Academic and Behavioral Interventions

Are you looking for strategies to teach students to behave appropriately while sitting at their desk? If so, keep reading.

1. Connect with the student’s parents to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for behaving properly while seated at school.

2. Intervene early and often when there is a problem to prevent a more severe problem from happening.

3. Place the student next to a peer who behaves properly while seated.

4. Provide a full schedule of learning activities. Keeping the student engaged in learning should decrease unacceptable behaviors.

5. Select a peer to model appropriate ways to sit in their seat for the student.

6. Give constant, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Ignore as many unacceptable behaviors as possible.

7. Praise the student for behaving properly in their seat based on the duration of time the student can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

8. Praise the student for behaving properly in their seat: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, passing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

9. Urge the student to create an understanding of themselves and those around him/her. Get the student to periodically step back and ask themselves, “Am I fidgeting and being overactive?”

10. Get the student to make a list of consequences associated with regularly occurring behaviors (e.g., by disrupting others, I will be perceived as unmannerly; by behaving aggressively, I will cause people to avoid me.).

11. Ensure that the student knows the logical consequences that may happen from behaving improperly while seated (e.g., injury, damaging property, hurting others, etc.).

12. Teach the student to think before acting (e.g., they should ask themselves, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?”).

13. Put the student in a carrel to lessen distracting stimuli that may cause the student to behave improperly while seated.

14. Praise those students in the classroom who behave properly while seated.

15. Give the student an easily grasped list of consequences for unacceptable behavior.

16. Minimize the emphasis on competition. Competitive learning activities may cause the student to act improperly while seated.

17. Assess the degree of task difficulty to ascertain whether the student will require additional information, time, assistance, etc., to avoid becoming frustrated and engaging in unacceptable behaviors while seated.

18. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

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

20. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

22. Consider using a socio-emotional learning app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

23. Consider using an emotional intelligence app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

24. Consider using a school counseling app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

Are you looking for genius tricks to motivate students not to steal? If so, keep reading.

1. Utilize a permanent marker to tag all property brought to school by students and teachers.

2. Get the student to make a list of consequences associated with grabbing things away from others (e.g., break something, hurt someone, embarrass self or others, etc.).

3. Make sure other students do not take things forcibly from the student. That may result in them trying to forcibly take things from others.

4. Teach the student how to borrow by lending and requiring the return of those things the student has been taking from others.

5. Teach the student to respect others and their belongings by respecting the student’s belongings.

6. Boost supervision (e.g., by teacher, peer, paraprofessional, etc.) of the student and those learning activities in which they are likely to forcibly take things from others.

7. Get the student to find the situations in which they are likely to act impulsively. After they have identified these situations, have them think of ways to minimize their occurrences.

8. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., not grabbing things away from others) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

9. Make sure the student knows that things they break, destroy, etc., when taking things forcibly will be replaced by him/her.

10. Make sure the student knows the logical consequences of unacceptable behavior(e.g., the student must make compensation for taking things that belong to others).

11. Teach the student the concept of borrowing by allowing the student to borrow things from you. Require them to ask permission before doing so.

12. Urge the student to consider the consequences of their behavior before engaging in any learning experience.

13. Urge all students to monitor their own belongings.

14. Minimize the chance to take things from other students by restricting students from bringing unnecessary things to school.

15. Provide the student suggestions of things to do (e.g., count to 10, say the alphabet to himself/herself, walk away from the situation and then return, etc.) to avoid taking things from others in a forceful manner.

16. Do not let the student take part in learning activities with those students with whom they have trouble getting along.

17. Be aware of the times when the student is most impulsive (e.g., in a large group of people, when they are angry, etc.) and limit their interactions with others during these times.

18. Be firm, fair, and consistent. Address the student and their behavior in a manner that is as consistent as possible by reacting, in the same manner, each time, using the same consequences, etc.

19. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

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

20. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

23. Consider using a socio-emotional learning app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

24. Consider using an emotional intelligence app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

25. Consider using a school counseling app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

Are you looking for ways to teach students not to steal? If so, keep reading.

