Levels of student misbehavior are increasing across the country, according to an article in Education Week. The situation is bad enough to make teachers want to quit the profession. Student behavior is also a major issue for principals seeking to balance softer practices with harsher punishment.
But at 450-student Jeeter Primary School in Opelika, Ala., the frequency and intensity of disciplinary referrals have come down in the past seven years. Principal David Carpenter credits Teresa Williams, a student-behavior tutor. He hired the retired elementary school teacher during the 2018-19 school year to work exclusively on student behavior, communicate with teachers about students who may be struggling on a particular day, and coach newer teachers on how to spot and manage behaviors in their classrooms.
“She has a coaching mentality [toward] student behavior,” says Carpenter. “She comes in and tells students, “We’re not good at this behavior right now, but we’re going to get there.”
Williams is the point person for any unmet need that a student may have. The four to five hours she spends at the school varies each day. She might spend time with her “breakfast crew,” students who arrive hungry. She might sort out clean clothes for them, wipe their faces, or chat about any challenges they may be facing at home.
The day starts with Williams at the student drop-off zone where she can spot potential problems before they start. Heads may be down, shoulders slumped, slow shuffling – body language can speak more than words.
Williams follows students into their classrooms and briefs teachers about those who may be emotionally fragile or more likely to struggle that day.
“If students know that when they get off the bus, someone’s there to check on them, that simple, consistent action, can defuse the child’s brain … it can alleviate anxiety, says David Arencibia, a former principal of Colleyville Middle school in the Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District, Tx., who now helps school leaders create better culture in their buildings.
As a principal, Arencibia made sure staff greeted students at the morning drop off and communicated concerns to classroom teachers — a critical step for early de-escalation and relationship-building, he says.
Williams is the link between what happens at drop-off with students and how they behave in front of their teachers. Being neither counselor nor an administrator makes it easier for teachers to ask her questions or lean on her for support when they struggle with students who misbehave repeatedly.
She shares strategies with teachers to build better relationships with students. Setting expectations around how students should line up for lunch, or for the restroom, can create a more stable and predictable environment. Williams coaches teachers on spotting the same signs she does at the beginning of the day: Do students look hungry, tired, or upset?
“If they don’t have a grown-up that truly cares about them, that’s what we’ve got to be,” says Williams.
Carpenter and Williams have created a “check-in, checkout” system for students who have racked up referrals and risk being sent to the Opelika Learning Center. The day for struggling students starts and ends with Carpenter, who gives them a written set of goals to achieve throughout the day. Students carry the paper to different classes, where teachers give them points for attaining the goals.
In the current school year, Carpenter says eight students have gone through the system. This is less than 2% of the students enrolled in the school.
The daily check-ins have helped Carpenter develop a closer relationship with these students, while holding them accountable. “The students know I’m on their side, and it also lets the parents know I’m not the principal that’s just trying to punish your child. I’m trying to help them,” he says.
Carpenter did not plan to create a behavior-tutor role. Williams originally interviewed for a reading tutor’s position; the principal soon had devised a new role for her. “You’ve got to find the person who feels like this is their calling, and that’s what they want,” he says
Hiring for experience alone may not be enough, says Arencibia. The “right adult” needs to be out front to greet students and help them work through their challenges. ”You’ve got to put the right people who truly make connections and relationships with students.”
Some adults in a school may see the morning greeting only as a duty. If that puts them in a bad mood, it could rub off on a student already struggling to regulate their behavior, Arencibia adds.
“Some teachers are more gifted in working with those kids no one else seems to work successfully with. [Williams] has that knack of being able to connect and relate to the child and help them succeed,” says Carpenter.
Education Week
