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Chapter 15: Changing the Negative Identity Pattern and Succeeding with the More Challenging Student Behavior

From Transformative Classroom Management. By John Shindler. ©2008

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In this Chapter

· Changing the Negative Identity Pattern

· Bridging the Gap with Disconnected Students

· Using Reality Therapy and Student Contacts for Chronic Problems

· Supporting Students with ADHD

Often the problems we experience with just one or a small number of our students can cause us to experience a great deal of distress and even make us feel like we are generally failing with a whole class. In this chapter, we examine how to take effective action in meeting the more significant behavioral challenges that we face so that we can promote more functional behavior and a healthier climate for all of our students.

Chapter Reflection 15-a: Recall classes that you have taught, observed, or have been a student. Were there students whose behavior presented a greater challenge to the teacher? How significant were these students’ impact on the class? In what ways did they affect the learning and the climate in the room? The answer to this question should underscore the importance of having a systematic approach to dealing with the difficult students.

Defining Level I, IIa, IIb, and III Types of Problems

In Chapters 9, 10 and 11, we examined how to effectively create a sound and functional social contract that included logical consequences, and how to implement action steps for those cases in which students chose to violate their agreement to the contract. We could refer to those situations as level I problems – students fail to comprehend expectations or just make bad choices out of carelessness or immaturity. Most contract violations fall in this category. However, occasionally we find ourselves confronted with problems that are more substantial than simple contract violations. We can refer to these problems as level II problems (See Table 15.1). They are the result of either a) a student deliberately choosing to reject their social contract responsibilities or b) a fundamental pattern of student behavior that will not likely change on their own and left unchanged may do a great deal of harm to the welfare of the class as a whole. These level IIb types of problems are typically rooted in more substantial deep-seated conditions. Therefore the strategies we need to use to succeed with the dysfunctional behavior that stems from these conditions will need to go beyond (but likely include) delivering clear and logical consequences. Organic conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) require a separate distinction. So we might refer to these neurologically based conditions as Level III problems. We will address these later in the chapter.

Table 15.1: Levels of Classroom Behavioral Problems and Examples of Each

	Description	Out of School Example	Classroom Example
Level I	Student actions that violate the classroom rules and/or social contract. Typically rooted in forgetfulness, lack of understanding, or carelessness.	Person carelessly exceeds the speed limit, or runs a stop sign because they were not paying attention.	Student carelessly leaves a mess at a work station, or student talks to a neighbor when the expectation is that they are listening.
Level IIa	Students knowingly reject their commitment to the social contract in words or actions. Typically rooted in defiance, a desire for power, or a cry for help.	Person knowingly drives too fast and in a risky manner because they are late.	Student refuses to clean up their area or deliberately continues to talk when the expectation is that they are to be attentive to the speaker.
Level IIb	Student exhibits dysfunctional behavior on a regular basis. Typically rooted in a deeply conditioned pattern of thinking and ego defense.	Person drives recklessly, using their vehicle as a means to work out their aggressiveness and for self-satisfaction without concern for the safety of others.	Student has a tendency to disrupt the work of other group members any time they feel the task is too challenging in an attempt to meet their needs for competence and power, or student exhibits a compulsive need for attention.
Level III	Student experiences a struggle with their behavior and has an biological/organic basis to their lack of self control which may involve a legitimate case of ADHD.	Person is incapable of stopping and attending for long. They seem to need to continuously make some sort of noise.	Student struggles to attend for long periods of time and feels a compulsive need to move and talk – even though they wish they could and feel guilty that they cannot.

Level IIb Problems

Level IIb types of behavioral problems (See Table 15.1) commonly include the following situations:

1. Students who have developed a pattern of negative identity

2. Students who have developed chronic, compulsive or habitual inappropriate behavior.

3. Cases in which there is a pronounced disconnect or “gap” between the expectations, values and desires of one of more students and those of the teacher.

Very often these more substantive types of challenges include students exhibiting an external locus of control and consequent faulty sense of cause and effect, a failure psychology, and/or the student attempting to meet their basic needs with means that are both unhealthy and just will not work within what is good for the class.

At the heart of these level IIb behavioral challenges is a student who has experienced a great deal of dysfunctional conditioning before coming to us, and this conditioning is likely being reinforced outside of the class as well. What stands between the student and functional behavior is our ability to help them recognize and become conscious of the dysfunctional conditioning within themselves and to assist them as they alter it or at least work with it in a productive manner. While level I types of problems do not require much recognition of deep seeded patterns and unconscious conditioning, without this recognition solving level II problems will be inherently impossible. You may be saying to yourself, “But I am not a psychologist, I am just a teacher.” We may not need to be expert psychologists to succeed with these level IIb behavioral challenges, but if we are to be effective we do need to attempt to recognize the difference between a student’s conscious choice and something that is strongly influencing their behavior that they are unconscious of and do not seem to be entirely choosing.

Chapter Reflection 15-b: Recall a student that you would classify as a chronic behavior problem student. Would you say that the student was happy or at peace with him/herself? It may seem like an obvious answer, but it helps us shift our focus to what is going on with the student rather than simply why what they are doing is a problem.

To succeed with level IIb types of problems, we need to take on an intentional, proactive and positive mindset. Therefore we need to begin by doing the following:

1. Stop owning the student’s behavior and/or taking it personally. Stay in the present moment and avoid dwelling on past events. It may help to focus on the success we are having with the rest of the students.
2. Avoid self-limiting labels such as “bad students” or “behavioral problem.” When we label the student to ourselves we reinforce the idea that problem is a fixed condition. We take on what Dweck (2000) refers to as a “helpless pattern” approach to dealing with it. We make a challenge into a plight and go from being a teacher to a victim.
3. Accept we do have the ability to change the pattern or at least get things moving in the right direction, if we are systematic and consistent. So, we need to let go of our resentment, and fatalistic thinking that is so easy to do in these situations. Instead, we must take positive action. Action is the antidote to despair.
4. Stop assuming that negativity, punishment, passive aggressiveness, or projecting disappointment are doing anything but making things worse. We need to be able to look the student in the eye and send the message, that a) we like them and believe they can do better, b) that what they are doing is going to change, and c) we need them to change it ASAP.
5. Avoid relying on external authorities to solve the problem. Sending the student to the Principal or calling home may be occasionally necessary, but they send the message that we lack the authority, desire and/or ideas to make the situation better. Work with the student to solve the problem in-house instead of out-sourcing the problem to others.

Chapter Reflection 15-c: When you recall the response by school personnel to troubled and behaviorally challenging to students that you have seen in your years in and around schools, 1) how many of the interventions that were used would you say met the criteria above? 2) How many of those students ultimately improved their behavior? Do you see a relationship between the two?

Examining the Nature of the Negative-Identity Pattern

Negative-Identity Pattern Case Example:

We have developed a solid social contract in our class(s) by the 4^th week of the year. Most students are very clear about your expectations. However, we have a student who always seems to be testing us. He/She constantly seems to find some reason to be off task and annoy other students. Whatever the expectation is, she/he seems to take joy in doing the opposite and/or something to hinder the other students’ efforts. We have given him/her the (level I) consequences that have worked well for the other students, and we have made it clear to her/him that what he/she is doing is unacceptable. But things have not changed, as she/he seems to enjoy being a clown and a fool for the other students. And we notice that Mondays are usually his/her worst days.

Chapter Reflection 15-d: Do you know a student like this one? Keep them in mind as we explore the idea of negative-identity.

