Individual Behaviour Improvement Programmes
There are three main types of targetting:
- informal in class or subject area targets for a student or group of students
- more formal target after some continued difficulties in a subject or class
- after a fixed period of exclusion
Make sure all targets are SMART ie -
Small Measurable Achievable Realistic Time limited
and that the targets are going to give the student the best chance of success, rather than tripping them up.
Informal targets
These can often be the most successful as they are used
without any negotiation or discussion. There is also no formal review.
These are simply a way to catch the attention of students who may have a
pattern of behaviour you would like to address.
The technique is to decide what it is you would like to see
as a change of behaviour and then measure it regularly during a lesson.
Students are very quick to pick up that you are monitoring them and recording,
so be very casual about the process. Challenge them to work out what it
is you are doing. At the end of the session let them know their score or
result and if they hit their target. Add in a reward and they will be
hooked.
More formal target
This may take place after discussion with subject leader and would normally be
in response to a more formal discussion - perhaps after continued behaviours
that have affected the classroom and teaching environment.
Target cards may be given to identified pupils highlighting up to two behaviour
targets for focused attention for a period of up to one week.
Targets should generally be decided upon by staff with input from the pupil and
while requiring effort from the pupil, they should be realistically
achievable.
Targets as part of a re-entry programme after exclusion
Generally, these will be prepared in meetings with
parents following a period of exclusion and become part of the student's
Individual Behaviour Programme. It is key to ensure, again, that the
student has a good chance of achieving this and has the support in place to
help manage when things go wrong, as they will do from time to time.
These targets may also be part of a part-time programme
where there is some negotiation of attendance in certain classes on the
timetable. Here, a student may set a target for a short period of time in
attending a difficult class or subject, with the intention of increasing the
time spent in class and personal management of arising situations over
perhaps a term
Example
target sheet