RAFTS: Practical Interventions for Students Who Drift into Misbehavior

1. RAFTS: Practical Interventions for Students Who Drift into Misbehavior Dr. Francie Murry University of Northern Colorado Hanna McGraw, MA Fort Lupton Middle School

2. This presentation is for beginning and intermediate teachers and consultants Our goal is to help you eliminate misbehavior by the: • Demonstration of 4 academic, and the • Demonstration of 8 behavioral evidence-based adaptations for daily use in the classroom that provide opportunities for student engagement. • First, you will be provided with explanation and multiple examples • Then, you will be able to describe ways that you can utilize these adaptations to increase performance and decrease challenging behaviors in your classroom.

3. Academic Adaptation #1 • RAFT • Great for students who need choices, or for students who need direction for stepped out guidance. • Remember: • Can use all of the lines • Can direct students to specific lines • Can sequence lines • Can be used as an assessment at the end of a unit • Can be used as an individual or group task • Not just for writing/literacy classes

4. RAFT Format R = Role of a writer: who are you? A soldier? a star? a digit? a mathematical operation? A blood cell? A= Audience: to whom is this written? a mother? Congress? a child? a newspaper? F= Format: what form will it take? a letter? a speech? obituary? conversation? memo? diary? T= Topic + strong verb or stimulating question: Persuade a soldier to spare your life, demand equal pay for equal work, should Pluto be a planet or moon?

6. Varying levels of ability to write words, sentences, etc…

7. Varying levels of ability to comprehend, articulate ideas and feelings

8. Your Turn • Let’s look some examples from various content areas • Let’s try one on your own. • What do you intend to use this one for? • Differentiation, Evaluation, or Adaptation? • Pick your content area • Pick the R • Pick the A • Pick the F • Pick the T • Share with a friend

9. Behavioral Adaptation #1 • Antiseptic bouncing • This is great for students who fidgets greatly, are antsy and/or restless to the point of disturbing others. • Remember: • have a confederate for safety and supervision • Safe teacher time-out • Disequilibrium is sometimes okay • Short break may be all that is needed

10. Behavioral Adaptation #2 • A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss • This is great for students who often start with the no responses or noncompliance. • Remember: • Use as a preventative as often as possible • Build on strength of your student • Watch for trigger identification • Present just prior to low probability task of compliance • Gain momentum for success • Deliver praise after compliance

11. Academic Adaptation #2 • Worksheet Wars • These ideas are great for the student who has difficulty working independently yet and when teachers are using worksheet a busy-work in order to teach other groups or individuals REMEMBER: • Avoid switching directions on one page • Avoid switching the necessary tracking on the page-columns, top to bottom, left to right • Make sure the direction words are understood (Draw a circle around/Draw a ring around) • Assure that the vocabulary words used are known to the student and understood by the student

15. Behavioral Adaptation #3 • REINFORCE US -- BINGO • Great for teachers who have gotten caught in the “criticism trap”.

16. Behavioral Adaptation #4 • Love Notes • This is great for the student who does not want to be openly acknowledged. • Remember: • Post it are easy • Have your tool kit ready so it is easy and convenient • Immediate compared to delayed • Paperclips in your pocket • Secret signal (Francie’s fancy & expensive bracelet)

17. Academic Adaptation #3 • GumBall Mania • This is great for students who need guided choice. • Choose the color • Computer or handwrite • Odd or even • Any 10 from the 20 • Write down your thoughts, tape record, power point • Work alone so far and THEN work with choice • Worksheet, true/false test, game

18. Behavioral Adaptation #5 • WWSMD? or WWWWD? • Great for students with fixations on particular characters. • Remember: • Cardstock Mamma – hang it • Response card – shaped like fav • (write on back)

19. Behavioral Adaptation #6 • Movement • Great for students who move around a lot or fidget to the distraction of other students , the teacher or themselves • REMEMBER: • Using a hand consuming device can focus attention • Sound can be diffused • Standing can relieve sitting – I can be a draftsman • Walk and learn • The arts are not dead – maybe only the funding • Rocking chairs are not for “old people”

20. A Couple more Ideas • Shower Curtains on the floor: • Math problem • Definition of a word • Worksheet • Bean Bag toss for answer • Let’s make the Loop: • For worksheets • Need clipboard 

21. Academic Adaptation #4 • TIC-TAC-TOE – Pick Three • Great for student who needs practice in decision-making (power and control issues). • Hanna’s English teachers

22. Behavioral Adaptation #7 • Like Sands to the Hour Glass • This is great for students who are fixated on the time factor or anxious during timed tasks. • Desensitization is necessary – saying it doesn’t matter is futile • Remember: • First easy and wants to do • These things take teaching just like academic steps • Attribution of student’s success • Be aware of processing time up front • Latest on multi-tasking

23. Behavioral Adaptation #8 • Dice Capades • Great for students who are intellectual, need choice within reason, and are able to perform outside the typical. • Remember: • This is fun