If we approach this student from a crime and punishment paradigm, or hope that someday the behavior will improve, most likely we will be battling this student for the rest of the year. Moreover, no matter how much we explain to this student how “bad” he/she is acting and how much they need to “straighten up and fly right,” their behavior is unlikely to change. Yet, we cannot just let them do what they are doing, because they probably will, and that is neither just for the rest of the class, good for our mental health, nor good for the student himself/herself. We need instead to see inside the student’s pattern and undertake a process to change it.

The problem behavior depicted in the case above could best be characterized as a negative-identity pattern. The negative identity student can take many forms including the class clown, the antagonist, the failure/quitter, the victim, the perpetually angry, the sadist, or the tough/bad kid. We may or may not have done anything to encourage the problem, but if we do not want to engage in a perpetual struggle with this type of behavior in the future, we need to take purposeful, and well-conceived action. As the saying goes, “nothing changes until something changes.” And like it or not we are probably the one who needs to initiate the change process if we want to see improvement.

Changing the Negative-Identity Behavior Pattern of a Student

Most students see themselves trying to achieve success (i.e., perform successfully, learning, fostering friendships, achieve goals, etc.), using positive behavior such as making an effort, being productive, or doing what they perceive as the “right thing.” Most of us reading this now, can probably relate to the idea of trying to develop a positive identity. The more we have tried to reach our goals, succeed socially, acquire skills, and attain some level of positive recognition from others, the more we attach those positive attributes to ourselves, thus forming some degree of positive-identity. While we all have unconscious patterns that keep us from acting with full awareness of why we do what we do, and often making choices that we are not proud of, we typically seek to be generally functional and productive. However, occasionally students will enter our class who have developed a pattern of dysfunctional behavior. In these cases, if the problem is not organic (i.e., Level III problems such as ADHD, FAS, or a mental or emotional disability), it is usually related the student having been conditioned into a negative-identity pattern. All of us carry some form of this conditioning, as a result of each of our ego’s needs to protect itself from feeling guilty, inadequate, unworthy or unloved, but for some students this becomes a primary mode of operation. These students spend a great deal of time in a defensive or reactive mode that for them has become at the same time normal, as well as in the larger scheme of things largely unconscious and self-destructive.

In many cases this negative identity appears as a student who would prefer to be the “best worst” rather than a “nobody” or a failure. While on the surface this may not make sense to us, it makes a great deal of sense when we reflect on the fact that on a fundamental psychological level, the opposite of love it not hate, but indifference. Who wants to be a zero? Who is capable of surviving without the basic need of love and belonging being met? Moreover, as we dig deeper into most negative-identity patterns, we will recognize that at the heart of the problem is a psychological co-mingling of pain and love. In the face of a deep-seeded sense of worthlessness, inadequacy, vulnerability and/or guilt it makes sense that the ego would find a way to compensate for the unbearable condition.

As we begin to operationalize the negative identity pattern and examine it more closely, it is useful to keep in mind that for some students it is exhibited perpetually, and for others it is drawn out by environmental triggers, and so only comes out in certain situations. For some students their unconsciousness and negative identity projection is displayed almost continuously, they may even go to great lengths to initiate conflict and drama to confirm their negative identity. For others, we only see their negative identity pattern arise in certain situations when they have gotten certain buttons pushed that trigger a reaction that activates their source of inner pain.

Chapter Reflection 15-e: They may not be comfortable memories, but it is helpful when understanding the negative-identity student to reflect on times in our lives when we have done destructive, ugly, selfish, embarrassing, or hurtful things in an effort to gain love, recognition of others or acceptance of the group. Did a part of your self know that what you were doing was not very good? Your ability to ignore that voice should give you some compassion and understanding for the negative-identity student.

To make sense of the pattern, it is useful to examine it within its behavioral roots. And explore the roles of reinforcement, shaping, and social learning in how it is formed and/or reformed. In a positive identity cycle, as the individual tries, they are reinforced to some degree by a desirable outcome and therefore have an incentive to continue to attempt positive behavior. However, in the negative identity acquisition cycle (depicted in Figure 15.1), when the student attempts positive behavior - e.g., they attempt assigned work, they try to be liked, they attempt a difficult task - commonly they receive little or no positive reinforcement (see Figure 15.1, point #1) – e.g., they receive grades below their level of satisfaction, they feel as though they don’t fit in, or they fail at the particular task. As a result, their basic needs for love, power and competence are not adequately met and their negative self-image is confirmed (i.e., it triggers an internal feeling of pain related to their sense of worthlessness, inadequacy, guilt, etc) . However, when they attempt negative behavior – e.g., they are annoying, fail spectacularly, effect others in some way that is disruptive to the class, etc - they are given attention and experience a feeling of satisfaction and power (see Figure 15.1, point #2). When viewed within the lens of basic satisfaction, this reaction is understandable (i.e., the opposite of love is not hate but indifference). The result is a behavior that has been reinforced and is as a result is more likely to happen in the future.

However, what feels like success is actually an addictive cycle that is digging the student an ever deeper hole. Aside from the negative behavior being, in many cases, dysfunctional for all concerned, what they likely do not understand is that while it may feel satisfying for the moment and even necessary to cope with a sense of inner pain, it will neither satisfy their basic needs nor ease the pain for long. In fact, the stronger the pattern becomes the more likely the student will be in denial of the problem.

Figure 15.1. Events of the Negative-Identity Pattern Acquisition and Maintainance Cycle

Student attempts negative behavior

Others respond, are affected, get upset

And/or give lots of attention

Student attempts positive behavior

Others’ language confirms

“identity.” Negative self-image develops

student experiences rejection or indifference

Student feels like a failure – experiences an

unfavorable comparison to others

student chooses more

negative behavior

When we examine the negative-identity cycle as depicted in Figure 15.1, the early points of the cycle represents the reinforcement of behavior by others. Given the reinforcement for their negative behavior, it is understandable that the student continues to choose it over more socially acceptable behavior (point #3). Moreover, as their behavior becomes more public and regular, they develop an identity and/or reputation that further satisfies their need for love and power (point #4). Over time, this public identity becomes a relatively stable (negative) self-image.

Helping the Student Change their Pattern

The key to transforming a negative-identity cycle into a more positive-identity cycle is to first, alter the system, and then second, to reconstruct it. As we examine the process of ending the cycle and then replacing the dysfunctional behaviors with those that are more functional and healthy, it is useful to keep in mind that there are two important variables in the process, 1) love and 2) learning. First, the change must involve a new mechanism for getting the need for love and belonging met. Second, the change must involve learning new skills and ways to function – skills that may be foreign to the student presently. Success will necessarily involve the student replacing old behaviors with new ones, and recognizing that those new behaviors achieve something worthwhile and satisfying. The stages of the cycle take place continuously, but we will deal with each phase separately here.

A good starting point is the use of extinction at phase 1. Extinction refers to the removal of a reinforcing stimulus. In this instance, the reinforcement that is motivating the student’s negative behavior is probably somewhat complex, but it likely includes teachers and students getting annoyed, laughing, being shocked, or giving pity after the student exhibits dysfunctional/inappropriate behavior. So while we may assume that getting upset, punishing the student, or even the public scorn will work to discourage the unwanted behavior, what is actually happening, is that these types of reactions act to reinforce the behavior. The student is seeking pain and confirmation of their negative identity and these responses act to meet these needs. Therefore, we need to eliminate our behavior that reinforces the negative identity producing reaction.

