Melissa Hadley

CEP823
Identifying a Problem Behavior
In preschool, it seems as though many behaviors require attention. The
students are being introduced to school and do not have much experience with a
setting in which they are required to do certain things at certain times. Though a
myriad of behaviors are worth investing time and attention, I find that the behavior
that is most problematic in my classroom is the infamous tantrum.
The tantrum has become a common occurrence in my classroom beginning
with a student named Sophia. Sophia is very persistent. She tries very subtle tactics
to bend rules and policies. For example, during nap time, the students are allowed to
have their blanket and one pillow or stuffed animal. Sophia will try to bring in two
stuffed animals. When I tell her that she can choose one but will have to put the
other one away, she engages in the tantrum. In the past couple weeks, other
students have engaged in this same behavior in response to not getting something
they want.
To be more descriptive, the tantrum usually begins with a student being told
one of the following: They may not bend or break a classroom rule or policy, they will
not get something desired because it is not possible at that moment, they are asked
to sit out from an activity because they have been ignoring teacher-given directions.
These instances vary from things such as not being able to go outside to play
because it is raining to being asked to leave a choice center because they have
been asked to stop an unsafe behavior and have failed to do so. Whatever the
antecedent, the behavior emerges into a disruptive frenzy.

The tantrum usually begins with crying. The crying often begins quiet and
controlled. When the crying elicits no response from the teachers or other students,
the crying will evolve into loud wailing. This is often accompanied with letting the
body go limp (so as to not be moved to another area of the classroom) and has often
times led to kicking, thrashing and throwing small objects in the classroom. At this
time, the tantrums have not led to dangerous situations for the students or teachers,
though it often creates a classroom-wide distraction and takes away from time that
could be spent productively.
The tantrum also affects me personally. I feel as though its very difficult to
remain calm and truly focus on my teaching when a student is in the corner of the
room yelling, screaming, kicking and at times, throwing things. I feel highly irritable,
because all of my focus is going toward not reacting to the tantrum. Depending on
the duration of the tantrum, I sometimes find myself wanting to react emotionally. At
a certain point, I want to yell Just stop it! But, I dont. I know that I cant. It takes a
great deal of my energy and causes undue stress.
I also feel that the tantrum affects the entire atmosphere of the classroom.
There is tension and the students are putting forth as much energy as I am into
trying to focus on the lesson and disregard the tantrum. While we all work very hard
to communicate to the student that the tantrum will not bring the whole class to a
halt, in a way, it does. Its very unlikely the students are gleaning what they fully need
to from the lesson when there is a major distraction happening and its very unlikely
that Im teaching to my best ability under those circumstances.
My Stance and Practices Thus Far
Thus far my stance with tantrums has been a kind of non-emotional guided
passivity. I have been socially attractive. Even during tantrums I keep a gentle, calm

demeanor and I try to make myself always available for the students to talk to me
when needed. I legitimately encourage students to talk with me - even if its not in
regards to an issue. I love hearing about whats going on with them and what they
like in and outside of the classroom. I think this also goes with enjoyment of
students. I genuinely love my students and like being around them. I enjoy teaching
and I think I bring a very positive energy to the classroom. I always greet my
students with a smile and a warm welcome. I try to remain open to communication
with them.
I also think that I set firm and flexible limits. Ive tried to communicate that the
tantrum will not elicit any response from me, so as long as the student isnt a danger
to him or herself or others. This is non-negotiable. I will not allow emotional
breakdowns to sway me. I try to communicate that I am open to calmly negotiate
with the students, but tantrums are not the way to gain our agreement to do so.
My co-teacher and I have been utilizing Brophys technique of satiation
(Brophy, 29), and allow the student to continue in the behavior with no response from
the teacher. We will allow the student to throw their tantrum and ignore them, as long
as they are not hurting themselves or creating a dangerous situation. We do this so
that the student can see that they are not in control of us or the progression of class.
In some cases, the student will realize that the tantrum isnt getting them what they
want and will discontinue the behavior. Sometimes, the student will become
distracted with the class progression and will forget why the tantrum began in the
first place. Sometimes the student will calm down and can be talked to. If this is the
case, we will conference with the student to try and determine what the root of the
tantrum was and reinforce expected behavior by asking guided questions. Some
examples of these are What do you think could be a better way of getting what you

