Assign a buddy or partner

• Why? - It reduces the stress level of being autonomous for students by providing them modeling behaviors. Also, it helps students to check their answers and make a clarification of directions. A buddy or partner can also force them to turn in their assignments on time by keeping informing them of the due date.
• When? - It is needed when students cannot finish their works by themselves and need some pushes from outside. Also, students with a disorganized habit needs this kind of help who keep checking them to do their tasks.
• How? - Talk to students privately that s/he will have a partner who they can always ask for help and support them. Assign a buddy or partner that will serve as a good role model. Speak with two students explaining clearly the purpose of putting them together and explain your expectations.

Do Unfinished Work During Recess Or Unstructured Time

• Why? - Motivates students to finish their tasks on time if they don't want to be taken their fun time away from. Teach students the consequences of their irresponsibility.
• When? - When students being irresponsible such as losing their works, not keeping the due, forgetting to submit the works. When students fail to complete class work due to behaviors, unwillingness to work, socializing too much, etc.
• How? - Warn students several times before taking this action and give students choices whether they will change their mindset to do their tasks or come to see teachers during recess or after school.

Color-Coded Folder

• Why? - Help students build an organizing habit and not to forget where they did put their tasks to do.
• When? - When students are unorganized, missing and losing assignments, forgetting to submit the assignments. When students cannot easily find where they did put their handouts.
• How? - Show a clear example of color-coded folder to have students create their own by imitating those. Sit down together and give students certain time to make that folders. Ask parents for help to check the students folders frequently.
  

I Finished All Of My Work Today Chart

I think this tracking chart would be helpful for Grade 5 and 6 students. They still struggle with being independent taking care of their assignments by themselves. If somebody near them frequently check their 'I Finished All Of My Work Today Chart', they would be able to build a habit of dong their tasks, which prevents from forgetting to do or submit the assignments.

Behavior Chart

Middle School students should be ready to move up to high school, which require them to be fully independent. Thinking of that, this Behavior Chart would be helpful for Grade 7 and 8 students. It would be helpful for students to write down what assignments they should do first and teachers/parents check their completition by crossing-out or shading the block.

Mentoring

• Why? - Students can get individual helps by personal mentor/tutor and they feel they have someone their back. By supporting personally, they cannot not completing their works.
• When? - When other intervention is not working well. When students have no motivation to change his misbehavior. When students seem to have little guidance and support from parents in the home.
• How? - Assign one mentor to students, don't switch around. Speak to both mentor and mentee the reason/purpose of this intervention. Set the regular schedule for mentoring (e.g. once a week for an hour)

Daily Check In Check Out Data Summary

This will help students to monitor their improvement visually and establish a level of self-awareness, which help build their motivation.

Reward Tracking Template

Sometimes, competition can be a good stimulant to increase students' motivation. Middle School Students, especially, have a tendency to compare themselves with others. By visually seeing the Reward Tracking Template, it could stimulate their motivation to behave meeting the expectation.

Alternatives To Suspension

• Why? - The suspension is too harsh, especially for middle school students. However, there should be a severe tier 3 consequence on students no enhancement. Also, suspension might be regarded as just giving up students, not trying to solve the problems.
• When? - When students behavior doesn't get fixed after tier 2 intervention. When students try to be suspended on purpose thinking that this is the way they can avoid from doing their tasks.
• How? Some other alternatives can be: counseling, behavioral contracts, school collaborate with parents on student's problems, in-school suspension, etc.

Response To Intervention (RTI)

• Why? - It reduces behavior problems which hinders students' academic achievement. By getting supports personally by special educators, it increases students' responsibility and grades. It catalyzes students' confidence, work completion and willingness to work.
• When? - When students have low motivation/confidence to complete their tasks by themselves. When it appears students are avoiding their works.
• How? Evaluate which level among Tier 1, 2 and 3 students are placed. Special educators/learning supports try several various interventions and see which interventions work for those students or not. Help improve students' organizational skills as well by supporting them one on one.

Check In Check Out (CICO)

• Why? - Students get daily feedback from teachers about their works and they get pressure from there, which pushes them to finish their tasks. It improves student organization, motivation, incentive, and reward.
• When? - When students' attitudes don't get rectified after the first intervention. When students have no willingness to make improvements.
• How? - Students check in with an adult at the beginning of school to retrieve a goal sheet and expectation, teachers provide feedback on the sheet based on their work progress/completition throughout the day, students check out at the end of the day with an adult, students take that sheet home with them to be signed by parents and return it the following morning at check in.