Chapter Reflection 15-f: Reflect on what happens when we remove a long-standing reinforcement from an animal, including a human. If a behavior has gotten reinforced regularly, and then that reinforcement is removed, what happens? Does the behavior stop right away? It may be useful to recall the classic example of the lab rat that is placed in a box, and given a pellet of food each time it hits a bar. In the example, hitting the bar is the conditioned behavior and the food is the reinforcement. When the researcher takes the food away, so that when the rat hits the bar nothing happens, what is the rat’s response? Like any animal that has been conditioned, it will be to elicit the response (i.e., hit the bar) more vigorously. When the battery runs out on your television remote, what do you do?

Instead of giving the negative attention that the student is used to, we should attempt to recognize the nature of the pattern, determine the reinforcing stimuli the student is attempting to achieve with their behavior and then go about removing them. So in all cases, if we want to effect change, it will be essential to stop getting mad, going negative and/or implementing a pain-based form of response. However, since you are removing the reinforcing stimulus, be prepared for an “extinction burst,” the intensity of which depends on the strength of the previous behavioral reinforcement. This burst or exaggeration of behavior is an attempt to illicit the desired response that has been removed. It will not last forever, but it may appear dramatic. For example, if the negative behavior was to be annoying, the student will become especially annoying. If the negative behavior was to be a clown to get attention, expect the student to increase their efforts to get a reaction, if the audience stops laughing. It is important to keep in mind that because the extinction burst can be so unpleasant, that very often efforts to change negative-identity patterns are not able to withstand the discomfort to the teacher and/or the class of the burst negative behavior. Parents know how difficult it is not to give in to a tantrum. But after the burst, expect the behavior to eventually subside.

You might be thinking, “I can’t just ignore the student, their behavior is unacceptable and is disrupting the whole class.” This may be true. So, it is important to make a clear distinction here between discipline and the negative reaction the student seeks. In fact, they are unrelated. While we need to cease giving the student the pain and negativity that they have been conditioned to expect, we do not need to refrain from giving healthy, logical and non-personal consequences when they violate the social contract. And as we will discuss later in this chapter, a personal behavioral contract with individualized consequences may be beneficial as well.

Connecting Love and Pain: Exploring the Early Years of the Negative Identity Pattern Student’s Life. In many cases, a negative identity pattern is the evidence of an adult-child interaction that began at a very young age. When the child was very young, most likely before they could speak and reason, an adult sent them the message that they were bad, worthless, or incapable. Being too young to be able to judge the validity of the message, the young person takes that information as a fact. And as a result 1) they learn to believe the negative message, and 2), they create a psychological connection between pain and love. The people who gave them pain, were also the people who gave them love. So in their unconscious mind they connect the two feelings. Over time the experience of pain, becomes a familiar reinforcement that, in a convoluted way, is experienced as a kind of counterfeit love. To the reader who does not connect the two, that may seem odd. But recall that the young child does not have the rational processes to recognize the irrational nature of the relationship that they have made, and by the age that they do, the unconscious interconnection has been made, and the behavior pattern has been conditioned. So while it might sound odd, like the child born addicted to a drug, the negative identity pattern child emerges in life with some degree of an addiction to pain, and the feelings of worthlessness or inferiority that they experienced as a very young person. And as a result they seek it out as well as situations in which they negative identity will be conformed. So when we become frustrated with the student’s lack of progress toward more functional behavior, it is good to keep in mind that the mechanism that is supporting their negative behavior pattern is deep-seated and typically far below their level of awareness. Yet, while it may be tempting to attempt to delve into the unconscious places in their mind that to help free the student from their false identity, it will be more helpful to support the emergent new identity and help them recognize that they are good, valuable, capable and accepted.

Early in the change process, it will be important for us to make an effort to promote more positive behavior from the student. That means helping them meet their basic needs especially competence and love/belonging. So often a sense of inadequacy is at the heart of the problem. The student may not appear fearful and insecure. They may even exhibit the opposite. Yet, it does not mean that it is not there beneath the surface.

Additionally, keep in mind that likely the most powerful reinforcement is going to come from peers. It will not be easy, but the teacher needs to create an emotionally safe classroom environment. Intolerance of put downs and the development of healthy “life affirming” language is necessary. Mantras are helpful, such as “in this class, we only encourage each other to act in ways that are positive for ourselves and for the class as a whole.” Modeling by the teacher and student role models can be a valuable learning tool as well. Recall the social learning model, consistency is critical throughout the process. Responses that reinforce the negative identity, can trigger a relapse, and undo a great deal of our hard work.

To support the student in their effort to form more functional behavior, it may be useful in the process to help the student identify a plan that includes behavioral goals to work toward. The Reality Therapy process described later in the chapter can be useful in our efforts with the negative identity student. This plan should define behaviors that are a) within the student’s control, and b) explicitly stated in behavioral terms (e/g., positive self-talk, persistence when frustrated, raising hand before speaking, being considerate of other, etc.). The student needs to have a concrete understanding of and a commitment to their goals. This is where the practice of shaping will be very critical. The teacher needs to reinforce (i.e., recognize, note in assessments, reward, etc.) attempts by the student to achieve their goals of positive behavior even if they are not entirely successful. If the teacher reinforces behavior that is close to that desired, the student will be able to build up to full goal achievement. For example, if we observe the student demonstrating behavior that is a good effort toward one of their goals, we should take the opportunity to personally recognize the student for that effort. In many cases, they would not have realized that they had made progress unless we had pointed it out. In addition, public recognition of the student for their positive progress can be powerful, as long as it is sincere and well-timed. Public positive recognitions can accomplish supporting both the student’s need for love and their process of learning new ways of operating.

Chapter Reflection 15 –h: As we begin to better understand the negative-identity student, it will be helpful to keep in mind that there is a part of them that wants to return to the familiar (albeit dysfunctional) negative behavior. At stage three they are like an addict that is currently “on the wagon.” They are letting themselves trust us, and sticking their neck out. What would you predict the problems would be for a person making a life change from an old mindset and set of behaviors to new and unfamiliar thinking and actions? What do they need from you at this stage of the process, and what should you avoid?

Watch out for the student’s attempts to sabotage their success. Help the student adopt the language of an internal locus of control. Don’t allow them to use negative self-talk, victim language, dwell on comparisons, or co-mingle their assessment of their academic performance with their self worth. Focusing on process and effort are good antidotes to the resurgence of a “failure psychology.” If the student experiences failure and/or a lack of support toward his/her goals, at any time, they will be inclined to revert to the comfort of their negative identity behavior. And it should be emphasized that throughout the process the teacher needs to maintain a high degree of trust with the student. But keep in mind that the addiction still exists and may forever. Even if it is not apparent, it can be triggered by acute failure, rejection, humiliation, shame or any profound emotion that triggers the pain reaction familiar to that student.

As the student increasingly internalizes their new goals and identity, it is essential that we help the class support their efforts. We need to be absolutely intolerant of any labeling by peers or the student themselves that promotes a negative-identity. We should use the power of labels to the student’s advantage. Refer to them with labels that support their process of transformation, and the development of a success psychology. For example, we might use such confirming terms as “team player,” “winner,” “brilliant,” “persistent,” “selfless,” “scholar,” “industrious,” etc. They may look at use like we are being corny but their internal reaction will be powerful.

