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Behavior Matters
Changing Behaviors
by Changing the
Classroom Environment
Caroline A. Guardino and Elizabeth Fullerton
What impact does the classroom envi-
ronment have on overall class behavior
and learning? Many teachers face dis-
ruptive behavior in their classrooms.
How can they target and change prob-
lem areas in the classroom environ-
ment? By collecting data on students’
engagement during instruction, disrup-
tive behavior, and teacher observations,
teachers can identify which physical
aspects of their classroom need to be
improved. Changing the classroom
. environment can increase academic
C engagement and decrease disruptive
E
C behavior.
0
1
0
2
t
h One challenge teachers face is disrup-
g
i
r
y tive behavior in their classrooms. In a
p
o
C 2004 survey, 75% of teachers noted
.
3
1
- that they would spend more time
8
.
p teaching and teaching effectively if
p
,
6 they had less disruptive behavior in
.
o
N their classrooms (Public Agenda,
,
2
4 2004). Disruptive behavior (e.g., speak-
.
l
o ing without permission, getting out of
V
,
n
e seat) often interferes with students’
r
d
l
i engagement in the learning process.
h
C
l Another challenge for teachers is to
a
n
o
i find classroom management strategies
t
p
e
c that are proactive, preventative, and
x
E relatively easy to implement, and
G
N
I which provide minimal disruption to
H
C
A the classroom.
E
T
8COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN
Figure 1. Steps to Changing the Classroom Environment
• What types of disruptive behaviors occur in your classroom?
• When are the most disruptive behaviors occurring? Time of day? Under which type of
circumstances?
• How are different areas of your classroom utilized? Do the tasks completed in the areas
change throughout the day? (Sometimes the library area is for reading but during math
Observe it is for group activities.)
• Where is disruptive behavior occurring?
• Are students able to work at desks without distractions? Are students able to work in
group areas without distractions from the surrounding environment?
• Provide areas of personal space (Hood-Smith & Leffingwell, 1983, Visser, 2001).
• Decrease or change placement of stimulating visuals.
• Clear pathways between students and high trafficked areas (Visser, 2001; Weinstein, 1979).
• Make a clear distinction between individual versus group activity areas.
• Rearrange teacher’s desk (Proshansky & Wolfe, 1974; Zifferblatt, 1972).
• Place barriers and/or partitions in the classroom (Evans & Lovell, 1979; Gump, 1974;
Proshansky & Wolfe, 1974).
• Address acoustic quality in the classroom by eliminating objects that produce background
Modify noise.
• Modify classroom climate by adjusting lighting, air flow, temperature.
• Organize areas by adding shelves, labels, or cubbies (Evans & Lovell, 1979; Weinstein,
1979).
• Rearrange student seating (e.g., coed dyads, rows) facing away from visual distractions
such as doorways and windows.
• Alter the room to ensure a clear line of sight.
• Are you using the modifications correctly?
• Are you using the modifications consistently?
Follow-Up • Are the modifications being used how they were intended to be used?
• Do any modifications need rearranging, changing, or removal?
• Do you need to implement additional modifications?
Researchers have investigated the 2002). Although the well-designed modifications are an essential part of
relationship between the classroom classroom has proven benefits, there is classroom management, many teach-
environment, student behavior, and little research on the impact environ- ers are not aware of the process of
academic engagement (Hood-Smith & mental modifications have on behavior implementing them. Assessing the
Leffingwell, 1983; Visser, 2001). A well- and learning (Guardino, 2009; Schilling classroom environment as to its
organized classroom permits more pos- &Schwartz, 2004). impact on student behavior and imple-
itive interactions between teachers and Environmental modifications are a menting changes to that environment
children, reducing the probability that preventative, whole-class approach is a three-stage process (see Figure 1).
