The Practical Application of Behavioural Cognitive and Humanistic Learning

Principles in the Classroom

How Do We Motivate Our Students?

Joe Balazic MA

TCDSB/CDI

josef.balazic@tcdsb.org

• Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s Not.

Dr. Seuss

• Magic Moments, Minnie Miracles and Brain Music! (little steps: shaping)

• Personal Professional Reflection

• Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themselves Tolstoy

• We must be the change we wish to see Gandhi

-Behavioural Approaches: Skinner, Pavlov and Contingency Based Motivation and Praise

-Cognitive and Developmental Approaches: Piaget, Vygotsky (ZPD), Carol Dweck

-Humanistic Approaches Positive Psychology: Abraham Maslow, William Glassar,

Barbara Frederickson,

HumanisticPositive

Psychology

Behaviouristic Cognitive

Universal Design Integration: Elementary and High School

Differentiated Classroom Management

Universal Design = Curriculum = IEP = Report Card = Treatment Plan

• Section 23 Classroom • Partners: Child Development Institute (CDI) and

Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB).• “Severely at Risk” Students• Ministry of Education• Ministry of Care Treatment and Corrections• 60% of the Program is Literacy and Numeracy.

40% is Blended Social Skills CYW.• Treatment provided at home Intensive Community

and Home Services ICHS/CDI • School Treatment Home (TEACHER) (CYW) (FW)

• Students are non residential; here for 6 to 18 months with a goal to reintegrate back to community school.

• 6 – 12 year old boys/girls average IQ or above.• Generally demonstrate 5 characteristics.• 1.Oppositional Defiant Disorder ODD: Similar to

CD but generally not aggressive.• 2.Lack Self Esteem Learned Helplessness: A Sense

that one is doomed to fail based on passed experiences – classical conditioning.

• 3.Difficulty maintaining friendships• 4.ADHD: Inhibitor Control Response• 5.Learning at 2 or more years below grade level

in numeracy and literacy (Dr. Jain 2007 CEC).

Composite Student = Jack

Grade 2 age 7

Average IQ

Non Reader/Writing Challenges

Math Strengths

CD,ADHD,LD

Family (Poverty Physical Psychological Emotional Trauma).

Behaviour Defense Mechanism – Very Angry Distracted.

Motivation – No Self Esteem.

Deprived Educational Environment – Gaps in School Attendance.

He who opens a school door, closes a prison door..Victor Hugo

The Best Possible Educational Experience will Happen Here!

Maslow and Our Classroom

7.Self-Actualization

6.Aesthetic Appreciation5.Intellectual Achievement 4.Self Esteem: Approval

3.Belonging Love and Acceptance2.Safety: Physical and Psychological Security

1.Survival: Food and Water

Where

At Risk studentOperat

Jack…

Where Mainstream Students Operate

Characteristics of At Risk Students In Clinical Range

1. ADHD2. Low Self Esteem3. 2 Year Grade Academic Lag4. ODD, CD5. Difficulty Making Friends:

Socialization

Dynamic Model that is always in a state of flux i.e. you may be at 7 but a life or personal crisis may take you to 1( Loss of Job Career Crisis Family Crisis)

Maslow and Our Classroom

7.Learning=FunDifferentiated

6.Freedom to Choose5.Power to succeed

4.Self Esteem: I feel Good Because I’m

Important…I Know….I will!

3.Classroom Evokes Positive Emotions/Home (Conditioning)

Happy Lessons!2.Safe Class No: Criticism, Bullying; Humiliation

1.Students Should Not be Hungry/Tired

Where

At Risk Kids are

Jack…

Where Mainstream Students Operate

William Glasser’s Application: Student Centered Teacher Created

Positive Psychology

The Self Actualized Student

Problem? A problem is a Solution Waiting to Happen and an

Opportunity to Inspire!

Three Applications of MotivationBehavioural View - Extrinsic Motivation: Motivation created by external rewards such as grades privileges and token economies i.e. chart system that leads to tangible object like model planes and cars etc., (Contingency Based Motivation). What will I get out of doing this?

•Cognitive View (Intrinsic Motivation): Motivation associated with activities that are their own reward. Pursuit of Knowledge and Understanding.Competence Motivation (CM) where learning something new motivates you to learn more. I have mastered long division and want to try some fractions!•Move from Extrinsic to Intrinsic •Move from Behaviourist Motivation to Cognitive Motivation - FADING

Humanistic Motivation: •Focus on personal potential as opposed just fixing the deficit, •Learning about what interests the student •Creating a classroom of acceptance understanding; Inspiration!•Where does Jack fit in? Needs rewards but moving toward CM – You're # 1!

