher mentioned that when students put their heads down, or begin fidgeting, tapping, and other visible frustration signals a need for a structured break...but what is that?

Structured Breaks

A break is used for students to calm down and relax in order to regain focus and concentration in academic and social settings. At a Tier 1 level, classroom breaks are part of the classroom management procedures. Students may utilize break areas and calming kits in the classroom when they become agitated. A Tier 2 break plan is more formalized. It is a plan with defined procedures and may take place outside of the classroom.

Breaks can be simply turning work over for 1-2 minutes or running an errand for the teacher. Breaks should not exceed 5 minutes. By teaching students to request a break and when to request a break may reduce the frequency of off-task and disruptive behavior. This intervention works with students who are taking breaks on their own by teaching an appropriate way to ask for a break.

Elementary Example:

Seconday Example:

Why It Works

Provides students with a cool down time
Allows students time away from a stressful or potentially stressful situation
It can help avoid a power struggle between you and the student
Helps students with poor attention and focus
Gives kids that need sensory input an opportunity to gain sensory input
Gives fidgety kids and those who have trouble sitting still for periods an opportunity to get up and move

Implementation Steps

Establish clear break signals: visual (like a 'break' card) or verbal. Recognize that frustrated students may struggle to articulate needs; teach them alternative methods to request a break.
Teach students to identify when they need a break and to request it either verbally or through a designated nonverbal signal.
The adult/teacher will grant the break request.
A timer will be set for the student (3-5 minutes).
Once the timer goes off, the student will return to working.
The adult/teacher should praise the student for requesting a break and returning to working after the timer has gone off.
Breaks can be denied as the student learns how the process works and the meaning behind the break request.
If student does not return promptly after the timer has gone off, the process should be retaught to the student before the student requests a break the next time.

Structured Breaks / Break Cards Tools

Selecting Break Activities - What Can Students Do While On Break?

Sample Break Card Variations - Options For Visuals

5 Point Scale- Help Students Identify a Need For a Break

Tips For Implementation

Breaks should not be confused with reward activities. They should be “neutral” in terms of reward value - not a punishment, not a reward. It is a time to calm down, re-focus, and get back on track.

✔ Ensure the student knows how long a break can be, where it can take place, and what must happen before and after the break.

✔ If possible, let the student help set the parameters, including how many break cards he gets a day or how many times a day he can use a break card.

✔ Be aware that the student may excessively use the cards at the beginning as he gets used to the strategy.

✔ Don't let the student use a card to completely escape an assignment.

✔ Make sure the strategy is at the student's developmental level.

✔ Keep track of how frequently the student uses a card with a data collection sheet.

Research-Based Resources

Researched Based Supports for Additional Learning:

Key Studies to Support Intervention Effectiveness:

Collins, T. A., Cook, C. R., Dart, E. H., Socie, D. G., Renshaw, T. L., & Long, A. C. (2015). Improving classroom engagement among high school students with disruptive behavior. Evaluation of the class pass intervention. Psychology in the Schools, 53(2), 204-219. Cook, C. R., Collins, T. A., Dart, E., Vance, M. J., McIntosh, K., Grady, E. A., & Decano, P. (2014). Evaluation of the class pass intervention for typically developing students with hypothesized escape-motivated disruptive classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 51(2), 107-125. Packenham, M., Shute, R., & Reid, R. (2004). A truncated functional behavioral assessment procedure for children with disruptive classroom behaviors. Education and Treatment of Children, 27(1), 9-25.

MTSS

This plan outlines a comprehensive MTSS - Behavior framework to proactively address challenging student behavior in Tomball ISD. MTSS utilizes a tiered approach, providing increasingly intensive interventions based on individual student needs.

TISD MTSS Behavior Process

Behavior MTSS PLC Agenda

STOIC Checklist

SABERS Information

OTHER RESOURCES

TISD Restraint and Timeout Policy

Exclusionary Discipline Rubric

Trauma Informed Checklist

STOIC- List of Mild Consequences

Questions to Consider for Disproportionality

Restorative Discipline

District Goal for 24-25: 15%

Current Standing: 13.29%

RD Leaders!

THS - 11.34%

GLJHS - 16.04%

OIS - 27.63%

The 40% Club! WEST, WES, & RES!!

Phillip's RD Resources HUB

Trainings

NVCI Training

Reminder: Your certification is valid for 30 days after the expiration date listed on your blue card. If you wait until after your 30 day grace period you will need to take the initial training. Please check your dates! AM refreshers are 9-12; PM refreshers are 1-4.