want? or When you start to feel angry, what do you think is a better way to show
it?
We try to encourage independence and responsibility, letting the students
know that it is okay to be angry, but they must be in control of their behaviors. We
want the students be intrinsically driven to adapt to situations and we try to not be
authoritarian, but rather guides for them to get to expected behaviors on their own.
This has been only effective some of the time, and it is still very difficult to
carry on normally with the rest of the students while one is making a lot of noise. It is
very distracting to the other students. Its very difficult sometimes to remain stoic and
non-emotional. Sometimes Id like to engage in arguments with the students or yell
at them to get them to stop and shape up. I hope to learn some more effective
strategies and gain a more active stance. Also, I would like the students to see that
clear communication is better than throwing a tantrum, and it is more likely to elicit
their desired response from a teacher. While I realize tantrums are age-appropriate, I
would like to find effective ways to help my students find more effective strategies for
expressing themselves.
Rethinking My Stance
To look deeper into my professional stance, I will focus on one student. As I
mentioned before, Sophia is the student who began the ring of tantrums in our
classroom. She was the first to exhibit the behavior, and other students have begun
to follow suit. I feel as though I should look further into my stance for not just the
whole class, but Sophia individually.
While I do tend to implement many of Brophys attributes, I feel there are
some definitely lacking. The most prominent attribute I believe I fall short with is
patience/determination (Brophy, 22). I may be calm on the inside during one of

Sophias tantrums, but on the inside, I am boiling. I think Here we go again and
often become immediately more irritable. This affects how I respond to other
students. I become short with them, instead of responding optimally. I also think it
makes me hesitant to really connect with Sophia. Its easy for me to sometimes sigh
and let go of my determination in trying to prevent the tantrums because they seem
to happen with or without a true antecedent.
This hesitance makes me believe that I am lacking the attribute of
acceptance of the individual, but not all of his or her behavior (Brophy, 23). I believe I
started the school year off with this attribute, but somewhere along the line I became
so exhausted that I find myself cringing when I see Sophia walk into the classroom.
As much as it pains me to admit, I almost hope Sophia just wont show up to school
on any given day. While I know that is harsh, I understand that being a reflective
practitioner is critical in truly evaluating my stance. It seems that throughout the year,
Ive placed the behavior into Sophias identity as a student - meaning that she is, in
her nature, a tantrum thrower. This makes it so the two things are not separate, but
intertwined together. Through our readings, I understand that I must separate the
behavior from the student in order to accept one but not the other.
Observations
Over this past week, I have observed my students, particularly Sophia. I have
been trying to find patterns or similarities during the times when tantrums were not
occurring. I have definitely seen a few trends in Sophias behavior.
First, I noticed that tantrums dont seem to occur during engaging, structured
activities. When Sophia (or any of my students for that matter) is engaged, she is
more focused on the activity. Crafts, art projects, literacy projects, and science
experiments often hold Sophias attention and there is little emergence of tantrum-

throwing behaviors. These kinds of activities are mainly independent. If she doesnt
have to interact much, I dont notice any kind of escalation in behavior. Things such
as having to share materials, having to work in a small or large group, or times
where the class is less structured (like music and movement or free play) are often
methods for disaster.
Second, I noticed that Sophia (as well as any of the other individuals who
have followed the behavior) does not engage in tantrums when she feels as though
her desires are being met. There have been times when she has thrown a fit
because she forgot her water bottle in the classroom and wanted someone to go get
it that exact moment. What shes asking is not necessarily unreasonable for a
preschooler, but she doesnt seem to understand that it is not possible for someone
to go get it for her. When she feels as though shes getting what she feels she
needs, the tantrums dont seem to emerge.
Third, Sophia in particular does not throw tantrums when she is not being
redirected. Whether its redirection from an accident (spilled milk) or an incident (she
pushed someone), she immediately starts a tantrum. If I respond with an accident,
such as spilled milk, with Thats okay. Just go grab some paper towels. It happens!,
she is able to quickly calm down without a tantrum. I have yet to find a strategy that
is this effective when she does something that absolutely requires redirection.
My Stance During The Quiet Times
There is one stance that is very prominent in my practice during the times that
tantrums are not being thrown. I believe I show the attribute of projecting positive
expectations (Brophy, 23). During these quiet times, as I like to call them, I find
myself being able to talk with Sophia positively about her behavior. I highlight things
shes doing well and I give genuine praise for handling situations with a calm

demeanor. When I see a possible conflict, I will give gentle reminders to Sophia,
telling her that I know she may want to get upset, but shes doing really well at
holding herself together. I remind her that I want so much for her to remain calm
even when things happen that upset her because I want her to get the most she can
out of her day.
Sophias Strengths
There are many very positive attributes to Sophia. She is very loving and
affectionate. She often gives me hugs and wants to help me out in the classroom as
much as she can. She seems to inherently want to do well in school - both
behaviorally and academically. I think this is a vital attribute and will make it very
easy to restructure my relationship with her. Shes also very bright. Her academic
achievement is on-target for preschool and she often makes observations that are
complex and require a great deal of comprehension. Her deficits remain purely
emotional. She seems to want to connect with adults and seems to try to get along
with her peers.
Collecting Data on Sophias Tantrums
In order to identify some sort of pattern in Sophias tantrums, I decided to
observe her and record not only how often the tantrums occur, but when they most
often occur, what the antecedent (if any) was and how long the tantrum lasted before
she was able to calm herself down and discuss her motives for the tantrum. To do
this, I constructed the frequency chart below:

Date

Time of Day/Activity

Antecedent

Duration

I wanted to get a good look on any possible similarities between the tantrums,
so I wanted to be sure that I had enough space to do some running records instead
of simply marking down the frequency of the behaviors. What I found over only three
days of observation was very interesting. I typed my notes in the table below:

Date

Time of
Day/Activity

Antecedent

Duration

2-915

Clean up from
breakfast, coming
into circle time.

Sophia did not get to finish her milk. She

spent breakfast time playing with friends
and wasnt eating. When it was time to
clean up, she began to cry and began a
tantrum.

12 minutes.

2-915

Getting in line to go
outside for outside
play time.

Sophia forgot her water bottle in her cubby.

She asked if we could go back and get it.
This was impossible, because leaving the
line would leave the other kids
unsupervised. She refused to keep moving
in the line, dropped her body weight and
began a tantrum.

15 minutes - The assistant

director saw Sophia crying
and brought out her water
bottle. This is what ended
the tantrum in this
particular circumstance.

2-1015

Center Time/Free
Play

Sophia was playing with friends of hers.

One of them was playing with a toy that
she wanted. I calmly explained that her
friend was using the toy and that when he
was done with it, he would give it to her.
She began crying and kicking.

8 minutes

Sophia wanted to help me pass out

scarves for music and movement. I gently
explained that I had already asked
someone to help me. She screamed I
never get to help you! and began crying.
She would not move from the carpet.

10 minutes

Sophia ran around in the classroom. I

reminded her two times that running in the
classroom wasnt safe, so she needed to
use her walking feet. The second time, I
told her that if she ran again, shed have to
take a break from play time. She ran and I
had her sit at a table. She began crying
and kicking the table.

6 minutes

2-1115

2-1115

Music and
Movement

Indoor play (this

replaced our
outside time
because it was
raining)

Analyzing my Findings

She calmed down and

joined the class for circle
time - seeming interested
in the book being read.

She calmed down and was

able to talk with me and
accept the fact that she
couldnt have the toy
precisely when she wanted
it.

A song came on that was

one of her favorites which
distracted her.

She calmed down and

asked if she could talk with
me about how she wasnt
going to run anymore.

A few patterns came up to me while recording my observations. First, the

tantrums seems to occur most often during unstructured or transitional periods of the
day. For example, she seems rarely agitated during circle time or our small group
learning time. In fact, the data I collected showed that once the situation became
structured, she was able to calm down. In one instance, she stopped her tantrum not
because the policy placed on her was changed, but rather because she was
interested in what was going on during circle time and wanted to collect herself in
order to join in.
Second, I noticed that Sophias tantrums are often elicited by some sense of
injustice being done to her. For example, she began a tantrum because we couldnt
go back to the classroom to get her water bottle. She could not understand why we
couldnt just simply walk back to the classroom to get it. I doubt seriously that she
understands the concept of two teachers needing to be directly supervising a line of
students. Also, she did not seem to link the idea of not getting to finish her milk to
running out of time because she was playing with her friends and not eating during
breakfast time. She seemed to think I was just telling her that she could not finish
something that was hers to finish.
Third, and most importantly, I noticed that Sophias tantrums are usually not
very long and she is quite capable of calming down to discuss the reasons why she
couldnt get the result she desired out of any given situation. She seems very
responsive and reasonable when it comes to classroom rules when she knows why
they are in place - the tantrums seem to come on as a natural, emotional reaction to
a situation. Once the reaction is complete, Sophia seems open to discuss why
certain rules are in place and can even contribute to the discussion. For example, we
talked about running in the classroom. I said I had you sit out because I was afraid

that you might hurt yourself. I asked you two times to use walking feet but you ran
again so I had to do something to protect you. She responded by saying I couldve
tripped or run into something.
Goals
Now that I know what brings the tantrums on, I am establishing goals for
Sophia in order to eliminate the aggressive behavior. I am setting this up in order to
establish within Sophia a sense of control over her reactions to stressful situations.

Behavior
Tantrums (including
crying, screaming,
kicking, refusal to
move, dropping body
weight, refusal to
communicate)

Goal

Indicators of Success
To establish a difference
between emotion and
reaction. (i.e. Its okay to
be upset. Its not okay to
scream and disrupt the
class or behave
unsafely)
To establish control over
reactions. (i.e. When
Sophia feels anger
coming on, setting up
strategies to calm herself
before the anger takes
over)
To establish clear
communication with
parents in order to
maintain a strong homeschool connection.

Decrease in tantrum
occurrence
Decrease in tantrum
intensity and duration
Increase in Sophias
ability to communicate
during possible
antecedents.
Increase in Sophias
time spent on task even during
transitional and
unstructured portions
of the day.

Strategy Selection
There are two elements to my selection of a strategy for Sophia. First, I need
to address the need for a link between school and home. I feel that there needs to be
consistency in the situation. Sophias parents are very invested and want to be
aware of how she does during the day, because the tantrums are present at home as
well. In order to establish a sense of unification between myself and her parents, I

will begin a home-note system as described on page 30 of Best Practices. In

Sophias case, these notes will be sent home daily and will report some strengths
during the day, as well as times that she needed to rethink her reaction to a stressful
situation. The communication form I have in mind is shown below:

Date

Sophias Strengths Today

Goals for the Day

1.

Today we learned that we want to work on

2.
3.

The next element of my strategy that I feel needs to be implemented is

cognitive restructuring (Brophy, 182). What I want to begin to shape is the reaction
Sophia has to new, stressful, or seemingly unjust situations. Brophy states, This
approach involves helping children learn to recognize their angry emotions and
aggressive impulses and gain control of them before they lead to aggressive
behavior (Brophy, 182). From the data, I perceive that Sophia is not using hostility or
aggression as a means of getting something. She is simply emotionally reacting to a
stressful situation.
In order to do this, I want to begin setting up a few norms with Sophia in order
to hopefully calm a tantrum down as it begins to happen, rather than after it has been
happening for a duration of time. These norms include:

Safe Space: I will set up a specific area of the classroom that is private but
can still be supervised. I will set it up with a stuffed animal of her choice and
pillow or two. I will explain to her that when she is starting to feel angry,
stressed or confused, she can go to her safe space to work it out in her mind
before her anger comes out. If I start to notice some of escalation behaviors

(crying, talking in a louder voice, seeing her in a situation that is likely going to
be an antecedent) I can gently ask if shed like to go to her safe space for a
moment or two.

Prepare for Provocation: When there is a transition coming up, I will start
reminding Sophia that the classroom is about to transition and I will elaborate
things to prepare for, as well as my expectations during the transition. I would
like to begin training her to prepare herself for stressful situations upon entry,
and perhaps come up with a few strategies she can use to handle them as
they arise. This goes both for her and also for myself. I have seen definite
patterns in her tantrum-throwing, so I can try to eliminate elements of a
situation that may become an antecedent. If it is something that cant be
helped, I can very gently remind her of her strategies before she faces the
situation.