Also, we need to send the message both implicitly and with explicit mantras that “In this class, there are no “bad kids,” “fools,” “dumb kids,” “losers,” ‘”failures,” or “helpless victims.” To support the students positive identity, it will be useful to put them in situations in which they are able to experience a sense of contributing to the welfare of others, and when possible a leadership role. We will want to encourage the ethic in the class that “when we support each other, we all win.” This ethic was displayed powerfully in the film Educating Peter (Wurzburg and Goodwin, 1992), in which a whole class of 5^th graders supported the growth and learning of one mentally and emotionally disabled student.

Table 15.2 outlines a survey of some of the various forms of negative identity patterns. It is likely that each of us will recognize ourselves in at least one of them. The better that we grow out of that pattern the better teachers we will be. Chapter 17 will may be helpful in this process. And understanding our own journey of growth and self-awareness will be of great value as we assist our student in their process of growth. The table identifies the external trigger or reinforcer for each type of pattern. For students with weaker patterns it may take a substantial external event to trigger the inner ego response that perpetuates the negative identity. For other students, they keep their reactive pattern activated almost continuously. These students are on the lookout for something to trigger their negative reaction. Likewise, for each type of pattern a set of teacher supports is offered.

Table 15.2 Types of Negative Identities, Descriptions, triggers, and teacher support needed

Negative Identity Pattern What the students ego is telling them – which is not true in reality, but may seem monumentally critical and real to the student.	External Reinforcement/ Trigger of the pattern	Teacher Support Needed
Victim/Poor Me /Guilt Complex This student’s ego is telling them that life is unfair and out to get them. The ego says that if they accept responsibility of their actions they will feel guilty and bad. Underneath is a sense of being unloved and unwanted. What it looks like is an endless string of excuses and reasons why things cannot go right, and a desire to have others absolve them and confirm that “it is not their fault.”	Pity from others. Confirmation that they have an excuse, and not responsible or to blame.	First, the student needs to experience a clear sense that we accept them and believe in them. Second, we need to help the student recognize what they are saying when they ask for absolution from blame and responsibility. Third, we need to help them take responsibility for their actions and see that it actually feels better in the end than avoiding blame.
Dangerous/Intimidating This student’s ego is telling them that if they act scary enough they will be able to keep people away, and so they can attribute being alone to that, so they do not have to feel unloved. Underneath it all is a desperate need to be loved and feel connect, and a fear of rejection. What it looks like is a student who dresses, acts and affiliates themselves in ways that make other want to steer clear. Their expression is “don’t mess with me.”	The intimidation of others. People looking uncomfortable and uneasy around them.	First, the student needs to know that we are a caring adult and we see them as a good kid, but just a kid like the others. Second, we need to define our relationship with them not by anything related to their external identifiers or reputation, but the positive goals, behaviors and accomplishments that they make in our class. Third, when they become unconscious and try to put on the intimidating act, we will simply want to ignore the show and refocus them on the practical work of the class.
Failure/Helpless/Self-Sabotage This students ego is telling them that it is easier to quit than have to deal with the pain of losing or doing below their high expectations. What might look like inferiority is actually more likely an inner sense of superiority. Because the student needs to be better than other, they fear comparison and so find ways to sabotage their efforts. If they can tell themselves they did not try, it saves them from having to face a possible failure. What it looks like is an unpredictable and frustrating mix of excellent performance, self-sabotage, and quitting.	Comparison to others. Allowing them to externalize their LOC. Confirmation of their distorted view of reality.	First, we will want to minimize situations in which we publically compare students. There is no education benefit to it, so we have nothing to lose. Second, We will want to help the student recognize their pattern and take responsibility for finding more effective and conscious solutions to their problems. This will include not buying in to their helpless pattern language. We will need to send them the message that we believe in them, but will not accept their excuses or self-pity.
Unloved/Look at Me/Clown This student’s ego is telling them that unless they are getting a reaction from others there is no evidence that they are lovable. So they act out and endless part in which they try to win the love that they feel they did not get earlier (probably from parents). The student becomes entirely dependent on external criteria for their sense of self. This is a losing battle, but works well to hone attention getting skills. What it looks like is a constant need for attention, reaction, and affirmation from others.	Giving attention when they act out. A sense of failure in another area.	First, we need to let the student know that they will get a reasonable amount of attention, but that their attention seeking behavior will not have the effect of obtaining more attention from us. Second, We need to help the student build an internal locus of control and a self-identified sense of value. Third, we may want to find ways that the student can experience healthy attention from peers by giving them a format, letting them work in groups, allowing venues such as presentations, and giving them a sense of responsibility in class. If we help this student feel like they are making a positive contribution, they will feel less or a need to use inappropriate means to gain attention.
Best/Best Worst/Inferiority Complex This student’s ego is telling them that they need to win or they are unworthy. So they interpret all events through the lens of competition. If the game does not work to their advantage, they will find a game that does. This same mechanism will create both the student who needs to get the highest score and the student who needs to create the most visible graffiti, or get the lowest score ever recorded. What it looks like is a student who acts and thinks in comparisons and becomes overly joyful when they win and overly miserable when they lose.	Competitive contexts. Public Comparison.	First, reduce the unnecessary competition and competitive elements in the class. Ask yourself, if they are really valuable in the long-term (see Ch.19). Second, help this student recognize their tendency to want to see things in terms of comparison. Help them see that it is not necessarily a true representation of reality. Encourage them to look at their learning as a process of growth rather than a measure of their ability of self-worth (Dweck, 2000). Introduce them to the idea that success is more likely if they lose their inferiority complex. It may seem useful, but it is not based in sound motivation. If it were they would feel satisfied more often, and it is a sure bet that they do not.
Drama King or Queen This student’s ego is telling them that if they keep the external dramas going they will not have to deal with what is inside. What is inside is not nearly as scary as they believe, but they see it as unbearable monster to be feared. So they allow their ego to run their lives and find whatever external stimulus, conflict, drama, offence, problem, disaster to attach itself to and engage in. The result is the development of a set of coping skills that appear very dynamic and even occasionally effective. However, the failure to take personal responsibility for their actions and/or to listen to what is going on inside and/or their inner self, create a series of ticking time bombs that explode eventually. What it looks like is a student who always has a good reason for why something is keeping them from getting things done, why they are in conflict with others, and why the rules need to be different for them.	High Pressure deadlines and outcomes. The thought that they will be exposed. Others buying into the drama and the external variables. Enabling the excuses or the drama stories.	First, do not buy into the drama. Second, help the student examine events within a practical lens. Help them step back from the drama and recognize that there are a many interpretations to the events, and the dramatic interpretation is just one subjective way of looking at it. Also, help them learn to look at the practical choices that led to the crisis. Could they have gotten started on the project earlier? Could they have planned for more time or cut out another activity to make sure that they achieved the outcome that they desired? Third, help the student recognize that drama, conflict, and crisis are largely manufactured conditions. They do not occur without being created. Help the student evaluate how the latest drama or crisis that they experienced originated.
Pleaser/Tell I am good/Teacher’s Pet This student’s ego is telling them that if they do not have an external parent figure telling them that they are special they are insignificant. As a result they feel the need to be the “most loved” the “uniquely blessed” member of the class. While this may not seem negative on the surface, it is not healthy. At best when we enable this pattern we promote the students lack of internal sense of adequacy and worth. At worst, if the student feels their need is unrequited, they may passively become a powerfully disruptive force in the class.	Giving praise each time it is requested. Treating students differently depending on how reverent they are. Playing into the student’s game. Leading them on.	First, project to the student that you like and accept them the way they are. Do – give them concrete and specific feedback and positively recognize their effort. Do not – give them personal praise, tell them that they are good because they have done good work, and/or buy into their requests for praise. Affirm their effort, give them unconditional acceptance, but choose your words carefully so that the student does not hear personal praise. Second, help the student to learn to validate their own work. When they ask you what you think about something they made, as them what they think. Third, maintain healthy boundaries with the student. Stay professional and avoid too much time alone with the student.
Pain Addict/Chemical Addict/Destructive This student’s ego has become aligned with the student’s pain-based internal physical reaction. The result is a student who is on the lookout for something they can take as a personal offence, a challenge to their worth or honor, or anything that they can use to trigger the pain reaction inside that wants more pain to feed upon. What this looks like is a student who likes to challenge others, sees everything through the lens of being personally attacked and victimized, and is ready to fight back. In a severe case this student is capable of unpredictable, risky and destructive behavior.	Anger or pain-based punishments. Making choices personal and attacking the student’s dignity. Getting hooked into their efforts to personalize and create power struggles.	First, resist the temptation to engage this student in a power struggle. It will never end well. Also resist the temptation to get in the pattern of sending the student out after they have reacted badly to your ultimatum or threat. Second, we need to follow the steps above related to how to alter the negative identity pattern faithfully. We need to build a great deal of trust with this student and help them feel valuable and capable. Third, help them find their talents, gifts and strengths and reinforce their efforts toward cultivating them. Help them find healthy addictions such as exercise or creating or building things. Forth, to the degree possible allow the student to share what is inside, and let them know that you are there to listen, and on their side.

