Behavior Support for ALL students
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read through a student’s Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) and found basic accommodations and behavioral strategies that should already be in place in the classroom. It makes me wonder: if this student had these supports from the start, would they even need a behavior plan?
If you ask me, behavior support starts with prevention. It requires educators to skillfully anticipate students’ needs, recognize their emotional states, and adjust their approach based on moment-to-moment observations in the classroom.
It’s not an easy job, but from my own experience, the following supports are fairly simple to implement—and they can prevent a lot of challenging behavior before it starts.
1. Create a Designated Regulation Space
A calm, neutral space within the classroom gives students the option to step away, self-regulate, and return when ready. You WILL need to teach students how to use this space, and I recommend checking this book out for great tips on how to set it up (note: I have no affiliation with this book or with Amazon).
2. Schedule Whole Group Movement Breaks
Movement breaks aren’t just for students with high energy—they help the whole class reset, refocus, and re-engage. Building these breaks into your routine can improve attention and reduce disruptive behavior.
3. Offer Flexible Seating Options
Not all students learn best in a traditional desk and chair. Providing options like standing desks, floor seating, or stability balls gives students some autonomy over their learning environment and can help improve focus and comfort.
4. Incorporate Student Choice Within Assignments
Allowing students to choose between tasks, formats, or topics within an assignment fosters ownership and motivation. When students have a voice in their learning, engagement often increases, and resistance decreases.
5. Connect Learning to Real-Life Examples
When students can see how lessons apply to their lives, the material becomes more meaningful. This relevance increases buy-in and can prevent off-task behaviors rooted in disinterest or lack of understanding. When I used to teach, I always encouraged my students to question how they would use this learning in real life (and they did!). It was a great exercise for both of us and a reminder that we all need to know why a skill is useful in order to be bought into learning it.
So, if you’re an educator (or a school behavior analyst) looking to make your job a little easier, start with these preventative strategies and supports. I’d love to hear how they work for you!
-Alli
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