Reinforcement: Sophia very much likes to hear that she has done well. I think
recognizing her behavioral improvement is a great method of reinforcement. It
highlights her accomplishments and helps her to recognize the kinds of
behaviors that help her succeed in school. I plan on doing this very simply saying things like, Wow! Sophia, that situation used to be something that
really bothered you. Maybe it bothered you this time too, but you didnt lose
yourself in your anger! You kept control and that is really great. I will need to
be very specific, while also highlighting the fact that its okay to feel upset. Its
just not okay to lose herself in her anger.
Rationale

I chose the home-note system because not only does that keep track of the
behaviors Sophia shows that we want to encourage, but also presents problematic
behaviors as goals. Sophia inherently wants to do well, so labeling a behavior as
good or bad will likely exacerbate her aggression. I also think its important for
parents to see what we are working on at school to possibly reinforce it at home (and
vice versa). Sophia has parents that want her to succeed and are invested in her
well-being. I think having a united front will not only help Sophia maintain strategies
that work, but will also teach her to set up goals for herself.
I chose cognitive restructuring because I find that its important that Sophia
recognizes her anger and aggression and takes control of it before it intensifies. At
this point, she is receptive to finding ways to express herself that are more
productive - which is a very helpful advantage. Tantrums in Sophia seem to suggest
that she has lost control of her reason and sense of self into high emotion, anger and
possibly fear. The fact that these tantrums occur mostly during activities that tend to
be unpredictable suggests that there is an element of anxiety within them for her. I
would like to retrain Sophias thinking of herself in these situations and provide
methods for her to prepare herself. Having goals and preparatory strategies in place
might alleviate some of that sense of unpredictability and stress. I stress the
importance here of preparing for situations before they occur, because once a
tantrum escalates into full force, there is no way to communicate with Sophia. After
the tantrum, she often seems humiliated and generally less enthusiastic throughout
the day. Id like to see her gain control and be equipped to hand things that often are
stressors for her.
Stance from Now On

There are two stances that Im very much striving to instill in regards to
Sophia (as mentioned before): patience and determination and acceptance of the
individual, but not all of his or her behaviors (Brophy, 22). I will need some strategies
in place for my own control over emotions and reactions. Specifically, I believe the
following strategies will be helpful:

Remind myself that Sophia is not throwing tantrums to be defiant toward me.
The data I collected shows that she is reacting to her own stressors.
Therefore, I can eliminate the feeling of being challenged. She is not trying to
push me. She is simply reacting and doesnt have control over how she does
so (acceptance).

Recognize that change will likely happen slowly and my plans may need to
be modified. Changing her way of thinking will take time. Just as doctors
sometimes need to test and try medications before deeming them successful,
so will I have to test and try methods with Sophia. This doesnt mean Im a
bad teacher, it just means that I need to keep working on it (patience and
determination).

Prepare, but be flexible. One thing that seems to be extremely unhelpful with
Sophia is to play hard and fast with no flexibility. A strategy that helped
yesterday may not help today. She sometimes comes in to school tired and
already prone to aggravation. On those days, I will likely need to help her
prepare for situations more frequently (patience and determination)

This will require a bit of cognitive retraining on my part, as well! Sophia isnt

the only subject in this trial. I understand that I will likely need to adjust my thinking of
myself as a teacher and my practice.
Strategies In Action
Over the past week, I slowly, but surely have been acclimating Sophia (and
myself) into this new practice. Every day, I send the home note. I am very selective
in what I write, making sure that I identify both positive and negative behaviors
throughout the day. I am as detailed and specific as possible. This has not been a
difficult practice to implement. It has been a hesitation of mine in the past because I
was under the impression that it would be difficult to maintain - but actually, it has
been relatively easy to jot down some key behaviors throughout the day.
Implementing my strategy of cognitive restructuring has been very slow, but
certain. At any point of the day, no matter if it is a structured or unstructured activity, I
make safe spaces available for Sophia to calm herself down. She has taken this
opportunity seriously and is beginning to go there without even being reminded. If I
do need to remind her that the space is open for her, I do so with a gentle touch and
a calm tone. I emphasize the fact that I want her to have a good day and be happy in
school, and that taking some time out to calm down doesnt mean that she wont
accomplish those things.
To prepare for provocation, I make sure that any time there is a transition
approaching or an activity that may present some chaos that there is a few seconds
for me to speak with Sophia. I tell her whats about to happen and ask her what she
thinks is important to remember in order to keep her composure. Sometimes this
may just be a word or two of encouragement, such as Im really excited to see what
you do in this activity.

