Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 1, Elementary): Understanding the Acting-Out Cycle

Assessment

Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in to your professor using whatever method he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.

1. A new teacher says that she doesn’t have time to address low-level or minor challenging behaviors (e.g., being off-task). Her strategy is to ignore these and focus instead only on more serious challenging behaviors. Craft a response to her that explains:
   1. A potential consequence of ignoring minor challenging behaviors.
   2. Two negative impacts of even minor challenging behaviors on the student and the class.
2. Students who consistently exhibit challenging behaviors typically progress through a seven-phase process known as the acting-out cycle.
   1. List two reasons why it is important for educators to intervene early in the acting-out cycle.
   2. Explain what might prevent an educator from intervening early in the acting-out cycle.
3. Ms. Angelus is struggling to address Billie’s challenging behavior in math class. In classes where she excels, Billie frequently participates and often thoughtfully helps her peers. Although Billie is a model student in other classes, Ms. Angelus has noticed that Billie seems withdrawn and anxious in math class. Billie appears noticeably upset when she gets the answer to a question wrong or receives a poor grade on an assignment. Sometimes when this happens Billie sighs or stares out the window. Other times, Billie will pound her desk in frustration and argue with Ms. Angelus about the correct answers, even going as far to say that Ms. Angelus is picking on her and that she doesn’t know how to teach math. On multiple occasions Billie has ripped up her assignment or cursed at Ms. Angelus in front of the class. Ms. Angelus needs help getting Billie’s challenging behavior under control. Using a table like the one below, identify a strategy Ms. Angelus can use during the first four phases of the acting-out cycle and explain how it might help prevent Billie’s behavior from escalating during math class.

4. Once a student enters the Peak Phase and the educator can no longer interrupt the acting-out cycle, what should the educator’s focus shift to? Explain.
5. After a student exits the Peak Phase, it is critical that the educator support her through the De-escalation and Recovery Phases.
   1. What is the educator trying to accomplish in the De-escalation Phase?
   2. Why are educators often reluctant to engage in debriefing during the Recovery Phase? Why is it important to debrief despite this reluctance?

To learn about strategies to address disruptive behavior, proceed to Addressing Challenging Behaviors (Part 2, Elementary): Behavioral Strategies.