As you examine the various negative identity patterns in Table 15.2, you may notice some common ingredients. First, they all have a trigger, and promoting awareness of that trigger is critical to the success of the effort. Second, each pattern is masking something that they student fears. This is usually some sort of pain, and as the pattern gets more established, as peculiar as it may sound, the student will fear the loss of the negative identity. It will feel like it is a loss of the self. This is not true, but the power of the addictive process makes it feel true. Third, for each pattern the solution will take the form of promoting a success psychology within the student (See Chapter 8).The power of having basic needs satisfied in a positive and meaningful way will supersede the power of the addiction to negative attention. Conversely, the teaching practices outlined in Chapter 8 that promoted a failure psychology will reinforce and strengthen the negative identity pattern. So if we do nothing else, we will want to take the practical action steps outlined in chapter 8 for promoting a success psychology and stay away from those that promote a failure psychology.

We know that if we do nothing to change this student’s pattern, it may never change, and we will feel perpetually frustrated and resentful that they are in our class. But making the investment into changing this pattern is worth the effort. I have seen many students change their mindset from attempting to be the “best worst” to attempting to be an altruistic leader. The shift is not as impossible as it might appear. If the root of the problem is simply finding a way to use one’s talents to get their needs met, then the change can occur relatively quickly and in a dramatic fashion. Once the student realizes that they are capable of getting love, attention and a sense of competence with positive behavior, they may take off in that direction. History is full of examples of those that have. Many of the students in my classes share that they were once the negative identity student, and are now committed to much more positive goals including becoming teachers. And before we give up on these students, and pass the responsibility on to someone else, it is good to keep in mind that it often just takes one understanding sole to change a life. When asked what the difference was between a life of crime and a productive life in society, typically those who have turned it around credit the support and faith of one person. And often that one person was a teacher.

Chapter Reflection 15-i: Recall examples that you know of or have heard of, of those that have gone from a negative identity pattern (i.e., being the best worst) to working toward making a positive contribution in the world.

Working with Challenging Students – Bridging the Gap

A student asks the teacher, “Do we have to take notes?” “Will you be collecting them?” “How many points is this worth?”

A student nervously eyes their cell phone while the class is having a discussion. Inattentive to what is being said, they are lost in their anticipation of the chance to check messages.

While all the other students begin work, one student does nothing, when the teacher asks them to “get started,” they gently smile but continue to sit motionless.

In these cases above, the student behavior is not overtly disruptive. These students are not technically hurting anyone, and they may not even be breaking any rules. They characterize a more subtle but significant kind of problem behavior – the disconnected student. If we do nothing, it is likely that the student will maintain their pattern, learn little, and the class will remain fragmented. As a result these students tend to be the ones that frustrate us most. They make us feel like we are failing, inadequate, and powerless. Especially when we find that the same techniques that make us successful with other students do not seem to work with these students. While not as deep-seeded as the conditioning at the root of the negative identity pattern, the problem here is still rooted in a conditioned pattern. So what is maintaining the gap is unconsciousness, and the key to the cure will be bringing conscious awareness into the equation.

Chapter Reflection 15-j: Recall the classes that you have observed recently. Did you observe students that were disconnected? Why do you think that they were? Keep those students in mind as you continue reading the chapter.

Recognize the Existence and Nature of the Disconnect

The problem when there is a gap is that the teacher and the student are “playing from a different set of rules.” When we use the term rules here, we are not referring to the classroom rules, but the rules that govern values and ways of being. Therefore, that which each party wants and expects intersects little if at all with the other. Subsequently, if each party continues to operate entirely within their own set of rules and agenda, and remains largely unconscious of the rules of the other, the gap between them will remain. That gap will keep the teacher frustrated, and feeling helpless and the students disinterested and un-invested. So the first step is recognition.

Some of the common disconnects between teachers and students typically appear as the following:

• The teacher’s agenda is not satisfying to the student in terms of what they feel would meet their needs. These needs may not be desirable or healthy, or those that we would ultimately like to satisfy (i.e., familiar forms of stimulation like TV & internet, cell phone, emotional/ego dramas, addiction to instant gratification, etc.), but they define the world of the student – or at least the student’s mental world.

• Doing the minimum. Some students are very comfortable with a helpless pattern (Dweck, 2000), and are resistant to any efforts to think about work outside that pattern. They see tasks as things to get “done” rather than opportunities to learn. They will make statements such as, “do we need to do this?” “this is for points, right?” “I’m OK, I’ll do it later.” They have gotten comfortable essentially turning schoolwork into something that they need to do so that they can maintain their status as a student, because they do not want to be a drop out or lose contact with their friends.

• Occasionally some students adopt a mindset that the teacher is the enemy to some degree. To them, the teacher may represent a different generation, ethnicity, gender, value system, class, etc. There may or may not be anything that you have done to justify this perception, but it does not have to based in reality to be real to them. So as a result they find ways to penalize the teacher, often in the form of poor performance – “I will punish you by my failure.”

Chapter Reflection 15-k: Do any of these situations look familiar? Can you recognize the origin of the gap in “rules” for each type of student?

When we are making a sincere effort in our teaching and doing our best to help students learn, yet what we experience is a lack of caring, interest, or respect on the part of one or more students, there is a natural tendency to get negative. But we need to resist that negative (i.e., passive-hostile) temptation – in which we tell ourselves it is not our fault, but all the while let it eat at us. Instead, we need to think positively (i.e., active-aware) – where we allow the students to own their behavior (and accept that they are a product of their environment), but take purposeful action to change the situation. So as always, our first step is acceptance that something needs to change. Then commit to taking action without letting this student affect our attitude toward the class as a whole, or our job.