43 Things

This is the way to track goals and achievements. Uses enter a list of things they want to accomplish, and others cheer them on until the goal is accomplished.

Ta-da List

A simple to-do list creation tool. It helps students write down what they should do and cross-out one by one whenever they are done.

Squareleaf

An online sticky notes tool. It displays what students have for assignments or remind them of their tasks to do.

School Counselor Referral Form

If Tier 1 and 2 interventions are not working, it's time for counselors to be involved. This form can help the counselor understands the problems and what kind of interventions have been used before the students were passed to him/her.

Parent Questionnaire

This gives teachers and counselors information how they should approach to fix the students' problems. It also informs parents directly that your child needs support not only from school but also from home.

Non-Verbal Cues & Signals

• Why? - By deciding the non-verbal cues/signals between a teacher and students, it builds their rapport. This way is direct and quick to manage student's misbehavior. It saves class and instruction time.
• When? - When students are being distracted or disturbing class time. When students do not follow the classroom/school procedures. When teacher secretly want to tell a student about thier good/bad behavior.
• How? - Decide the signal/sign together with students. Practice with the students and explain when you notice they might need some re-focus, you will show them the sign.

Take a break

• Why? - To have students reflect on their behaviors by themselves first before the teacher pointing their problems out. It can help students cool down and ready to be in class again. It also prevents the conflict between students and teachers by giving both of them a time.
• When? When students are not listening to teachers' directions despite got several warnings. When students are argumentative towards teachers. When students seem they cannot control her/his emotions by themselves.
• How? - Set the norm about the time limit of break. Create a sign between students and teachers and let students hold that when they need a break. Designate any safe places where students can go when they need a break. Set limits on the frequency of use for the abuse.

Use calm neutral tone

• Why? - If teachers use upset voices the same as students do, the tension never gets cool down. Keeping this attitude provides students with modeling how they should behave when they are emotional. Also, it keeps the adult in control and charge of the conversation.
• When? When students are being defiant or emotional while dealing with their problems. When addressing delicate or sensitive topics with students.
• How? Remove your emotions and talk to students only with facts. Use eye contact and facial expression to make the conversation smooth. By using the "I" statement, move to students eye level and explain why it was unhappy seeing students' behaviors.

Tier 1 Intervention Tracking Form

It gives information to all teachers about which goals have been tracked. By collecting this information, teachers can predict how students would behave or make strategies how should they prevent the problems to be happened again.

Behavior Charts - Behavior Assessment

It helps teachers track students' repeated mishbehaviors in classroom. It is also helpful for counselor or special educators to notice the problematic patterns of students.

Speak with student in the hallway

• Why? - Middle School students are self-conscious. These interventions prevent them from feeling embarrassment getting scolded in front of his/her peers. Calling out to the hallway creates a serious atmosphere, which is an indirect way of warning. Teachers and students can focus on each other talking about the problems with a heavy tone.
• When? When students not following directions and disturbing other classmates. When students were asked several times but persist his attitudes. When the teacher foresees students overreacting.
• How? - With a calm voice and attitude, call students out to the hallway. Speak quietly not to disturb other classes by using the "I" statement. (e.g. I was upset because -) Make it clear to the whole class that his/her behavior was inappropriate so that the teacher and student are going out to have a short conversation.

Reward System

• Why? - Due to self-consciousness, most Middle School students love to get attention from teachers and peers. If they are rewarded and acknowledged with even a small achievement or their positive behaviors, it would motivate them to behave following the directions.
• When? - When students disturb peers and class time on purpose. When students seem they need positive reinforcement to rectify their intentional misbehavior.
• How? - Earning privileges/free time for meeting expectations. Exempt them from whatever they would not like to do (e.g. Homework Free-pass)

Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP)

• Why? - If other interventions still don't work, it's time to provide an individualized plan to rectify misbehaviors. By showing students that this BIP includes teachers, support staff, and parents as well, they can notice the seriousness of his/her attitude. Also, it helps teachers to address behaviors and issues consistently across subjects and classrooms.
• When? - When students' misbehavior persists after several warnings/various interventions. When students demonstrate significant difficulties with organization, emotional control, etc. When parents seem to neglect their child's school life or behaviors.
• How? Use various Data Tracking Forms to objectively find out the root of the problems. Create specific behavior plan forms based on the evaluated data. Meet with the student, teachers, parents and support staff to go through the behavior plan together, having everyone make an agreement on the plan. Impletment the behavior plan for weeks and have regular reviews about the plan.