Classical Conditioning (Pavlov)

•The process by which a neutral stimulus acquires the ability to illicit the same response as a natural stimulus.

•School can be associated with fear and anxiety

•Many student who are traumatized by fear of failure and humiliation in the classroom may automatically respond to new classroom stimuli in the same way (Extreme Reading Fear).

•What about Jack?

Cognitive Distortions

•Inaccurate thoughts or generalizations that all teachers will humiliate them and the belief that they will always fail in school and be demoralized in all classroom situations (learned helplessness, doomed to fail- Jack).

•All students may experience this but students with multiple exceptionalities like CD, ADHD and LD will respond more profoundly.

•Along with multiple exceptionalities students show significant inability to: (A) Self regulate emotions like anger and anxiety (CBT SNAP). (B) Executive functioning: the ability to organize thoughts related to learning and retrieving information.

Where does this leave Jack?

Goals of Misbehaviour areDefense Mechanisms (Freud - Adler)

Goals of Misbehaviour…1. Attention Seeking - Disrupting class,2. Power Struggle - Teacher instruction, Refuse work 3. Revenge Seeker – Retaliate, Displace, Get back at you4. Display Real or Alleged Inadequacy – Fear of Failure: It’s Real! (Dreikurs /Adler)………JACK

Consider Goals of Misbehaviour but move beyond them to consider the Cause of misbehaviour: Jack is “communicating a need rather than being deliberately aggressive or purposefully negative.”

(Progressive Discipline Document pg 21, 2010)

Cause: Communication Disorder, Executive Function Deficit, Mental Health ProblemFocus on Prevention…….Jack? High school student not completing homework. Lazy? Or Environment?

STRATEGIES1. Associate positive learning environment with learning tasks – paired stimulus. 2. Address anxiety and fear with systemic desensitization. 3. Build Trust and gradually introduce fear provoking activities using “bottom up

approach” – takes time.4. Created a positive learning environment as an antidote for negative feelings and

experiences for Jack from the start (Frederickson, 2009)!

Humanistic Strategies: Maslow meets Pavlov continued… “Diffuse the Inner Critic”

Jack? •Make him believe that in my classroom he can and will learn – emotional!

•Condition him with a positive environment. Provide stimulation in the design of the classroom as needed. Charts, posters seat design word walls.

•Poverty of Stimulus Theory is based on the notion that students have had a deprived educational experience due to trauma in their lives. To induce motivation create a Wealth of Stimulus……

•Contest the theory that ADHD students should not be over stimulated because of their inhibitor control response.

•Since Jack is always looking for stimulation don’t deprive it, provide it!! No matter where they look they are learning.

•Provide him with host of alternative activities for the classroom (Choice Theory/Not Ultimatum)

Draw-Journal Ignore-pick-something-to-do Computer-Educational UNO

DRAWING Finish School Work Use-your-WORDS-Negotiate-with-teacher

Painting B0ARD-GAMES Ask-For-Help COMPUTER-INTERNET CHESS

Work-by-yourself Alternatives Chart Colouring LEGO Media-Journal SNAP PLANS PIANO MATH-Work-Sheets in-the Classroom ASK-AGAIN

Dominoes Work-With-Partner CONNECT-FOUR CHECKERS

Work-On-finishing-Project Listen-to-Music (ear phones) PLAY-GUITAR

Change-Seats TAKE-SPACE Ask-Person-to-STOP-Bothering-you PLAY-Dough USE-YOUR-Words-in-a-KIND-way

Provide exponential predictability, consistency routine and FLEXIBILITY!

Make the positive simple, meaningful and emotional “Jack, You’re the best in the

west, huge, colossal!”

Teacher enthusiasm and student attentiveness is evidence based (Rosenshine

and Hurst 1973 – Frederickson, 2009)

Positive Psychology (Maslow, Glasser, Frederickson)

Positive Classroom Continuum

Jack Does Not Need… Jack Needs….Criticizing SupportiveBlaming Encouraging Complaining/Lecturing Listening Nagging AcceptingThreatening TrustingPunishing RespectingBribing or Reward to Control Negotiating Differences

Jack’s Triggers Jacks PathwaysReading Printing

Behaviour Misinterpretation Humanistic View Noncompliance - Doing it on Purpose - Afraid of Failure-Disobeying - Attention Seeking - Doesn't Understand-Not doing work - Stubborn - Can’t understand -Not Following Rules - Lazy, Manipulative abstract reasoning

- Can not Link Cause and effect - Can’t tell Time!

- LD, ODD, CD

-.

