Flexibility to Fix Issues
Emilyn Joy Bartolome
The author is Master Teacher I at San Joaquin Elementary School, Cluster I
Division of Mabalacat City, Pampanga
Special educators and daily educators are enforcing contingency plans for their students that are either behavioral issues or unmotivated low achievers. Teachers would most likely use contracting with a student when there was no need for easier or less invasive management strategies and a more effective method. Student feedback is respected and integrated into formulating social-emotional and/or academic goals together with the incentives or reinforces with the teachers.The following are two of the 15 essential steps in drawing up a contingency plan. (1) Meet with all stakeholders, students, parents, and teachers to discuss the intent and process of a contract to be conceived. (2) Determine where the activity happens, and under what circumstances. Is it a problem in all schools, only at times?Contingency contracting is more associated with early and elementary grades, rather than with high school. Older schoolchildren can resent attempts to influence their behavior. For example, they may include academic achievements, giving a 90 to someone turning into two acceptable projects and five book reports appropriate. The student is aware of what award they will receive as a result of the quality or amount of research they have done and handed in. For desired behavior or experiences the same principle applies. The specifics of the agreement must be very precise and worded so that the student can understand it as well.To lower the rate of reinforcement to an intermittency level, this should be achieved gradually and continuously as the desired action or output continues. Contracts can be either oral or written but should be renegotiated between student and teacher at a date or interval decided upon. It can be updated at this time by tightening it up for detail or relaxing according to the progress the student has made to that level.
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The author is Teacher I at San Patricio Elementary School