Improvement Plan

Guidelines for Giving Clear Messages and Ending Power

Struggles Before They Begin
 Giving Clear Messages
• Keep the focus of your message on behavior.
• Focus on what you want the child to do or stop doing, not on attitude or feelings or the
value of the child.
• Be direct and specific.
• The fewer the words, the better.
• Use your normal voice.
• Your tone should convey that you are firm, in control, and resolute in your
expectations that the children do what you’ve asked.
 Giving Clear Messages
• Use nonthreatening body language.
• When our body language is congruent with a neutral or positive verbal message, we
increase the likelihood that our message will be received in a supportive and
instructive manner.
• Specify the logical consequence for noncompliance.
• We can prevent a lot of testing and power struggles by simply providing students
with the information they need from the beginning.
 Ending Power Struggles
• When Students Tune Out, Check In
• The Whole-Class Check-In
• The check-in procedure increases the likelihood that the message transmitted is the
message received.
• When Students Argue, Cut It Off
• When Students Become Upset, Cool Them Down
• Sometimes teachers need time to cool down more than their students do.
 Ending Power Struggles
• When Students Challenge, Give Limited Choices

Guidelines for using limited choices:

• Limit the number of choices you present to two or three.
• Remember the choices are your limits by stating them firmly with no
wiggle room.
• Hold students accountable for their decisions by asking, “What would you
like to do?”.
 Ending Power Struggles
• When Students Posture with Defiance, Give Choices
• When Students Dawdle, Use a Timer
• Ignore Attitude, Not Misbehavior
• Hold Firm: No Second Chances
• When Teachers Lose Their Cool, Apologize
• Misbehavior Is About The Student, Not The Teacher
 Remember…
Your words are only the first part of your overall message…
Consequences are the second part of your overall message.
They speak louder than your words.