Behavior Management Definition

Behavior management is all of the actions and conscious inactions to enhance the probability people, individually and in groups, choose behaviors which are personally fulfilling, productive, and socially acceptable (Shea & Bauer, 1987).

As educators we must screen our decisions by asking. "Will the person find the behavior, we desire them to learn, to be personally self-fulfilling and productive?" If the answer is yes, we will better insure that the person will not only learn the behavior and satisfy the educator’s or significant others need, but will learn the behavior and use it to satisfy a personal need. This is necessary to achieve a goal of self-discipline.

Think of an example of a socially acceptable classroom behavior you want your students to learn and tell how it will be personally self-fulfilling and productive if students learn it.

The behavior is

 

It will be self-fulfilling for the student who uses it because

 

 Why would the student agree with your rationale for learning and using the behavior?

 

This suggests the importance of replacing an inappropriate behavior with an appropriate behavior that can provide the person with something they desire. This is known as the fair-pair rule. Replace self-limiting behaviors with mastery oriented behaviors.

Robert Sweetland's Notes ©