1. Make sure that the student does not get away with taking things from others by having them immediately return what they take forcibly.

2. Talk with the student to explain(a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., grabbing things from others) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., asking to use things, borrowing, sharing, returning, etc.).

3. Teach the student acceptable ways to express displeasure, anger, frustration, etc.

4. Observe the student to monitor behavior.

5. Connect with the student’s family to create procedures whereby the student may earn those things they would otherwise take from other students.

6. Teach the student to ask for things positively. Teach keywords and phrases (e.g., “May I borrow your pencil?” “Do you mind if l use your cellphone?” etc.).

7. Take the student away from the learning experience until they can demonstrate appropriate behavior and self-control.

8. Find those things the student has been grabbing from others and give the student those things as reinforcers for appropriate behavior.

9. Urge the student to ask themselves questions to avoid impulsive behavior (e.g., “What should I be doing?” “How do I want to be perceived?”).

10. Urge the student to monitor their impulsivity. Awareness should lessen impulsive behaviors.

11. Teach the student to handle their anger, frustration, disappointment, etc., by walking away from the situation, talking with an adult, etc.

12. Urge the student to verbalize their feelings before losing control (e.g., “I’m starting to act impulsively. I need to walk away from this situation.”).

13. Select a peer who will be an excellent influence on the student (e.g., someone younger/older, of the same/opposite gender, etc.) to take part in learning activities with the student.

14. Remove the student immediately from interacting with others when they begin to take things forcefully.

15. Do not assume the student is being treated nicely by others. Peers may be stimulating unacceptable behavior.

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

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

18. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

20. Consider using a socio-emotional learning app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

21. Consider using an emotional intelligence app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

22. Consider using a school counseling app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

Are you looking for strategies to encourage students not to steal? If so, keep reading.

1. Connect with the student’s parents to disseminate information about the student’s appropriate behavior. Parents may reinforce the student at home for appropriate use or consideration of others’ belongings at school.

2. Intervene early and often when there is a problem to prevent a more severe problem from happening.

3. Urge the student to create an understanding of the consequences of their behavior by writing down or talking through problems that may happen due to their impulsivity (e.g., perceived as unmannerly, avoided, etc.).

4. Urge the student to create an understanding of themselves and those around him/her. Get the student to periodically step back and ask themselves, “Am I behaving impulsively?”

5. Give constant, positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior. Ignore as many unacceptable behaviors as possible.

6. Praise the student for demonstrating appropriate behavior: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, passing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

7. Praise the student for demonstrating appropriate behavior based on the duration of time the student can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

8. Create rules (e.g., be friendly, ask permission to borrow things, share, etc.). These rules should be consistent and followed by everyone in the class. Talk about the rules often.

9. Show the student how to ask permission to use something and how to react if they are told “no.”

10. Arrange for the student to be involved in many learning activities with other students to help them learn the skills appropriate to interact properly with them.

11. Teach the student to think before acting (e.g., they should ask themselves, “What is happening?” “What am I doing?” “What should I do?” “What will be best for me?” etc.).

12. Address the grabbing of belongings privately rather than publicly.

13. Praise those students in the classroom who demonstrate appropriate behavior in reference to others’ belongings.

14. Give the student an easily grasped list of consequences for unacceptable behavior.

15. Assist the student in building or creating a prized possession to satisfy the need for ownership (e.g., this can be done in art, home economics, industrial arts, etc.).

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

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

18. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

20. Consider using a socio-emotional learning app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

21. Consider using an emotional intelligence app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

22. Consider using a school counseling app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

Are you looking for hacks to teach students to take care of their personal property? If so, keep reading.

1. Restrict the student’s chance to use school learning materials if they are unable to care for their own personal property.

2. Make sure that failure to have appropriate learning materials results in loss of the chance to take part in learning activities or a failing grade for that day’s learning experience.

3. Minimize the number of learning materials for which the student is responsible. As the student shows appropriate responsibility for property, increase the number of learning materials for which the student is responsible.