Behavior Contract

• Why? - By having behavior contract, it holds students accountable. Students can get one on one aid, support and intervention from learning support or counselors. It improves the frequency of school and home communication about students.
• When? When students show persistent behavior problems, When students consistently does not try to or cannot meet the expectations. When students are defiant towards school.
• How? Create the personalized behavior form, planning chart or table. Get daily check from both parents and teachers about their works. Teachers track every single steps of students' works.

Counselor Referral

• Why? - It provides students with a more professional level of supports. It increases the specificity of interventions and supports with experts. It provides students with the full attention of an adult and makes students feel secure. It helps teachers to focus on teaching, not dealing with unsolvable problems.
• When? When teachers have tried several interventions but students' problems persist. When students need more privacy than a teacher can provide in the classroom. When students need more specific and individualized help, solutions and plan to address issues from the professionals.
• How? Counselor referrals can be both planned or spontaneous, and both happen to Middle School Students frequently. For the planned referrals, students and counselors should schedule the time and have a meeting with the expectation of solving the issues together. Spontaneous referrals happen unexpectedly when students urgently need to be sent to the counselor with incidents.
  

• Schools should get approval from parents/guardians that students will get counseling before they implement this referral.

Behavior Meetings

• Why? - Having behavior meeting with the student, teachers and parents help them keep all on the same page. Since everybody is involved to solve the issue, there is more possibility to fix the issues. It also prevents students from telling different stories to parents and teachers.
• When? When students' problem persists, regular and consistent behavior meetings are required as a Tier 3 stage. When the problem is out of control from teachers, they should get perspectives from people around students to deeply understand the reason for students' issues.
• How? Develop an agenda for the meeting, update regularly about students' improvement to teachers, parents and support staff, collect relevant data and be ready with a copy for each person at the meeting, use a calm and neutral tone with parents to avoid instigating conflicts. Remind parents that we are all here to help students to be better, not punishing or pointing out his/her problems.

Seclusion & Restraint

• Why? - This strategy should be used sometimes for everyone's safety in the school environment.
• When? - When students' disruption shows a possibility to physically or mentally harm the community, they should be secluded from the school.
• How? Seclusion and restraint should only be used when in emergency situations where the health or safety of the student or other persons are at imminent risk. Teachers and students in school must be aware of where they should ask for help when seclusion or restraint is needed.
  

• Seclusion & Restraint should be utilized by ONLY those specifically trained and certified in the techniques.

School Counseling Referral Forms

This form helps students support team to get the general idea and information about stuents. It can also be used outside of school if students are needed in medical support.

Student Self-Assessment

Students can reflect on themselves with this form. They can learn how to be objective in evaluation and see how much they have been improved while doing this assessment.

Behavior Specialist Referral Form

With this form, students can be checked in all aspects, such as behavior, academic and environmental factors affect students. It helps teachers and specialists to get detailed information about students.

Functional Assessment Checklist

It helps both teachers and students get to know about the bottom of the problems. By filling the checklist, students can reflect on their behavior, and teachers can also create a big picture of their plans to deal with these students in the future.

Tier 3
Tier 3 is a serious stage that teachers need to request for additional help. In this stage, I chose to involve not only school-related supports but also parents and even outside of school professionals. For students who are unmotivated, disorganized and irresponsible on their tasks, they should be checked by specialists with 'Response to Intervention (RTI) or Check In Check Out (CICO) system. It can be interpreted that students have no willingness to even trying to change their misbehavior or clumsiness when they get Tier 3 intervention. So that they should be checked by specialists regularly and consistently for even small steps they have implemented.

Same for 'Being disruptive', I chose strategies involving parents and counselors. Even though students spend a long time at school with teachers, parents are the ones who know their child the best. They should be informed about their child's problems and work together with the school to help students.

I still believe that positive reinforcements and strategies should be used in Tier 3, but we also should acknowledge that being positive cannot fix some problems as well, such as students being severely disruptive and harm the community physically or mentally. Thus, I believe PBIS strategies should be the main root of dealing with students' issues, but teachers should carefully think about it when it comes to Tier 3 issues.