Lastly, I make reinforcement very specific, but very frequent. Sometimes, this
isnt even praise. I will say something like, Sophia I really appreciate that you did
your best in this activity. It must have been really tough to stay focused because
there was a lot going on, but you did and look at the work you got done! Thank you.
I make sure that I recognize things that are significant accomplishments for Sophia,
rather than things that stand out in terms of achievement.
Changes in Practice
I have been noticing throughout this project that major changes have been
made in my practice, even if my philosophies are still the same. I still feel as though I
have maintained my true values as a teacher, but what I find to be the most altered
component of my practice is my prioritization. For instance, I mentioned earlier that I
was previously hesitant to home notes that were detailed and specific because I
thought they would take up too much time. Doing them now makes me realize that
they dont actually take that much time and the benefits are well worth the
investment. It comes down to whether I want my daily schedule to be on the dot, or if
I want to make substantial strides in communication with parents.
I also find that my stance with Sophia and other students that are prone to
tantrums is very different. I wanted to work on developing a stance of patience and
determination (Brophy, 22). Having strategies in place that are familiar to both myself
and the students has made me less anxious about the occurrence of tantrums and
more patient when they do occur. I find myself less stressed because I have a plan in
place that is known by the entire classroom. I relate this to a fire. If a fire were to
spark in the school, we already have an evacuation plan set up. Its not as scary to
consider that it could happen because we all know exactly what to do and have

practiced it many times. I feel this way about tantrums. I feel less prone to panic and
more adept to handle the situation, which consequently, enhances my patience.
I also wanted to develop a stance of acceptance of the individual, but not all
of his or her behavior (Brophy, 23). Having a strategy that is just between me and
Sophia has made me connect with her a little more. It has made me recognize that
she is an inherently loveable student. Having the opportunity to work with her on her
behavior rather than taking authoritarian stance with her has enhanced my
enjoyability of her. I truly get excited to see her because we are both working toward
a common goal.
Problems and Prospects
In order to assess how these interventions are truly going, I need to take a
look at the goals and indicators of success that I established in the second element
of this project.

Behavior
Tantrums (including
crying, screaming,
kicking, refusal to
move, dropping body
weight, refusal to
communicate)

Goal

Indicators of Success
To establish a difference
between emotion and
reaction. (i.e. Its okay to
be upset. Its not okay to
scream and disrupt the
class or behave
unsafely)
To establish control over
reactions. (i.e. When
Sophia feels anger
coming on, setting up
strategies to calm herself
before the anger takes
over)
To establish clear
communication with
parents in order to
maintain a strong homeschool connection.

Decrease in tantrum
occurrence
Decrease in tantrum
intensity and duration
Increase in Sophias
ability to communicate
during possible
antecedents.
Increase in Sophias
time spent on task even during
transitional and
unstructured portions
of the day.

I have been carefully observing Sophia, using the same data collection table I
used before. I record the time of day/activity, antecedent and duration of tantrums. I
also keep note of when an intervention strategy is utilized by Sophia. The findings
have been very positive overall.
Prospects: There has been a significant decrease in the amount and duration
of tantrum-like behaviors. In the data I collected prior to implementation of the
strategies, Sophia was shown to have at least one tantrum a day ranging from about
5-20 minutes. Since we have implemented the strategies, there is not a daily
occurrence of a tantrum. In fact, the past week only presented three tantrums total
and their duration ranged from 2-6 minutes. This is a significant decrease, which
indicates success.
Another positive note is that Sophia has been shown to use the strategies at
least 2 times daily. This indicates that she is comfortable with using them and that
the strategies do allow for a cooling off period before a full tantrum erupts. Sophia is
also more talkative and more resilient. Before, one tantrum or redirection from the
teacher during the day would almost guarantee that more tantrums would occur
throughout that day. The data Im collecting shows no frequency patterns, meaning
that Sophia has not had more than one tantrum in any given day.
Lastly, Sophias family is very encouraged by the home-note system. They
thank me daily for the communication and seem grateful for having triumphs to
discuss with Sophia along with goals for the next day.
Problems: While these strategies are having a great impact overall, there are
certain concerns that Im beginning to entertain. First, when Sophia goes to a safe
space, Im noticing that she is not fully engaged with the activity at hand. While she

