Re: Treasure box/cluster behaviors

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It is wonderful when the children learn about consequence. I still use it at home - when my child acts up in school or at home then the ipad goes away. I haven't had any real issues for a few years now but it takes lots of patience and all caregivers need to be consistent.Thanks H W Teacher! To: "sList " <sList > Sent: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 2:51 AM Subject: Treasure box/cluster behaviors

TREASURE BOX:

Using the treasure box is usually what we call a "classroom management program" that involves all the students in the room. It is most effective when all the students participate. The box contains highly preferred items that the teacher has put in it ( candy, toys, "gift cards with 30 minutes computer time, etc) . Many parents who are involved in the plan, bring in the items they know their child will work for. It can be part of a PBIP. It can be individualized. The idea is that the children learn to behave well and earn the treasure. The treasure can be handed out every hour, after certain lessons, at the end of the day, at the end of the week or whatever is needed for the teacher or parent to IMPROVE behavior. The purpose is not to hand out things to please the child, but to improve his behavior, and the idea that many children gather around and get items, has an effect.

There are many ways of reinforcing good behavior, and this is only one way the teacher can do it. If he Does this, he Gets that! Very simple and most kids understand that. The assignments or behaviors are clearly defined and the child needs to have the ability to understand what he needs to do. It is therefore often effective with highfunctioning kids who have problem behaviors (ex: do you think you can get through the entire week without spitting on ? If so, you will get treasure box at 2 pm Friday. Deal?) The impulsive child may have been in time-out for spitting that week, but on Friday, when he sees his peers getting a treasure, he may think twice about spitting the following week. In other words, the treasure box may be much more effective than time-out or a bad home-note.

At home parents may do the same with their kids:" There is ice cream in the fridge. It will be served at 6 pm. If you have completed your work (whatever it is that you want them to do), you will have your ice cream. Those of you who choose not to do the work, will not have icecream. The rest of us (mom, dad, siblings) will eat their icecream at 6pm. Very simple. Ok, so he will take a chance at it and he will not comply with mom's directions. Now what? He won't have icecream. OK. He gets another chance next time. In real life, he may get only one shot at certain things. Suck it up, and try again. That's all. Will he scream and yell? If so, it tells me that he may try harder next time. The child will learn and his behaviors will improve, but it may take time. So is life. Individualized or not. Does not make a difference. This is just one

highly effective way of helping kids improve. It is better than time out or punishing kids.

Many classrooms use this at 2 pm Friday. If children get upset because they chose not to complete their assignments or behave well, they may get very upset. Yes, I see it often. But, it is at the end of the day and it will not disrupt the academic session that day.

If this is part of the PBIP, the parents are in on it. They know he may come home screaming Friday afternoon. It is hard to watch, but you are watching a kid in progress.

H.T

To: deniseslist Sent: Monday, February 27, 2012 1:59 PMSubject: RE: disturbed by behavior of classmates

Hi Sandy: Based upon what you said about the incentive program, a simple fix would be to have the children work towards earning treasure box with clear simple expectations and goals, rather than the teacher taking treasure box away. Each child should have their own individualized goals to earn the reward, rather than general class rules. A trained special ed teacher should be able to set up a basic behavioral plan geared towards each child's goals, and the "incentive" should be individualized as well- what is a motivator for one child is not for another, so the treasure box should hold reinforcers valuable to each child. It sounds like the children are missing a basic, solid behavioral management plan that should be put together by a competent special needs classroom team. I am an SLP, but have also worked as a consultant in the classroom with BCBAs up in Fairfield County, CT

for many years, so if you'd like to email me directly, I'd be happy to help.

To: sList From: Sandyh@...Date: Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:19:50 -0500Subject: Re: disturbed by behavior of classmates

Thanks a,

I don't really know how they are handling it. I'm going to observe soon. Everything will probably be fine when I'm there. I'm not clear on just what they do. I'll bet they haven't done FBA's for most of them. It seems to me that the incentive program, Treausure Box causes some problems. If they misbehave they lose treasure box but if they lose Treasure Box they tantrum. I think I will have to rock the boat a little more. It seemed to get a just slightly better when I offered to call the Area and District offices to "help" but not enough. If the parents don't insist on the FBA it probably won't be done. I only found out about it at the Family Cafe Conference and had to insist, in writing, that it be done. It worked very well but it took a long time.

I think I will wind up writing a letter to the "powers that be" about this. I strongly doubt that they will remove 5 kids from my son's class. My son is begging to get out of the cluster but I think he will go downhill academically if we do that. Ugly choice. :-(

I think it's great that you're trying to come up with strategies to help with a classroom problem, but ultimately it's only in the school's power to carry something on.

Don't think about not getting the teacher in trouble or upsetting the other parents, it's to your child's benefit and his classmates that this be discussed with the school admin.

If it's such a problem, I'd bet that the teacher's been to the admin with a complaint, but nothing happened. Time for the parents to get involved.

You said that's a high-functioning cluster, but it doesn't seem like the kids can deal with the workload (the day they didn't have to work they behaved well...) or need behavioral plans in place, as it's already mid-year and the kids are still tantruming.

Do you have any knowledge of what kind of techniques they use to control disruptive behavior? I wonder what's been done and why it isn't working...

Good luck and let us know if you talk to them...

Sent from a's iPhone

Hello everyone,

I hope some of you will make suggestions about this situation. My son is in a "high functioning" cluster classroom with a mixture of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. He is mainstreamed for Science, SS, Specials, Lunch and Recess. The problem is that about five of his classmates have very frequent, often daily "melt downs" - tantrums, screaming, kicking, etc. I mean, at least two big tantrums happen daily and sometimes they all tantrum in the same day - some kids do it more than once a day. That is almost 1/2 of the class! One child must be restrained regularly (a couple of parents witnessed the restraint on two different occasions and felt that it was appropriate and that the child was safe.) Evidently the kids get each other riled up and it becomes a vicious cycle. I haven't seen this with my own eyes but my son and other parents and students have told me about it. The

teacher doesn't deny it. She said, "Its a little loud in there this year". My son is so disturbed by all of this behavior that he begs to be mainstreamed all day and sometimes he doesn't want to go to school at all. He told me he is expected to just focus on his work while all of this is going on. He said, "But we can't, Mom!" Evidently it happens often and throughout the day. He was so happy and relaxed the day before vacation because no one had tantrums. It was the first thing he said when he got off the bus. The class basically played and partied that day and no one was required to do any work they didn't want to do.

Is there anything I can do to help my son without pushing to have him removed from that class? The teacher happens to be excellent with academics and very good with my son and I don't want to take him away from her. I know he learns reading and math better from her than he would with the VE teacher he would have were he moved out of the cluster. My son loves school except for these "meltdowns". A couple of those kids are his friends and he likes them a lot when they aren't screaming, kicking kids, or hitting the teacher. I've heard of parents getting funding for specific kinds of help but I don't really know how to go about it or even what specifically is needed. I really don't want the teacher to be hurt by anything I do about this. She is a very good teacher and a nice person. I do try to put myself in the place of the classmate's parents. My son has had his own

behavior problems in the past and I do sympathize. I know these explosive kids need to be taught, too and they also need examples for good behavior.... but my child is so stressed.... (sigh) Are there any answers?

Thanks very much. I'm sorry this got so long.

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