What is a
Behavior Intervention
Behavior intervention is a plan that aims to teach and reinforce positive student behavior in class. Behavior intervention plans are synonymous with positive intervention plans that are formed around the individual skills, needs and abilities of each student. There are five key steps in behavior intervention: a) honing skills to promote appropriate behavior, b) tailoring the curriculum and class activities to reduce problematic behaviors, c) identifying strategies to encourage positive over problematic behavior, d) outlining the individualized support the student will need to exhibit reward behavior and e) collecting data to measure progress towards the ideal behavior(s).
Behavior intervention is a method of rewarding desirable behavior in order to create a psychologically safe and nurturing learning environment. In turn, faculty may use behavior intervention plans to reduce instances of aggression, bullying, unwanted distractions and disrespectful communication among students. Behavior intervention plans are highly personalized and should take into account the student’s needs and abilities. Educators may begin putting their behavior intervention plan together by: a) providing highly motivating reinforcers such as rewards to incentivize fair participation and peer interaction, b) ensuring student interests are accounted for when designing learning activities and c) working with students to identify ideal class behaviors in specific situations. The end goal of behavior intervention is similar to that of behavior management, where educational leaders look to reward ideal behavior and reduce the chance of harmful or hurtful acts from occurring in class.