Doing this may win the behavioral battle, but it loses the educational war

When students misbehave, it's common for educators to reprimand them. And when they misbehave again, they reprimand them again. Then, when they continue misbehaving, they say the same things, except a little bit longer, louder, and meaner. Before they know it, their classrooms are chaos. I've been there many times and seen it. If you ask the educators, they will tell you that they are doing what needs to be done. After all, the student is being disruptive, so they need to be corrected. Right? Well, they aren't wrong. But the problem isn't about correcting them. The problem is the misuse and overuse of punishment under conditions where the use of positive reinforcement is not the norm.

It is usually happening with well-meaning educators who have not been trained in classroom or behavior management. Which is most of them given that less than one in three universities provides courses aimed at preventing and managing behavior. The use of coercive techniques by the untrained is very tempting as, on the surface, it seems to work. But it's very much like winning the battle but losing the war as the students will end up resenting the educators and sometimes misbehaving just to upset them. Think about. How would you feel about a boss who spent far more time correcting your work as opposed to incrementally positively reinforcing progress in it.

The Fallout of Coercion

Using coercion to manage behavior in schools can have a number of negative consequences:

1. It hinders the development of self-management: Students may learn to behave not out of respect for others or the rules but because they fear punishment. This may prevent them from developing the ability to manage their behavior without external supervision.
2. It can damage the student-teacher relationship: Coercion involves using threats, punishment, or force to make someone comply. This can lead to a negative and hostile relationship between the teacher and student, making it difficult for them to trust and respect each other.
3. It can lead to rebellion: When students feel coerced, they may resist or rebel against the rules and authority of the school, leading to further disciplinary issues.
4. It can fuel aggression: Coercion can create a hostile and tense environment in the school, creating a risk for aggressive behavior from both students and teachers.
5. It can have adverse effects on mental health: The use of coercion as a means to manage behavior in schools can lead to anxiety, depression, resentment, and a sense of powerlessness among students, which can affect their mental health and academic performance.

As you can see, the use of coercive strategies for managing behavior are fraught with land-mines that make things worse for educators. If you are an educator, you know that you work hard enough as it is and do not need to have to manage all of the negative outcomes associated with misbehavior. To prevent and manage misbehavior, experts suggest using the 4:1 rule. That is, having 4 positive interactions for every 1 negative one. But to be effective, those interactions need to be quality. For example, often times saying "good job" to a student doesn't equate to a quality interaction in the context of improving behavior. And reprimanding a student again and again for the same behavior will make you want to pull your hair out.

What To Do Instead

So what exactly should the 4:1 rule look like? Well, at PCMA, we've taken all of the guesswork out of it in our EveryDay Behavior Tools Instructor course. In it, instructors are certified to teach practitioners how to use eight behavior tools for both preventing and managing misbehavior in a way that maximizes relationships. If you'd like to find out more, check out the video linked below. Oh, and by the way, if your school has students engaging in aggressive or even self-injurious behavior, contact Drew Carter at carter@pcma.com to learn about Professional Crisis Management, complete crisis management grounded behavioral science.

About the Author

Specializing in human performance, coaching, and organizational leadership, Dr. Paul "Paulie" Gavoni is a behavior scientist and educator who has worked across education and human services for almost three decades. In this capacity, he has served the needs of children and adults through various positions, including COO, Vice President, Director of School Improvement, Leadership Director, Professor, Assistant Principal, School Turnaround Manager, Clinical Coordinator, Therapist, District Behavior Analyst, and Director of Progam Development and Public Relations at PCMA. Dr. Gavoni is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), or the science of human behavior, to make a positive difference in establishing safe, productive, and engaging environments that bring out the best in faculty and staff so they can bring out the best in the learners they serve. He is an active board member of the Opioid Awareness Foundation and World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance.

Known for his authenticity and practical approaches, Dr. Gavoni is the host of the Top 1.5% globally ranked Crisis in Education Podcast and a sought-out speaker at various Educational and Behavior Analytic Conferences Internationally. He a the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling co-author of The Scientific Laws of Life & Leadership: Behavioral Karma; Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership; Deliberate Coaching: A Toolbox for Accelerating Teacher Performance; and MMA Science: A Training, Coaching, and Belt Ranking Guide. Dr. Gavoni is proud to introduce OBM and Applied Behavior Analysis to worldwide audiences through his numerous publications and his work with PCMA to create productive, safe, and positive cultures.

Beyond his work in education and human services, Dr. Gavoni is also a former Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion and a highly respected striking coach in combat sports. Coach “Paulie Gloves,” as he is known in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) community, has trained world champions and UFC vets using technologies rooted in the behavioral sciences. Coach Paulie has been featured in the books Beast: Blood, Struggle, and Dreams a the Heart of Mixed Martial Arts, A Fighter’s Way, and the featured article Ring to Cage: How four former boxers help mold MMA’s finest. He is also an author who has written extensively for various online magazines such as Scifighting, Last Word on Sports, and Bloody Elbow, where his Fight Science series continues to bring behavioral science to MMA. Finally, Paulie was also a featured fighter in FX’s highest-rated show at the time, The Toughman, and as an MMA coach in the Lifetime reality series Leave it to Geege.