is calming down, she may be missing content. Sometimes she will be in a safe space
when a craft is being explained or introduced, and she will miss the instructions.
Another concern of mine is that I am not seeing as much of an increase in
Sophias communication as Id like. While she can calm herself down on her own
now, she still has a hard time with interaction when it comes to her emotions. Shes
still quick to get angry instead of being likely to say to another student I dont like
that. Please dont do that. Im still noticing a short fuse and an inability to approach
tough situations rationally and with a calm demeanor.
Updated Strategy
Because there has been such a positive impact while using these strategies, I
dont want to alter them. I think this has been a very successful intervention for
Sophia. I do, however, want to address the fact that she is still quick to get angry
before utilizing communication skills. In order to do this, I would like Sophia to keep a
feelings journal. Im making this very simple - some blank paper stapled together.
Whether at home or during school time, I am telling Sophia that I want her to make at
least one entry of how she feels that day. She is still in the pre-writing stage, so I
expect that it will be mostly illustrations. She can choose to share them with me, her
parents, her friends, or no one. Its for her to find ways to express her emotions in a
productive way. Im hoping that this will start to help her make the connection
between her emotions and her communication.
Evaluation of Strategy
This strategy has been working so well with Sophia that I have
decided to continue it beyond this project. This is a new norm for Sophia. Her
tantrums have not only decreased so that shes not having them daily, they have
decreased to the point where I dont even see them weekly. She is seems to be a

more content child over all. She seems much more willing to communicate emotions
and she is able to implement her strategies on her own now. I think a few things very
much contributed to the success of this strategy. First, it really helped that we have
two teachers in the classroom at all times. I think strategies like this one are likely
more difficult in a situation where there is only one adult supervising the children.
This has allowed me to focus in on Sophia while my co-teacher takes over the
activity I may have been doing at the time. Also, I think it has been very helpful that
our classroom is set up to where we have private areas that are still visible to
teachers. The safe spaces component of my strategy seems to be the one that
Sophia has gained the most success from. I have worked in classrooms before
where this hasnt been an option. Lastly, it helped that Sophias parents were ready
and willing to establish and maintain a strong connection in order to make this
strategy work. I find that it is much more difficult to make strides in behavior in the
classroom when there is no home connection.
While this has been a very successful strategy with Sophia, I feel as though
the timing of it is not ideal. Had I begun this strategy sooner, it may have nipped the
tantrum trend in my classroom in the bud. Had I begun targeting the tantrums in
Sophia much earlier in the school year, I may not have had to consider implementing
it with other students in the classroom as well. In fact, it may have aided in Sophias
success in school and she may not have spent portions of her day in a tantrum missing content.
Critique of Strategy
As a reflective practitioner, I deem this strategy as a success. It has truly
altered Sophias behavior which, consequently, has altered the atmosphere of my
classroom for the better. I feel as though I had to let go of my perception of a

normal teacher-student dynamic and focus on creating a system in which a

struggling child could see success. Truthfully, I believe that I was holding on to the
idea that students in my class need to conform to traditional practices in order to do
school. This is a problematic thinking pattern, because all students come to us
equipped differently and at different stages of development. Sophia came to this
classroom emotionally and socially unique, and could not do school the way I
expected her to.
That being said, I find that this strategy is great for her. I do not think this is a
magical cure for any student who is prone to tantrums, however. I tailor-made this
strategy specifically for Sophia, utilizing the resources I knew I had access to and
expertise I knew I had. I think in any case, its important for a teacher to do the same
for a child struggling in his or her classroom. As I mentioned before, this strategy
wouldnt work if the parents hadnt been willing to collaborate or if we didnt have
areas in the classroom that were available for Sophia to have quiet time. I would,
however, suggest that a teacher try components of this strategy as they are
appropriate.
Keeping in mind that this strategy is by no means a fix-all, I will be
continuing it as the school year comes to a close. It has been so successful with
Sophia that I will keep it going. I do plan on weaning her from it as she seems to
mature and become capable of communicating her emotions in a productive way.
Until then, I will allow her to use this strategy independently as she has been.
Final Thoughts on my Stance
At the beginning of this intervention, I recognized that I was lacking in my
stance as a professional in the areas of patience and determination (Brophy, 22) and
acceptance of the individual, but not all of his or her behavior (Brophy, 23). I realized