Raising the Awareness of the Disconnect

The second step is to raise the level of awareness in the dynamic. Nothing will change if both parties maintain separate sets of expectations. Like a “generation gap,” the gap here will ensure miscommunication and mistrust. So as the teacher, we need to first help make the student aware that a gap exists. Useful techniques here will be the use of I-messages, clarifying statements and clarifying questions. For example if a student is exhibiting a helpless pattern, by suggesting that there is nothing they can do because they are not good at _______. We might want to raise their level of awareness with a clarifying question such as (to the student that has internalized a helpless pattern) “I hear you saying that we should only try when we think we are already good at something.” However, these messages need to be delivered in a sensitive manner. If we are perceived as judgmental or condescending, we will just widen the gap and the message will not get across it.

Chapter Reflection 15-l: Reflect on the classes that you have observed recently. Did either the teacher or the student recognize and/or raise the other party’s level of awareness of the existence of a gap in expectations? Did the situation improve?

Closing the Gap - Start by Making a Connection

“Different World Student”

In many cases, especially those in which the student feels the teacher does not “get them or their world” it may be essential that you show them that you are willing to narrow the gap by coming to them. It will help to make a personal connection with the student. We might find sources of commonality, or pathways to mutual empathy or appreciation. This is especially important in cases in which students feels a disconnection between our classes and what is satisfying to them. We need to first make an effort to find out what they are interested in. If possible we should find common interests or validate their interests. Just asking the student how it is going related to something unique about them can have a profound impact.

“Helpless Pattern Student”

To connect with the student who exhibits the helpless pattern, we need to first raise their awareness of it. We might comment, “I know that you really want to learn about vectors because you see the value and are fascinated by the concept, not just because you want to get the points.” If we keep our process positive, and assign them noble intentions, we will either help them recognize their pattern, or open the door to discussing it. Even if they tell us, our assumption is wrong (i.e., they could care less about vectors), at least we have succeeded at helping them to reflect and demonstrated that we care. Over time, we will want to acknowledge when they use anything resembling a mastery orientation in their thinking and provide a positive recognition for it.

“Teacher as Enemy Student”

If we come to recognize that we represent something that one or more of our students feels they need to conceptually reject, we need to bring it out. We should then make an effort to let them recognize that we have a lot more in common than they think. Being real and sharing at least a glimpse of our personal side will be helpful here. And that no matter what they assume about us, or feeling on their side of the equation, we need to communicate that we care deeply about their success. As the student(s) begin to respond, we can increasingly offer even more of “who we are.”

Chapter Reflection 15-m: As you read this last section did you feel a subtle resistance to the idea of making the effort to come to the student? If you did, that is natural. However, examine the root of that feeling. The tendency to want to stay in our corner and hope things get better on their own is common, but as we explore our motivations, we will see that it is usually just the fear of rejection or looking stupid on our part. Remember, that we are the adult in the equation, and taking the bold step to break the ice will make us feel better about both the student and ourselves in the future.

Community – A Gap Resistant Climate

Don’t underestimate the student’s interest in being part of a safe, emotionally and intellectually fulfilling, needs satisfying environment. They may project a hard shell, and a quick habit of “going negative” on each other, us and the coursework, but deep down, they want what we all want - a world where their basic needs are met. The more that students feel safe to come out of their self-protective fortress, the narrower any gap will become. A classroom that is defined by a sense of community is by nature antithetical to the experience of disconnection on the part of its members. The desire to put the common good foremost is itself a powerful bridge.

Therefore our job is to help our students to:

• recognize the desirability of an emotionally safe environment and build community (see chapter 16).
• understand that negativity is only a mental game that promises relief and short-term satisfaction, but will never lead to true contentment.
• learn new skills and experience community in a concrete, hands-on way.

Bridging the Gap with Engaging Work

As we discussed in Chapter 12, the type of work in the class will have a direct affect on our management. This is especially true of students who are disconnected, unmotivated, or have learned to get by doing the minimum. Often students, especially those from large urban public school systems get accustomed a mindset that school is a waste of time. It may take us a while to alter that conditioning, but we can. When students feel invested in the task, it brings them out of themselves and closes the gap.

Some useful ideas for promoting student investment in their work include:

· Incorporate projects. They help students feel a more concrete sense of accomplishment

· Focus on process and effort. This builds a sense of internal locus of control and encourages the student to think about quality rather than just getting done.

· Incorporate problem-solving tasks. This reinforces that success is a function of investment and promotes a mastery orientation.

· Revisit Chapter 8 and the idea of building a success psychology for more ideas.

Chapter Reflection 15-n: Take a look at a few classrooms. Do you see a relationship between the kind of work that the students are doing and the number of students who are disconnected from the teacher and their learning? How do you explain your findings?

Use of Reality Therapy and Student Behavioral Contracts

In our class, we have created a culture of listening, including very clear expectations. One day, as we are giving directions, we notice student A turn to another student and begins to talk to them. As is our technique in these cases, we stop, wait for 100% attention, and then begin again. Later, when another student is speaking, we see student A talking again. We privately and calmly implement a consequence, in this case, we ask student A to move to another location in the room. Moreover, we obtain an assurance from student A that they understand the expectation and a commitment that they fulfill the part of the social contract related to listening and attention. Shortly after, we find student A again talking to another student while we are giving directions.

The case of Student A illustrates a common example of a student with a deeply conditioned and chronic undesirable behavior (i.e., a “bad habit”). In this situation, the student exhibits a compulsive need to talk to others at times that violated the needs of the rest of the class. Like other level II types of issues, simple consequences may or may not be sufficient to cure the problem. Punishments and detentions are unlikely to solve level II types of problems such as this or a negative identity pattern, because they maintain an external locus of control. If the problem requires learning new behaviors and making new choices, we need to put the ownership on the student to solve their own problem. We need to stop owning the student’s problems and provide him/her with a means to grow out of them by their own volition.

A model that has proven effective for promoting more self-responsible thinking in students comes from the work of William Glasser (1975). His work in the area of “Reality Therapy” offers a useful process to encourage students to make a commitment to more positive behavior. As opposed to models that assume change will come from increasing the level of consequences to the unwanted behavior, this process assumes that the solution comes from making the student responsible for changing their own behavior. Glasser (1975) offers the following series of steps for shifting the locus of the change process from external to internal, promoting responsibility, and ultimately achieving behavior change. In this process the student gains in self-awareness of the conditioned and compulsive nature of their problem as well as the benefits of a more functional set of behaviors.

Chapter Reflection 15-o: As you reflect on the approach outlined by Glasser, how do you find it differs from traditional or common sense approaches? Where is the locus of control?

1. Establish involvement with the student

As discussed earlier, we are not going to be very successful changing a dysfunctional pattern or closing a gap in expectations without demonstrating a personal commitment to the welfare of the student. The student needs to know that we care, can be trusted, and have their best interest at heart. If the student perceives that we are simply using the process to have a more solid ground for later disciplinary action, the result will likely be an insincere effort on the student’s part.

No matter how it is implemented, the following process will act to better define the terms of the necessary behavior change, but when we take an interest in the student, there is a greater opportunity to communicate intimately/authentically when the time comes, and the student is more likely to view the process as a means to genuine growth.