The Undo Hypothesis: If negative emotions narrow and positive emotions broaden, than positive emotions should be antidotes for lingering effects of negative emotions

(Frederickson, 2009)

•Allow students to take risks and teach them that making a mistake is a part of learning•Make a mistake and model correction•Law of Attraction: Positive behaviour begets positive behavior. “Smiling makes you smart!” (Social Cognitive Theory; Observational Learning Modeling Albert Bandura 1925---)

•Positive modeling and observational learning. The way you speak, your energy, dress and passion.•Model Encouragement and Enthusiasm: You’re number one, the best, super, top shelf…different from praise because it’s emotional (intrinsic) and praise is task specific (extrinsic). It motivates you to try the task and believe that you can!•Didactic teaching: make it fun, math board games language board games.

•Avoid Freud!

•Displacement: If I have had a bad night it doesn’t mean that the students should have a bad day. If I’m edgy it doesn’t mean I have the right to be sarcastic. •Avoid the Three Cs Control Complain Criticize (Glassar 2010)

•When you are generally positive and establish trust, then deviate from the mean and are not as energetic, students will check and cue….”you ok Mr. B? •Employ Vehicles of Displacement and Sublimation (Music, Art, Lego, Jewelry Making, Puzzles (KellyLambert, 2008).

•Create a Mecca for learning!!! •When I do all of the above I create a positive learning environment (Jack) Where he was conditioned to dislike school he now likes it!

Positive Emotions Broaden Attention and Learning:

Barbara Frederickson (Positivity, 2009)

SMART LOVED

PROUD FUNNY

BRAVE MIGHTY

CONFIDENT FEARLESS

POWERFUL EAGER

I AM

INSPIRATIONAL

…LIKE A CHAMP

Behavioural Approaches (Skinner)

•Cuing Prompting Jack: Providing information about what behaviour is appropriate is more effective than punishment.

Controlling the A or antecedent in the ABC model•A = Antecedent (cuing)•B = Behaviour •C = Consequence (Outcome Positive or Negative) .

•Rules: Statements that specify the expected behaviour. May be written or verbally presented.

Classroom Rules: Programs that focus on controlling the antecedents are more effective than those that are

consequence based.

•Respect Dignity of others•Ask before leaving the Classroom•Ask before you touch•You earn privilege when work is finished.

Avoid Humiliation 1. Prompt student 2. Prompt with specific direction3. Speak with student privately4. Initiate support.

Negative Reinforcement and Punishment (are the exception)

•NR = Strengthening behaviour by imposing an unpleasant consequence.Example: Finish your work Jack before you get recess.

•Unpleasant Consequence: Loosing recess. By wishing to avoid the loss of recess the positive behaviours are strengthened: finish work, clean up and transition. •Choices and Alternatives: Transitions•Mediate so as not to set them up for failure i.e. •Help with the clean up•Do half the questions and give extra cues to transition from the internet to sitting quietly.

•Punishment Suppresses Behaviour – You need to process behaviour with mediation and dignity.

• Punishment is exception because it’s not effective. (Children’s Mental Health Ontario 2001)

• It perpetuates learned helplessness.• Temporary or quick fix and the cause pathway of

behaviour is overlooked.• Treats the trigger not cause.• Provokes anger – retaliation get back at you.• Displace to peers.• Creates more anxiety.• They have already experienced so much failure – no

more!• Suppresses behaviour does not teach student how to

deal with anger• Lecturing, shaming, berating is model of aggression.

Token Economies (Skinner)Our greatest glory is not in never failing but in rising every time we fall.

Confucius,

•Positive reinforcement: Strengthening behaviour by presenting a desired stimulus after behaviour i.e. Praise that leads to Confidence and Motivation.

•Identify goals and genuine accomplishments. classroom rules, no swearing, no interrupting, no arguing, participating in music, concentrating on math, accepting instruction from the teacher (most difficult goal of them all)

•Characteristics: Low self esteem and terrified of failure..Jack

Token Economy: Behaviour that can be reinforced with points and be exchanged for a reward

Time Activity Marbles Earned

9 – 9:309:30 – 10 30

MusicLanguage

22

11 – 12001- 2:00 pm

MathSocial Skills

24

2: 3:00 pm Complete WorkPrivilege

2Total 12 each60 for Week.Cash in for Toy

Carol Dweck and Jack….

•Reward or praise the correction and the effort (Dweck 2009).

•Attribute student effort and ability (not luck or being smart) so that the student will gain confidence that success is possible again i.e. You mastered the addition with regrouping because you worked hard focusing and correcting your mistakes; now lets try subtraction with regrouping.

The Difference Between Praise and Encouragement

•Praise rewards the effort and the outcome

•Encouragement reinforces the effort to try the task and get to outcome. Inspirational, Emotional…… C’mon Holy Smoke house Grill!!!

