Nov. 28, 2022 -- When Marian Stephens, Instructional Specialist at Noble, learned that her school’s PBIS team had earned Bronze Recognition from the State of Ohio for their work promoting positive behavior, she at first assumed that all the district schools had received the same honor. In truth, it was only Noble and Roxboro Elementary, along with 300 other schools out of the more than 3,600 in the state.

These two buildings earned the recognition for their Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, which is educational-speak for how to motivate students to behave.

Experts across the country have noticed that students struggled to return to group settings after spending more than a year at home on a computer. Basic skills like how to stand in line or wait one’s turn have become challenges. But the district’s PBIS teams are coming up with creative and fun ways to encourage positive behavior.

At Noble, that involves creating videos depicting teachers misbehaving in specific locations around the school. Whether it’s a favorite 4th grade teacher throwing paper towels on the bathroom floor instead of in the trash can or a beloved music teacher shoving someone in the cafeteria line, the videos are memorable … and hilarious.

“The kids get a huge kick out of seeing their teachers misbehave,” says Ms. Stephens, who is part of the building PBIS team. Of course, in addition to making the students laugh, the videos also teach important lessons when Noble Scholars appear to model appropriate building behavior, adhering to the school’s expectations: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe.

Upon review this year, teachers and staff decided to add Be Kind to their building expectations to recognize students who aren’t simply following rules, but are going above and beyond in their interactions. All Noble staff from classroom teachers to lunch aides to office staff are able to award students for positive behavior with Scholar Dollars that are tracked using the Class Dojo app. Dollars can be turned in for small prizes or special opportunities such as lunch with their teacher. Students learn the added lesson of saving up for a large splurge, such as lunch with the principal, which is more “expensive” than a fun new pencil.

According to Ms. Stephens, the PBIS strategies seem to be working: Both office referrals and time spent in the Alternative Learning Center (an in-school alternative to suspension) are down this year. She hopes the building will apply for Silver Recognition at the end of this year.

Meanwhile, across town at Roxboro Elementary, the PBIS team uses similar strategies though theirs build on the school’s International Baccalaureate designation. When students are caught being thoughtful or balanced or reflective (all IB Learner Profiles), they can be awarded a Tiger Paw from any staff person.

Those Paws are collected daily in grade level buckets with student winners picked and honored over the morning announcements. Their name is read along with the reason they earned that specific Paw, which is written by the staff person on the card. These students learn a hidden lesson about probability, since those with more Paws in any given bucket are more likely to win as are those who’ve earned Paws on consecutive days. Once a name is called, students report to the office to select a small prize.  

An added treat this year has put the children in the driver’s seat as they now have their own Tiger Paws to award to teachers and staff for displaying positive behavior. Not only does this encourage the students to really observe and clearly identify IB attributes, it is also a source of great class pride. According to Intervention Specialist Karen Willmitch, “The kids are almost more excited to hear the teacher winner each day than the student winners.”

Expectations at both buildings are extremely explicit and uniform across the school day. From how to line up at arrival and dismissal to how to have fun safely on the playground to how to act on trips to the bathroom, students know exactly what is expected of them.

Roxboro counselor Lindsy Self sees enormous value in these types of interventions and strategies. “The kids were so dysregulated because of a lack of routine and structure. By reviewing expectations and rewarding them, it makes it very tangible for them,” she says of the aftermath of at-home schooling.  “I really do think that kids crave structure and we see that they’re thriving under these new efforts.”