2. Focus on the behavior

To initiate the process, it is critical that the student understand that our goal is not a personal indictment of them as a person, but the facilitation of more functional and positive behavior. Therefore we need to maintain the focus on the behavior in question and not peripheral matters (e.g., our frustration, the wisdom of the behavior, historical problems from the past, etc). We might use clarifying questions to help the student self-reflect, such as “This is what I see ______. How would you describe what is happening?” At this initial stage we need to communicate the message to the student that – a) we like them and believe in them, b) this behavior is not working, and c) we are going to work with them to change it.

3. The student must accept responsibility for the behavior

After the problem behavior has been identified the student needs to accept responsibility for that behavior. It is critical that we do not shame or blame the student. For students that struggle with inappropriate behavior, there is likely a corresponding problem related to external locus of control. We need to promote the student’s cause and effect reasoning. The cause – the problem behavior, the effect – unwanted consequences. So it is important that we do not accept excuses. In so many words we are asking them the question, “Can you accept the responsibility for the choices that you’ve made?” We need to help them resist the temptation to blame others, become fatalistic, or see the process as a personal attack from us. Their affect will be a good indicator of the effectiveness of our intervention. If we see recognition (even if it involves some consternation) we are on the right track. If we see a show of repentance or lip service, we will need to help them better focus on where the process is going – “I don’t want you to be sorry or feel bad, but we are going to work together to make sure this is not happening in the future.”

4. The student should evaluate the behavior

We typically over-estimate the degree to which students evaluate the consequences of their choices. Students who tend to externalize the causes of their problems will usually also resist constructive self-reflection. So while the student may spend a lot of time thinking about why they are “bad” they likely resist reasoning out how they can change unwanted behavior.

After the student has acknowledged responsibility, we need to help them evaluate their behavior in a non-personal and non-judgmental manner. In a sincere and supportive tone, we might ask them some thought-provoking questions such as, “Would you consider what you did helpful or hurtful? “What did (it) produce?” Help the student analyze the situation. “What do you think just happened?” “What will the result be, if that interaction keeps happening?” “What will help you get what you want and be good for the rest of us?”

Chapter Reflection 15-p: Getting to this level will be a huge win-win outcome for all concerned. And in most cases we will feel like we have succeeded. And we will have. Getting the student to evaluate their own behavior is significant and will have substantial benefits to you and them. But what do you see at the potential problems with stopping at this point? What happens if we walk away at this point without a contract, or at least a concrete commitment of behavioral change?

5. Develop a Plan of Action and/or Behavioral Contract

Leading the student through the first 4 steps of the process may be sufficient to result in the desired level of awareness and consequent behavior change. However, if the problem is habitual and/or the student lacks motivation to change, a plan/contract stage is probably necessary. Working together with the student, we need to accomplish the writing of a plan that will detail how the problem behavior will be remedied. The more this plan is written by the student, the more effective it is likely to be. Plans can take many forms, but you might want the student to include:

· their behavioral goal,

· their analysis of why the problem keeps happening,

· what road-blocks they might expect when they try to change the situation,

· a timeline (optional)

· anticipated benefits of reaching their goal

· self-initiated consequences for what happens if they are not able to meet their goal and their behavior still violates the social contract.

The plan becomes a contract when the consequences are included and the student signs and commits to it.

6. The Student Must Make a Commitment to Following the Plan

Throughout the process, we need to help the student recognize that they are in control of the process. If they do not like the plan, it should be modified and written in a way that they like it, as long as it works for us and the rest of the class. The contract is not something that is being done to the student. It is a tool to support them. But we are not going to beg, or nag, or take ownership for their choices. We are their leader and cheerleader, but we cannot make them do anything. And we need to remind them that we appreciate their good intentions, but what we need to see is behavior change. We need to see them “walk the walk,” not just “talk the talk.”

7. Follow up and Follow Through

Once a plan is in place it offer a number of benefits. First, we have a common language to use with the students as a result of the reflection process and the concrete plan that now exists. Second, we have clarity of expectation and consequences. Third, we have shifted the locus of ownership of the problem onto the student. Therefore our job now is to use those benefits to the support the success of the plan.

The language in the contract will allow us to use fewer words when we want to positively recognize the student’s success, or conversely when we see the student getting off track. For example, if one of the problems was disruptive behavior in cooperative groups, and the contract outlines appropriate group behavior, we might only need to look at the student and say “role?” Before the contract was in place this interaction may not have been meaningful to the student, but now, it will trigger a whole series of thoughts for the student a) the teacher is recognizing that I am straying from my intention, b) I need to ask myself, if I am doing a good job of my role, c) have I crossed a line and do in need to accept a consequence?

If the process is working, the student should be doing most of the thinking. Does the language in the contract need to change? Have they reached their goal? We will know it is working when we see the student own their plan and observe a change in behavior. If the plan is not working, it should be altered, and/or if the student does not meet their obligations the consequences written into the plan should be implemented.

Chapter Reflection 15-q: Put yourself in the role of the student who has just gone through this process. How do you feel? Where is the LOC? Are you looking in vein for someone to rebel against? Do you think you will make the effort to change your behavior?

Level III Conditions and Supporting our Students with ADHD

Students who experience Level III type behavioral conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), emotional or behavioral disorders and other biologically based behavioral issues present a substantive challenge in the area of behavior management. Whereas with the vast majority of our students, their level of attentiveness is a matter of choice, these students typically experience an organic difficulty maintaining focus and attention. As a result they may be making a courageous effort to control themselves and maintain attention, but their chemistry makes it seemingly impossible. Therefore we need to recognize both their organic limitations and needs and the corresponding conditioning that takes place as a result. In too many cases students with organic difficulties such as ADHD, develop a negative identity pattern to mask their struggles with the organic condition.

The primary symptoms of ADHD include persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity when compared to others of similar age and developmental levels. According to the DSM-IV (1994), this pattern must adversely affect at least two settings, such as school, home, and/or work, and must have been present before the age of seven. According to Kirby and Kirby (1994), ADHD has been the most common diagnosis for school age children for many years, with prevalence estimates ranging from 2% to 6%.

Working in collaboration with one’s School Counselor or Psychologist is highly recommended. To begin, it will be essential to get a professional evaluation of the student’s condition. ADHD, a kinesthetic learning orientation, compulsive attention getting behavior, highly extroverted behavior, and a lack of personal behavioral control may appear similar in terms of behavior, yet each have different roots and will require somewhat different support behaviors on our part. One of the primary reasons that a student with ADHD presents such a unique challenge is that it will require us to think differently with the student than the other students. This is especially true if we are drawn to a 1-Style student-centered management orientation.

While our goals for most of our students will be self-responsible behavior, this goal may need to be re-examined for the student with ADHD. While increasing his/her level of self-control will be a critical part of their growth. We need to be sensitive to their limits as they progress in their self-understanding. For most of the students in the class, we can encourage self directed behavior and over time we can expect it. If we help students learn to stay present and attentive for ever longer periods of time, we typically find that they are capable of it. However, for the ADHD student, we may be asking too much too soon. For most of our students, we will want to limit extrinsic rewards and too much teacher dependence, especially in the 1-Style classroom. However, with the ADHD student techniques such as the use of rewards may be a necessary part of what it will take to help the student succeed. For the committed 1-Style teacher, this may seem like it requires the use of a different mentality with the ADHD student and all the others. In some cases, this may be true.