challenging behaviors will occur (Mar- (Emmer & Stough, 2001) that may The first step is for the teacher to
tella, Nelson, & Marchand-Martella, decrease chronic behavior problems, observe the students within the class-
2003). Additionally, modifying the prevent behavior problems for stu- room environment, noting where and
classroom environment may serve as a dents who are at risk, and allow chil- when disruptive behavior is occurring
direct intervention for children who dren with minimal or no problem and how different areas of the class-
demonstrate ongoing disruptive behav- behavior to access learning without room are utilized. For example, are
ior (Conroy, Davis, Fox, & Brown, interruption. Although environmental students unable to work without
TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN JULY/AUG 2010 9
Figure 2. Ms. Thompson’s Classroom: “Before” and “After” Environmental Changes
distraction from peers and the environ- carrels (see Figure 2); if the outside Case Study: Ms. Thompson’s
ment? Are students interrupting the environment causes distractions, desks Inclusive Classroom
lesson because materials are unorgan- can be rearranged so students’ desks
ized and inaccessible? don’t face the windows. If materials Ms. Thompson teaches at an elemen-
After observation, the teacher are inaccessible, each student may tary school in an urban area of the
should review possible options for need individual storage space (e.g., southeastern United States. Of the
school’s nearly 1,000 students, about
Are students unable to work without distraction from peers 90%are eligible for free or reduced
lunch. The school has failed to make
and the environment? Are students interrupting the lesson annual yearly progress, as required by
because materials are unorganized and inaccessible? the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,
for the past 6 years. In addition,
according to state standards the school
modifying problem areas in the class- chair bags, desks with compartments; has performed below average (receiv-
room. Classroom space can be modi- see Figure 3). ing a D or F grade) the past 2 years.
fied in a variety of ways (Bullard, 2010; After modifying the classroom envi- Ms. Thompson’s fourth-grade inclu-
Guardino, 2008; Lawry, Danko, & ronment, teachers should self-critique sive classroom had high levels of dis-
Strain, 1999), including using the follow-up questions in Figure ruptive behavior: She would report
1. When teachers ask themselves ques- disruptive behaviors three or more
• Arranging classroom furniture to tions such as “Are my students consis- times a week to school personnel. Of
define learning areas. tently using desk carrels during indi- the 17 students in her classroom, one
• Improving accessibility and avail- vidual work time?” or “Do the students received special education services and
ability of materials. have all the materials they need several students were awaiting referrals
• Delineating traffic patterns. throughout the day in their individual for special education assessment. The
• Improving organization of materials. storage space?”, they are able to under- students in the classroom exhibited
stand what modifications are working high levels of disruptive behavior such
For example, if students are distracted and if they need to implement addi- as calling out answers and profanities,
by peers, the teacher could use desk tional changes. throwing objects, hitting, and pushing,
10 COUNCIL FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN
Figure 3. Examples of Possible Environmental Changes in the Classroom
Note. Possible environmental changes in the classroom include chair bags for personal belongings; modifying the computer area to
reduce distractions; using shelving (in this case, a combined storage space and bookcase) to create separate group space areas; and
setting the teacher’s desk at an angle and adding shelves to increase personal space.
as well as complete disregard for With Ms. Thompson’s input, we teacher’s request to sit down at his
teacher direction or instruction. Several defined academic engagement as pur- desk and work on the assigned task.
of the students received in-school and poseful attention such as raising a After the interview and establishing
out-of-school suspensions during the hand, answering a question, working the data we needed to collect, we took
duration of the study. independently, or watching the “before” pictures of the classroom (see
teacher conduct the lesson (Downer, Figure 2).
Phase 1: Baseline Rimm-Kaufman & Pianta, 2007; Lane, During 2 weeks of data collection,
During the baseline phase, we collected Smither, Huseman, Guffey, & Fox, we measured academic engagement
data for overall classroom academic 2007). Disruptive behavior would com- and disruptive behavior by direct
engagement and disruptive behavior. prise behavior that did not follow Ms. observation during the class’s “reader’s
The first step was to interview Ms. Thompson’s classroom rules: speaking workshop”: Ms. Thompson would
Thompson to identify the areas in the without permission, getting out of direct a mini-reading lesson, after
classroom where and when disruptive seat, making unwanted physical con- which students worked independently.
behaviors occurred, the types of dis- tact, or noncompliance to teacher Each observation session was 15 min-
ruptive behaviors, and the best time to direction. For example, a student was utes long; during this time, we noted
observe an academic lesson. disruptive if he did not follow the any instances where one or more
TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN JULY/AUG 2010 11
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