Behavior Modification

In October of 2007 over on D-Ed Reckoning, Ken deRosa had a series of posts that were based on an interview with a semi-anonymous teacher about her methods of managing classrooms of students who have substantial problems, including some who have been identified as having disabilities. This teacher resorted to a token economy to get things going.

For example, one year I was assigned to a new school and an extremely difficult group of fifth and sixth graders, all with both learning and behavior problems, and most seriously delayed academically. Some had intimidating discipline records; at least one was probably clinically psychotic. They were oppositional, violent (towards each other), screamed and yelled and threw things, or were passive-aggressive, and generally did nothing of what you assigned them to do. I was desperate — every day I went home feeling like I was escaping a war zone — and so I set up a classroom economy, a variant of what the behaviorists call “token reinforcement.” I printed up bills for $1,$5,$10 etc., as in “real” money, set up bank accounts, wage and price schedules, the works. Everything students might want to do cost something, whether it was visiting the restroom between recesses, computer time or using art materials. In turn, they could earn money in a variety of ways.

I encourage folks to read the entries, including the comments. The full suite of content is very informative. The posts are entitled How to Effectively Manage a Classroom, How to Effectively Manage a Classroom II, How to Effectively Manage a Classroom III, and (no surprise) How to Effectively Manage a Classroom IV.