I’m a great believer in luck and I find that the harder I work the More I have of it

(S.Leacock)

Jack….learns effort = rewards

Extrinsic to Intrinsic

• Move Jack From Fixed Mind Set to Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck, 2009)

Learned helplessness Learned potentialFixed Intelligence Incremental IntelligenceStandardized Curriculum Differentiated Criteria Curriculum Static Evaluation Differentiated Evaluation “A”Praise Outcome Praise Effort

Jack’s Infinity and Beyond Reading Reward Chart: Goal is Self Correction and Accepting Instruction From the Teacher in Reading and Math: Cash in for Toys Trinkets

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

AM LangRead for 20 Min and get Rocket

AM MathAccept Teacher Instruction

Cognitive Development: Piagetian Examples•Piaget in the Classroom: Equilibration.

•Assimilation: Fitting new phonological skills to new reading material. Reads word families like cat, mat, hat, but can’t read tag because it does not fit in to the schemata and disequilibrium occurs.

•Accommodation: The student searches to accommodate the new segment of sounds t-a-g. Since assimilation is not possible new learning only takes place when the teacher accommodates the learning process by teaching the new sound segmentation.

•Equilibration: Tying it all together. The outcome of the interaction between Assimilation and Accommodation is new learning or Equilibration.Let’s Try it!!! Motivation!!!

Further Application of Piaget

THE PAPER BAG PRINCESSDrama to Motivate Social Skills Reading

Social Skills

Further Application of Piaget

THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS

Fulfilling MOE Reading ObjectivesGrade 1: Describe a character.Grade 4: Who is expressing an opinion in the story.Grade 6 - 12 World Issues Course: Developing Countries Poverty IMF.

Application 2 of Piaget

Dynamic Model

Pre Operational to Grade 1: •Visual Aids (Charts); •Observational Behaviour-Model Concept (Role Play)•Example Models; No Lecturing; •Rhyming. Music and Stories as Metaphors and Sequence.

Concrete Operational Grade 2 - 6: -Concrete Props: Diagrams; Continue to give -Emotional Concepts; Hierarchy of Angry Words Drawing; Classification -Stories Robert Meunch to Illustrate Emotions; Music; -No -Lecturing; Role Play; Two Way Logic. Music as Metaphore.

Formal Operational Grade 6 and Up High School: More Sophisticated Visuals; Character Analysis Paper Bag Princess; Third World Issues; Music Lyrics; Redemption Song-Students will pick up metaphore:

Vygotsky : The Zone of Proximal Development

• Vygotsky believed that cognitive development depends allot on other people (Humanism).

• Cognitive development occurs through the interaction of the child with more capable peers or adults.

• Guides pupil and builds concepts through “scaffolding” “prompting”

• Certain concepts can only be learned with prompting and encouragement.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): “The seeds of today will become the fruit of

tomorrow…..” Jack Grad 2 - 3!

• Knows ABCs Prompting/Motivate Grade 2 Mastery

• Fixed Mindset Scaffolding Growth Mindset• No Strategies Direct Instruction Reads Diary of Wimpy Kid• No Self Esteem Echo Reading I can read!!!!

Independently With Instruction

Only with Assistance

Actual Level (ZPD) Mastery Level

2010 2012

Differentiated Instruction from Education for All MOE, 2005

Independent Reader more Confidence Skills

Beginning Reader no Confidence or Skills

Differentiated Instruction

Differentiated Classroom Management

Jacks’ Integrated Behavioural and Cognitive Humanistic Principals for Motivation

• Create a safe classroom environment to address pasts fear (Pavlov)• Decrease Expectations and revisit them (Maslow)• Refute ADHD Theories use Wealth of Stimulus (Humanism)• Token Reward Chart: Infinity and Beyond (Skinner)• Competence Motivation • Dweck: Praise Effort • Create opportunity to get “A” • Frederickson – Undo Hypothesis…Positive…. Positive• Alternatives to punishment – mediate mediate mediate• Understand Student Pathways – Defense Mechanisms• Avoid the three Cs Control Criticize and Complain• Piaget and Inductive Reasoning/Drama• Use Scaffolding and ZPD (Vygotsky) Learned Potential • Effort Based Rewards as a part of routines: Art, Lego, puzzles etc • Choice Theory based Humanistic Student Centered Environment (Glasser

–and Dr. Green CPS)• Consistent behavioural expectations with big flexibility• Positive Vocabulary • Music

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world…. Ann Frank

Emancipate your self from mental slavery (Redemption Song, Bob Marley)

Music as a metaphor….

Live your life’s purpose!

(End of Presentation)