Artifact 5: Respect Contract

Respect_Contract

G: 3

S: 4, 6

This artifact is a contract I created that was modeled after my ABC project in which I used a contract for a behavioral intervention. The contract was created as a whole class tool for improving how my students treat each other and increasing their understanding of respect. I held a classroom meeting in which students shared what they knew about respect, what that looks like and how to treat others respectfully. I recorded their ideas and compiled them into a contract, which each child signed. This contract was later shared with my colleagues as an exemplar of positive behavior support.

Working on my own initiated project in my classroom to improve behavior and later having it shared with my colleagues was a rewarding experience (Goal 3). My own work during an individual behavior intervention provided me the research and tools I needed to create my own whole class intervention (Standard 4). Rather than accept the behavioral issues in my classroom, I designed a proactive approach to improve the classroom climate and increase the opportunities for all students to feel safe and respected. Making the choice to take on a proactive approach in my classroom was later rewarded when my idea was shared with my colleagues. I was able to contribute to my school by providing a resource for improving behavior and thus teaching (Standard 6).

The experience of sharing something with my colleagues gave me a sense of accomplishment because I was able to contribute something outside of my daily teaching duties with my students (Goal 3). It also sparked opportunities to collaborate with teachers and discuss my success with contracts in the classroom. My students didn’t always follow the contract, but it served as a guide for our conversations when issues would arise. My students understood that the contract was something they agreed to and, for the most part, believed that they were responsible for upholding their agreement.