Kirby & Kirby (1994) suggest that because individuals with ADHD often receive a substantial amount of negative feedback, it is important to structure the school day so that the chance for successful and positive feedback is increased. Whereas, with most students we can simply challenge them to be work through difficulties and encourage them to persist in the face of challenging work or problem situations, the student with ADHD will need more. The ADHD will have a tendency to want to quit early in the face of work that seems difficult, or a lesson that requires a great deal of attention. Work that is too complex, boring, or repetitive will lead to behavioral problems with all of our students, but this is especially true of the students with ADHD. Therefore, we need to create a learning environment that promotes both the perception and the reality of success.

Recommendations for Promoting Success with the ADHD Student

Start with a Diagnosis. Once we have a clear understanding of the nature of the student’s condition, we will be in a better position to outline an intervention. To be most effective it will require us to match our interventions to the student’s needs. Matte and Bolaski (1998) caution against the use of a blanket set of strategies for all ADHD students. For instance, a student who's predominant symptom is impulsivity, requires different set of interventions than the student who is persistently inattentive (Rooney, 1995). Matte and Bolaski (1998) suggest that if a student is predominantly hyperactive then a kinesthetic approach to an academic exercise may be beneficial. Also, if a student is unable to channel the needed amount of mental effort into a single task, then a tactile or group approach may help.

Partner with the student in the plan – make it a team effort. If the student is aware of the plan and is providing us feedback as to its effectiveness, it provides the student a sense of power and ownership and gives us the best data source possible – the student themselves. Make the plan as concrete as possible. The use of schedules either weekly or daily can be useful. Keep in mind the success – recognition frame (discussed in Chapter 3). The student needs a high level of recognition, ever rewards for meeting the goals of the plan. The key is to keep the student feeling successful. They will be tempted to want to quit, give in and get fatalistic. We need to help them resist that temptation. Matte and Bolaski (1998) point out that ADHD students are often surprised by their own behavior, and don't intend on "acting out" in the classroom. They can be at once repentant and at the next moment out of control. We need to help them remove the guilt and shame from their condition and help them feel supported. But we need to have them take responsibility for their own success, and let us know what is working and what they need from us.

Build in routine for the student. As much as possible, find ways that the student can experience predictability and regularity in their work. The presence of ambiguity, change, the need for learning new procedures, or large amount of interpretation can trigger frustration and a desire to give up in the ADHD student. This routine does not need to be class-wide, it only needs to be for your ADHD student.

Consider time of day in your planning. Matte and Bolaski (1998) suggest that academic work requiring a high level of attention is best scheduled in the morning, and other school activities that require less attention should be scheduled in the afternoon. Most students with ADHD are better able to control attention during the first half of the school day. This can decrease frustration for both the student and teacher.

Reduce the increments of time. For most students, we can trust that they are capable of attending or sticking with a task for a good amount of time. For most students this means more than 15 minutes. For the ADHD student, attending for 5 or 10 minutes may feel like an eternity. We need to help them set small goals and feel accomplished when they meet those goals. We might use a phrase such as “Let’s see if you can do problems 14 and 15 in the next 5 minutes. I will be back then and we can see how you did. Do you think you can do that, or do you need more help before you get started?”

Consider incorporating the use of behavioral modification strategies. While it may go against your overall philosophy of classroom management, it will be helpful to become skilled at behavioral modification for the most challenging cases of ADHD. Again, this does not mean that you need to use any of the same techniques with the other students, but to help structure the ADHD student’s experience, they can be invaluable. When administered with patience and repetitiveness, they can be beneficial in improving classroom behavior (Kirby & Kirby, 1994). Matte and Bolaski (1998) suggest the use of the following behavioral techniques, withholding privileges as a negative consequence, recognizing and rewarding positive behavior as close to the successful event as possible, using checklists, and even implementing a token system if necessary. They go on to state that “Students with ADHD struggle with basic causal relationships and they often fail to notice connections between behavior and consequences, therefore, for behavior modification to be effective, interventions must be consistent, repetitive, fair, and educable.” Chapter 7 outlines a series of techniques to make the use of extrinsic rewards more powerful and effective.

Think in terms of building a success psychology (as discussed in Chapter 8). As with student who have developed level II types of problems, we will be much more successful with the ADHD student and students with other level III conditions if they experience feeling powerful and a high level of internal locus of control. Much of the sense of failure and guilt they will be tempted to experience comes from the feelings of being powerless to control their own behavior and their assessment that they are letting others down. Therefore, help the student recognize their successes as being powerful and make them a partner in the effort so that they feel empowered. Likewise, we will be much more successful with the student if they feel like we accept them for who they are. They will want to feel like they are “bad.” We need to tell them that both we and they have a common challenge - growth and learning, and that it is often difficult, and failures will occur. But we will never stop caring about and accepting the student because they fail to meet our expectations. Finally, we need to help them recognize that things will and are getting better as a result of the student investing in making them better. We need to refrain from labeling them or letting them label themselves as “broken” and/or possessing a fixed view of their potential. We need to help them focus on how they are growing. The more concrete and specific we can be here the better. The student will likely want to revert to a self-limiting self-image after they have had a rough day. We need to keep them focused in how they are making real and tangible progress and can make even more progress in the future if they continue to apply themselves.

Conclusion

Success with our more challenging students can make all difference in our experience of effectiveness. Promoting growth in our more challenging students will lead to both a sense of satisfaction as well as a better result for the student, the other students, and ourselves.

In the next section, we examine further how to go beyond the social contract to a more transformational form of management. While challenging students may slow this process, they will also offer the other members of the class an opportunity to support the growth of one of the members of their community.

Journal Reflections

1. Recall a student who you have known who exhibited a negative-identity pattern. Did the actions of the adults around them make their pattern better or worse?
2. When have you felt a “gap” or disconnect as a student? What was it that you wanted and/or what were the rules to the game that you were playing? Why did you feel the gap? What was it that the teacher did that made you feel like the two of you were playing from a divergent set of rules and expectations?

Chapter Activities

1. In small groups, share your experiences of the negative-identity students that you have known. What was the reinforcement that the student was seeking? Did the student get the reinforcement for the negative behavior that they were seeking? Did anything or anyone intervene to alter the cycle and change the negative identity pattern, or did it maintain itself? What happened to that student eventually?
2. In small groups, select (or be assigned) on of the four gap conditions described in the chapter 1) helpless pattern, 2) seeing no value to the work, 3) doing the minimum, or 4) the teacher as the enemy. In your group, first, examine the causes of the problem, and then generate a list of strategies that a teacher might use to bridge the gap with this kind of student and support their reconnection with the learning.
3. View the video “Educating Peter” and discuss the role of the other students in supporting the growth and adjustment of one especially challenging and troubled student. In the video Peter has down-syndrome, but the implications of the video are generalizable to many kinds of cases.

References:

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) (1994). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Dweck (2000) Self-Theories; Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development. Psychologists Press.

Glasser, W (1975) Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry. Harper and Row. New York

Kemp, K., Fister, S., & McLaughlin, P. (1995). Academic strategies for children with ADD. Intervention in School and Clinic, 30, (4), 203-210.

Kirby, E., & Kirby, S. (1994). Classroom discipline with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder children. Contemporary Education, 65, (3), 142-144.

Matte, R. and Bolaski, J. (1998) Non Verbal Learning Disabilities: An Overview.

Intervention in School and Clinic, v34 n1 p39-42 Sep 1998

Rooney, K., (1995). Teaching students with attention disorders. Intervention in School and Clinic, 30, (4), 221-225.

Wurzburg, G. and Goodwin, T. (1992) Educating Peter. PBS Video.