4. Teach the student appropriate use of personal property and learning materials (e.g., scissors; pencils; compass; rulers; and science, industrial arts, and home economic learning materials; etc.).

5. Require that lost or damaged property be replaced by the student. If the student cannot replace the property, compensation can be made by working at school.

6. Make sure that the student is not inadvertently reinforced for losing or damaging property (e.g., replace lost property with used or damaged learning materials, copies of learning materials, etc., rather than new learning materials).

7. Take into account the student’s age and experience when expecting them to care for personal property.

8. Let logical consequences happen due to the student’s failure to care for personal property (e.g., having to write with a crayon because the student lost their pencil, using free time to make up homework that was not turned in, etc.).

9. Be firm, fair, and consistent when expecting the student to care for personal property. Do not let the student get out of caring for personal property one time and expect them to care for personal property the next time.

10. Create a list of written instructions you want the student to follow (e.g., put away pencils and paper, hang up coat, put book bag on the back of your chair, etc.).

11. Get the student to do those things that need to be done when it is discussed instead of later (e.g., “put the lunchbox up now instead of later so that it will not be missing at lunchtime,” etc.).

12. Support the student in performing duties. As the student shows success, slowly require the student to independently assume more responsibility.

13. Make the student care for personal property even though they “forgot” to do so at the established time.

14. Do not expect the student to pick up toys, games, learning materials, etc., that others failed to put away. Urge everyone to pick up toys, games, learning materials, etc.

15. Do not put out additional toys, games, learning materials, etc., for the student if they are not able to care for the things they are using.

16. Give shelving, containers, organizers, etc., for the student’s personal possessions. Tag the storage areas and require the student to keep possessions organized.

17. Restrict the use of those things that the student is careless in using.

18. Establish a time each day for everyone in the room to care for personal property.

Are you looking for strategies to encourage students to take care of their personal property? If so, keep reading.

1. Praise the student for appropriate care of personal property: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

2. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for organization and appropriate use of learning materials at school.

3. Create classroom rules: • Complete every assignment. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

4. Praise the student for appropriate care of personal property based on the duration of time the student can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

5. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., organization and appropriate use of learning materials) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

6. Converse with the student to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., failing to maintain organization or use learning materials appropriately) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., keeping inside of desk organized, organizing learning materials on top of the desk, using learning materials as instructed, etc.).

7. Give the student additional workspace (e.g., a bigger desk or table at which to work).

8. Designate a peer to work directly with the student to serve as a model for appropriate use and organization of learning materials.

9. Give time at the beginning of each day for the student to organize their learning materials.

10. Give time at several points throughout the day for the student to organize their learning materials (e.g., before school, break time, lunch, at the end of the day, etc.).

11. Assess the appropriateness of the task to ascertain (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.

12. Give storage space for learning materials the student is not using.

13. Minimize distracting stimuli(e.g., place the student on the front row, give a table or quiet space away from distractions.). This is used as way to reduce distractions, not as a form of punishment.

14. Talk regularly with the student to urge organizational skills or appropriate use of learning materials.

15. Give the student organizational duties in the classroom (e.g., equipment, software learning materials, etc.).

16. Restrict the student’s access to learning materials (e.g., give only appropriate learning materials to the student).

17. Embody organization and appropriate use of learning materials (e.g., putting learning materials away before getting more out, having a space for all learning materials, keeping an organized desk area, following the daily schedule, etc.).

18. Give sufficient transition time between learning activities for the student to organize himself/herself.

19. Create a routine (schedule) to be followed for organization and appropriate use of learning materials (e.g., give the routine (schedule) for the student in written form or orally review often).

20. Give sufficient time for the conclusion of learning activities.

Are you looking for hacks to encourage students to follow a routine? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to anticipate future tasks and create plans for addressing them.

2. Display the classroom routine (schedule) throughout the classroom (e.g., on the student’s desk, smartboard, bulletin board, etc.).

3. Get the student to perform the same duties each day, week, etc.

4. Give the student a revised schedule of daily activities when there is a change in routine (schedule) that identifies the learning activities for the day and the times when they will happen (e.g., special school assembly schedule, a half-day schedule, etc.).

