Reminder
Use a reminder for minor violations of a responsibility or rule, or when you believe that a student temporarily forgot what she should be doing at a particular time in your class. Examples of when to give a reminder are when students are talking during quiet reading, talking out of turn or interrupting, leaving their seats, or rustling papers noisily.
Interruptive Time-Out
An interruptive time-out can be used when a student is not following the basic rules because he or she is distracted or forgetful. It is also used as a quick way of refocusing a student who seems to be on the road to escalation. An interruptive time-out can follow a reminder if you believe that simply interrupting the behavior, without discussion or debriefing, will help the student to refocus on appropriate behavior.
Time-Out with Verbal Debrief
Use a time-out with a supportive verbal debrief when a student is intentionally not following a rule. When a student appears to be making a statement with his behavior, as opposed to just being forgetful, it is important to find out why the student needs to make the statement. The behavior will continue until the student has made his statement or satisfied his needs. Use a time-out with verbal debrief when the problem behavior is not extreme and the student complies with the consequence without escalating his behavior. The student's behavior and emotional needs dictate the length of the debrief. This is a time to communicate, so try not to rush through the process.
Quiet Room with Verbal Debrief
Use the quiet room with a verbal debrief when a student's behavior has escalated beyond time-out. This club is usually used when a student is directed to a time-out and she either refuses to take the time-out or escalates her behavior. Do not use a quiet room with a verbal debrief for serious safety policy violations, threatening behavior, or property damage. The quiet room with a verbal debrief can be used when a student's behavior during a time-out distracts the class. You can also use this club when it appears that several attempts may be needed before a student is able to debrief successfully. This is typically the next step on a consequence ladder after verbally debriefed time-outs.
Quiet Room with Written Debrief
The quiet room with a written debrief should be used for minor safety policy violations. Throwing small objects, making verbal threats, and committing minor property damage are all safety issues for which the quiet room with written debrief works. Written debriefs can also be used if you have a student who is better at writing his thoughts than at expressing himself verbally. A written debrief should always be followed by a verbal debrief. This club is slightly higher on the consequence ladder than the quiet room with verbal debrief and is usually used for a more serious rule violation.
Calming Activity
A calming activity can be assigned at any time or on any level of a consequence ladder. Assign a calming activity when you feel that doing one will help lower a student's emotional level and help him or her process more easily. Excessive anger, frustration, sadness, excitement, or fear may impede the debriefing process. Also assign a calming activity whenever you feel it will help a student relax, focus, regain emotional control, or enhance her processing ability. Calming activities can be used proactively, before a student needs a consequence from your ladder. Calming activities can be very effective when used in this way.
Self Time-Out
Self time-outs are not assigned by you (the teacher), but you can suggest one. Students should be trained to recognize when they are becoming unfocused or emotionally overwhelmed, and should have the option of removing themselves to a place where they can regain control. Students should not be allowed to use self time-out to avoid activities, classes, or consequences of behavior. If a student's behavior warrants any step on the consequence ladder, then choosing a self time-out should not be an option. The goal of a self time-out should be to relax, regain focus or self-control, brainstorm, and problem solve.
Floating Time-Out
The use of floating time-out, the quiet room, and in school suspensions should be carefully planned. Floating consequences are symbolic, and students must feel they are restrictive if they are to be effective. A student can be placed on a floating step for many reasons. If a student has debriefed successfully, but you are still unsure he can maintain self-control back in the classroom (or with his peers), you can use a floating step. If a student is refusing to move to a time-out or to a quiet room, you can place him on a floating step until he does move to the area as directed.
If you are out in public or away from your room where having a student sit in isolation might be disruptive or a hardship for your group, use a floating consequence. A floating status is useful if you are somewhere with no viable place to isolate a student. Use floating consequences to make your job easier when the group needs to be mobile. You can also use them when you want to check a student's ability to be successful in a given milieu.
In School Suspension
An in-school-suspension (ISS) should be used for a major safety policy violation or when a student leaves school without permission. It can also be used when a student has escalated her behavior to the point that she needs quiet room time, but refuses to go to the quiet room. If a student becomes disruptive to the educational process of your other students, you will need to remove her from the classroom area. A student who is emotionally elevated may not respond to a quiet room consequence, but a half day (or full day) of in-school-suspension may provide sufficient low-key isolation to help her regain self-control.
ISS is one of the top rungs of a consequence ladder, and can be used when a student is physically or verbally threatening or damages property. Mild threats such as, "Don't make me come after you!" or "You do and I'll put you down!" can be dealt with through quiet room debriefs. When a student is seriously threatening another person's safety, it's time for an ISS. Use this club with prudence and caution. It is a very powerful club, as long as it is not over-used.
Stop Action
Use a Stop Action when there are several students who appear to be struggling with rules or boundaries and individual interventions do not appear to be working. Stop Action is also effective when the whole class (or a large portion of the class) seems to be escalating, but you can't figure out what set them off. Stop Actions work when there appears to be a common problem, say disrespect, and the whole class would benefit from a group discussion of the subject. Don't hesitate to use a Stop Action if it appears that having one would help the group: