Description
- appropriate behavior
- generally cooperative
- responsive to teacher's diresctions and expectations
- functions appropriately with other students
- willing to work and achieve goals
Strategies
- time to form agreed upon rules/expectations
- positive feedback/acknowledge success
- form relationships with students
- come up with strategies to calm student down
- discuss triggers and how to avoid/deal with them
Phase Two - Triggers
Description
- events that set off (agitate) the cycle
- can be school based or non-school based (can compound)
Strategies
- avoid identified triggers
- remove student from triggers or remove triggers from the student
- consistent routines
- agenda/cues/reminders
- discipline students who provoke on purpose (explain triggers to class when behavior student is not present)
Phase Three - Agitation
Description
- increase or decrease in behavior
- inability to control/manage triggers
- angry, upset, depressed, on edge, withdrawn, worried, disturbed, frustrated, anxious
Strategies
- separate trigger from student or student from trigger
- apply already discussed coping mechanism (behavior support plan in place)
- distraction with a neutral task (eg. go for a drink of water, deliver papers to the office)
Phase Four - Acceleration
Description
Student behavior becomes focused and directed:
- questioning and arguing
- non-compliant and defiant
- off task behavior
- provocation of others
- whining/crying
-threats/intimidation
- compliance with bad/inappropriate behavior
- perform below expected level
- violate rules
- avoidance/escape
- verbal abuse
Strategies
- remain calm
- do not engage in power struggle
- give time to calm down
- come address it later
- take the student to a quiet area
- chill out card, go get a drink
Phase Five - Peak
Description
Behavior that represents a threat, usually accompanied by rage.
Strategies
- call for help from administration or other teachers
- remove anyone whose safety is compromised
- give space
- wait it out
Phase Six - De-escalation
Description
- confusion
- denial
- reconciliation
- withdrawal
- blaming others
- sleeping
- responsive to directions
- avoidance of discussions
- responsive to mechanical tasks
Strategies
- should have a specified cool-down area
- give them time and space to cool down and collect themselves
- give them mechanical tasks
- give them redemptive options: "Now that you're feeling calmer can you...?"
Colvin, G. (2004). Chapter 2: A Seven-Phase Model for Describing Acting-Out Behavior. Managing the Cycle of Acting-Out Behavior in the Classroom. (pp. 12-41). Behavior Associates.