Acting Out Cycle

IntheCalmPhase,studentbehaviorischaracterizedasgoaldirected,
compliant,cooperative,andacademicallyengaged.Studentsareresponsive
toteacherpraiseandarereceptivetoworkingwiththeirpeers.Overall,
studentsarebehavinginaccordancewiththeguidelinesspecifiedinthe
classroommanagementplan.

Oneofthebestwaystopreventproblembehaviorsfromoccurringistokeep
studentsintheCalmPhase.Thiscanbedoneby:
Creatingasoundclassroomstructureofakindspecifiedinyourclassroom
managementplan
Explicitlyteachingsocialandbehavioralexpectationstostudents
Givingstudentssufficientlevelsofattentionformeetingyourexpectations
Givingastudentenoughattentionandtherightkindofattentionisan
importantsteptowardkeepingthatstudentintheCalmPhase.Specifically,a
studentneedsbothcontingentandnoncontingentattention.
DuringtheTriggerPhase,studentmisbehaviorcanbetriggeredbya

concernthatisleftunaddressed.Suchconcernscantakeplaceeitherwithin
orbeyondtheschoolday.

Schoolbasedtriggersmayinclude:
Anegativeinteractionwithateacher
Anargumentwithapeer
Achangeinthedailyschedule(e.g.,anassembly)
Highrateoffailureonanacademictask
Confusionaboutanassignment
Nonschoolbasedtriggersmayinclude:
Hunger
Lackofsleep
Medicalproblems
Stressfulhomesituations
Note:Nonschoolbasedtriggerscanbedifficulttomanagebecausetheyare
beyondthecontroloftheclassroomteacher.
TheAgitationPhaseisoftenratherlong.Ingeneral,behaviorisunfocused.
Somestudentsdemonstrateagitationbyincreasingbehaviorssuchasdarting
theireyesortappingtheirhands,movinginandoutofgroups,andstarting
andstoppingactivities.Incontrast,otherstudentsdecreasemovementby
disengagingfromgroups,staringoffintospace,orloweringtheir
involvementininstructionalactivities.Bothareevidencethattheyhave
disconnectedfromthelearningexperience.
Itisimperativethatteachersidentifyandinterrupttheactingoutcycle
during,orpreferablybefore,theAgitationPhase.Ifthecycleisnotstopped,
studentbehaviorwilllikelyincreasetomoresevereformsofbehaviorsuch
asverbalandphysicalaggression.
Althoughagoodcomprehensivebehaviormanagementplancanprevent
manyproblemsintheclassroom,itisnotenough.Agoodlessonplan
preventsmisbehaviorsthatareresponsestoboredomorfrustration.Finally,
knowinghowtointerveneattheearlyphasesofthecyclecandeescalate
problembehaviors.

AnyattempttointerveneduringAgitationshouldbemadeatthebeginning
ofthisphase.Otherwise,thesestrategiesmightactuallycausethebehaviors
toescalatetowardthenextphaseAcceleration.
DuringtheAccelerationPhase,studentbehaviorbecomesmorefocusedin
anefforttoengagetheteacher.Specifically,studentsuseavarietyof
behaviors(e.g.,questioning,arguing,refusingtowork,committingminor
propertydestruction)toengagetheteacherandinterferewithinstruction.
Sometimesstudentswillcompletetherequiredassignmentsbutwillproduce
poorqualityworkorwillcompleteonlyaportionoftheassignment.
AlthoughtheAccelerationPhaseisinthemiddleoftheactingoutbehavior
cycle,indicatingthatthebehavioralconcernhasbeenbuildingforsome
time,thisisoftenwhenteachersfirstrecognizethataproblemisoccurring.
TheAccelerationPhase
Studentbehavior:Heorsheattemptstoengagetheteacherinaargument.
Teacherresponse:Prompt,redirect,ormakearequest,andgivethestudent
timetorespond.Reinforceengagedbehavior.
Possiblestudentbehavior:Itispossiblethestudentwillonlypartially
comply.
Teacherresponse:Reinforcethestudentforpartialcompliance,andrequest
additional,limitedengagement.
Thoughitcanbequitedifficult,ateachermustputawayhisorherpride
duringthisphaseoftheactingoutcycle.Remember,atthispoint,the
situationisnotabouttheteacherbutaboutthestudent.Andalthoughitmay
bedifficulttoallowalittlebitofinappropriatebehaviortooccurinorderto
deescalatethesituation,apowerstrugglebetweentheteacherandstudent
canmovethestudentintothemostunpredictablephasePeak
DuringthePeakPhase,behaviorisclearlyoutofcontrol.Atthispoint,
preventionoftheproblembehaviorisnotpossible,andtheteacherisforced
todealwithit.Studentsmayphysicallyassaultothers,hurtthemselves,cry
hysterically,ordestroypropertyanyofwhichmightleadtodevastating
outcomes.Becausethebehavioratthispointisoftenloudandexplosiveand
thenabruptlyends,thePeakPhasetendstobeashortone.However,the
aftermathofthiscriticalevent,orbehavioralearthquake,isoftenquite

serious.Forobviousreasons,itisbesttopreventbehaviorsfromescalating
tothispoint.

Whenoutofcontrolbehavioroccurs:
Haveaplanandknowhowtoimplementit
Keepeveryonesafe
Afterthepeakincidenthaspassed,preparetoreintegratethestudentintothe
classroomcommunitybytakingcontrolofthenextphaseDeEscalation.
DeEscalationPhase:WhenstudentscomeoutofthePeakPhase,theymay
beconfused,disoriented,andfarlessagitated.Manystudentswillwithdraw,
denyanyresponsibilityorinvolvement,attempttoblameothers,andeven
trytoreconcilewiththosetheyharmedoroffended.Althoughstudentswill
mostlikelynotwanttodiscusstheincident,theyareoftenresponsiveto
directions.
Oncetheteacherhasrestoredcalmtotheclassroomandthestudenthas
appropriatelydeescalated,itistimetoimplementthefinalphaseofthe
actingoutbehaviorcycleRecovery.
Inthisfinalphase,Recovery,studentsaregenerallysubduedandmaystill
prefertoavoidtalkingabouttheincident.Teachersoftenincorrectlythink
thattheywillretriggerthemisbehavioriftheytrytodebriefthestudent.
Notonlyisthiserroneousbutalsonottalkingaboutthesituationwiththe
studentcanunintentionallyreinforcethebehavior.Toastudent,theabsence
ofadebriefingmaysignifythatheorshegotawaywiththemisbehavior.
Becauseofthis,DebriefingisanecessarypartofRecovery.
CompletingtheRecoveryPhasecanbedifficult.Theteachermustdealnot
onlywiththemisbehavingstudentbutalsowiththeemotionsand
expectationsoftheclass.Inaddition,theteachermustdealhonestlywithhis
orherownmistakesandfeelingssurroundingtheincident.Thegoalmust
alwaysbetocreateahealthierlearningenvironment.