that I was not exhibiting these very important attributes toward Sophia. I can honestly
and truly say that this intervention has shifted my perspective and has helped me
immensely in both areas. I believe that I am much more patient and determined with
Sophia because I see the behavior problems as less overwhelming. Because I have
tangible steps set up to deal with something as hectic as a tantrum, I feel less
stressed about it. This has helped me have a longer fuse when it comes to Sophia
and her tantrums, because I feel as though I have tools in order to prevent or defuse
them. I feel more motivated to help Sophia manage her emotions because the
situation in itself seems much less daunting.
I also feel as though I have grown to be more accepting of Sophia as an
individual. I no longer see her as that child that I yearn to have absent from class. I
realize that I was feeling this way because I didnt understand her behaviors and I
took them personally. I understand now that her behaviors were not meant to get a
reaction from me. They were simply a result of her not being equipped to handle her
emotions in situations that were stressful to her. Because this intervention relied
heavily on me getting to know her and develop a connection, I feel as though I have
a good relationship with Sophia. This has been very helpful in helping her use
strategies to manage her behavior.
The more I look back on this project, the more I believe that teachers move
away from effective stances because of a lack of reflection. We get so caught up in
the 22 students in our classrooms and sometimes its difficult for us to truly get the
proper information to analyze the behavior or one. Not to mention, we have lives too!
We have personal issues. We have agendas of our own. Its all too easy to perceive
the actions and behaviors of a difficult student as something simple - its just the
student. He or she is an irritating kid and we just need to make it until the end of the

day. With everything we have to take into account on a daily basis, I think one of the
first things we give up is the role of the reflective practitioner. Sometimes its much
more pressing to get lesson plans done than it is for us to think Why is Sophia
throwing so many tantrums. I know that personally, we are constantly on our feet in
our classroom. We dont have a second of rest until it is 3:15 and students are out
the door. Even then, we constantly have our director needing us to manage our
professional development profiles or we have to sweep the floor from whatever craft
we did that day. Its a constant storm, and in a constant storm, its difficult to find
quiet time to really think about why our students do what they do and how we are
contributing to the problem.
In order to combat this tendency, I think its really important for any teacher to
take some time to look closely into their practice. Personally, I started keeping a
journal. I try to find maybe five or ten minutes of time solely dedicated to writing a
few sentences (give or take) about how I felt the day went in general. If anyone stuck
out to me, I write it down. If anything note-worthy happened, I write it down. After a
few entries, I look through to see if any trends are occurring. If weve had a few days
of chaos, I can ask myself why. Maybe the plans I came up with were not engaging
and we need to move on. Maybe one student has been showing a problematic
behavior consistently and I need to meet with him or her to find out why. Whatever
the case, I believe its crucial that teachers remember that their practice should
always be on the table for questioning. Students are constantly changing and its
important that we are evaluating whether our current strategies are still appropriate
for them. Im very grateful to have had this insight during this project.
APPENDICES:
Appendix A: Interview with Sophia

At the end of this project, I did an interview with Sophia to see how she felt about the
intervention. She was very shy and hesitant to answer, so I made the questions as
simple as possible. Though you cant hear her voice very clearly, she said that her
favorite part was the home notes because they made her mom and dad very happy.
When I asked her why she didnt feel the need to throw tantrums so much anymore,
she said that she knew that if she didnt use her strategies, she might not get a good
report.

Appendix B: Safe Spaces

Below are two pictures of Sophias safe spaces in the classroom. These are the
areas that she can go to get some privacy and calm herself down.

Appendix C: Example of the Home Note

Below is a sample of one of the home notes I sent home to Sophias parents.

Appendix D: Sophias Journal

Below is a video of Sophia writing in her journal. This happens whenever she feels
the need to do it and maybe 2-3 times a week when I ask her to. In this particular
video, I had asked Sophia to journal how she was feeling that day.

http://youtu.be/AyN9p63fR2s
RESOURCES:
Brophy, J. (1996). Teaching problem students. New York: Guilford Press.
Reavis, H. (1996). BEST practices: Behavioral and educational strategies for
teachers.
Longmont, Colo.: Sopris West.