5. Talk about any appropriate changes in the student’s routine (schedule) well in advance of the occurrence of the changes.

6. Make sure the student can tell time to enable their capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule).

7. Praise the student for demonstrating the capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule): (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., classroom privileges, passing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).

8. Converse with the student to explain (a) what they are doing wrong (e.g., failing to come to class on time, failing to follow the schedule of learning activities, etc.) and (b) what they must be doing (e.g., coming to class on time, following the schedule of learning activities, etc.).

9. Create classroom rules: • Remain on-task. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish tasks. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

10. Praise those students in the classroom who demonstrate the capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule).

11. Praise the student for demonstrating the capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule) based on the duration of time the student can be successful. As the student shows success, slowly increase the duration of time required for reinforcement.

12. Let the student contribute to the development of their routine (schedule) to enable their capacity and ability to follow the routine (schedule) (e.g., have the student determine the order of learning activities ).

13. Give the student an oral reminder of changes in their routine (schedule).

14. Get the student to use a timer to indicate when to change learning activities in their routine (schedule).

15. Ascertain an expected duration of time for each individual learning experience to help the student follow their routine (schedule) (i.e., make sure the student can finish a learning experience in an established duration of time to help them remain within the time restrictions of the routine).

16. Connect with the student’s parents to create a routine (schedule) for the student to follow for getting ready for school, doing chores, finishing homework, etc. This will help the student remember what is expected.

17. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., following the schedule of learning activities ) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

18. Make sure that the student’s daily routine (schedule) is consistent.

19. Teach the student to tell time to enable their capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule).

20. Assess the appropriateness of the routine (schedule) to ascertain (a) if the routine (schedule) is too easy, (b) if the routine (schedule) is too complicated, and (c) if the duration of time scheduled to finish the routine (schedule) is sufficient.

21. Teach problem-solving skills: • Find the problem. • Find the goals and objectives. • Create a strategy/plan for action. • Carry out the plan. • Assess the results.

22. Consider using a classroom management app. Click here to view a list of apps that we recommend.

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

24. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

Are you looking for ways to teach students to follow a routine? If so, keep reading.

1. Get the student to keep written reminders of task sequences.

2. Get the student to create a routine (schedule) for themselves. Support the student in developing a weekly schedule and weekend schedule.

3. Get the student to imagine the steps required to finish a routine (schedule) before starting it.

4. Create rules for working: • Complete on the task at hand. • Complete assignments quietly. • Remain in your seat. • Finish the task. • Meet task expectations. Examine rules often. Praise students for following the rules.

5. Restrict interruptions in the student’s routine (schedule) by persons or activities in the school (e.g., cancellation of classes or learning activities such as art, music, physical education; testing; special services; delays; etc.).

6. Give the student a limited routine (schedule) to follow. As the student shows success, slowly increase the learning activities in the routine (schedule).

7. Give the student an alternative routine (schedule) to follow if they encounter difficulty following their regular routine (schedule).

8. Give the student a schedule of daily activities so that they will know that a learning experience comes next and can prepare for it.

9. Select various people (e.g., parent, school counselor, peer, etc.) to help the student follow a daily routine (schedule).

10. Select a peer to escort the student to other places in the school building that are part of the student’s routine (schedule).

11. Let the student contribute to the development of their routine (schedule) to enable their capacity and ability to follow the routine (schedule) (e.g., have the student determine the order of learning activities ).

12. Select a peer to remind the student when to change learning activities according to their routine (schedule).

13. Be firm, fair, and consistent, expecting the student to follow a routine (schedule). Do not let the student not follow a routine (schedule) one time and expect them to follow a routine (schedule) the next time.

14. Be available for assistance when the student is dealing with changes in their routine (schedule) (e.g., switching semester classes, attending school assembly, etc.).

15. Restrict the student’s duties to increase their capacity and ability to focus on a routine (schedule) (e.g., extracurricular learning activities, part-time job, etc.).

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

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

18. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

Are you looking for strategies to help students who cannot follow a routine? If so, keep reading.

1. Give the student structure for all academic learning activities (e.g., specific instructions, routine (schedule) format for tasks, time limits, etc.).

2. Get the student to define their goals. Support the student in developing specific strategies to achieve their goals and follow through on those strategies.

3. Get the student to ask themselves questions (e.g., “What’s next?”) to keep themselves focused on the daily classroom routine (schedule).

4. Talk about the student’s routine (schedule) with them at the beginning of each day and make sure that they know the expectations.

5. Let the student take part in deciding when changes in their routine (schedule) will happen.

6. Restrict the number of changes in the student’s established routine (schedule). As the student shows success, slowly increase the number of changes in the routine (schedule).

7. Inform the student when it is time to change learning activities to enable their capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule).

8. Make sure that the learning activities in the student’s routine (schedule) are on their capacity and ability level.

9. Make sure that the teacher is a model for following a routine (schedule).

10. Show the student the need to keep flexibility in following a routine (schedule) when changes in the routine (schedule) are required.

11. Make sure the student does not have a lot of unstructured time.

12. Get the student to find a peer who has the capacity and ability to follow a routine (schedule). Urge the student to observe that person and try to model the behaviors that let them follow a routine (schedule) without becoming distracted.

13. Make it a routine (schedule) to periodically review the classroom/school routine (schedule) with the student.

14. Create classroom routine (schedule) (e.g., learning materials ready when class begins, homework turned in before the end of class, etc.).

15. Get the student to use electronic reminders to assist them in following a routine (schedule) (e.g., a programmable watch, computer programs, electronic calendar, etc.).

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

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

18. Consider using Alexa to help the student learn to behave appropriately. Click here to read an article that we wrote on the subject.

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

Are you looking for strategies to help students who cannot fasten their own clothes? If so, keep reading.

1. Select a peer to model fastening pieces of clothing properly for the student.

2. Get the student to question any directions, explanations, or instructions they do not understand.

3. Give the student instruction on fastening articles of clothing.

4. Give the student time to practice fastening their articles of clothing. (The clothing needs to be on the student during practice.)

5. Give the student sufficient time to fasten articles of clothing.

6. Give visual reminders to fasten articles of clothing in appropriate places (e.g., image of zipping, buttoning, snapping, etc.).

7. Praise the student for slowly improving their capacity and ability to fasten pieces of clothing over time rather than expecting total mastery immediately.

8. Give the student a checklist of pieces of clothing to fasten that they finish daily.

9. Put a full-length mirror in the classroom for the student to make sure that all of their pieces of clothing are fastened.

10. Teach the student how to fasten pieces of clothing when buttons are missing, zippers are broken, etc. (e.g., sewing a button back in space, using a safety pin, etc.).

11. Guide the student’s hands through the learning experience of zipping, buttoning, and snapping their own clothing.

12. Get the student to practice fastening pieces of clothing with oversized zippers, buttons, and snaps. As the student shows success, slowly lessen the size of the fasteners.

13. Give the student oral reminders to fasten their articles of clothing.

14. Praise the student at regular intervals throughout the day for having pieces of clothing fastened.

15. Secure pieces of clothing for the student if they are incapable of fastening.

16. Do not embarrass the student by asking them to fasten pieces of clothing in front of peers.

17. 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.

18. Connect with parents (e.g., notes home, phone calls, etc.) to disseminate information about the student’s progress. The parents may reinforce the student at home for fastening pieces of clothing at school.

19. Draft an agreement with the student stipulating what behavior is required (e.g., fastening clothing) and which reinforcement will be implemented when the agreement has been met.

20. Praise those students in the classroom who fasten their articles of clothing.

21. Converse with the student to explain (a) what the student is doing wrong (e.g., failing to fasten clothing) and (b) what the student should be doing (e.g., fastening clothing, etc.).

22. Praise the student for caring for personal appearance: (a) give the student a concrete reward (e.g., privileges such as leading the line, handing out learning materials, 10 minutes of free time, etc.) or (b) give the student an informal reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.).