Impact of the Nuances of Behaviourism on the Future Special Needs Educators
26th March 2020
The job of any educator is not an easy task by any means, especially for the ones who are in charge of imparting education to the children having ADHD. This requires them to learn various techniques or methods in order to make the overall teaching-learning process more impactful for the students and they need to learn about these techniques during their time as the learners of ADHD courses online. One such technique is that of behaviourism, which we are going to learn about in the following lines. The nuances of behaviourism can help in the holistic development of the future special needs educators and we will know about the impact of the same on these learners of the comprehensive courses.
An educator can find countless ways to apply behaviourism theory in the classroom to elicit and maintain desired student behaviour. Examples of behaviour modification techniques include praise, reward systems, continual feedback, positive reinforcement and non-punitive discipline. For instance, if students are rewarded for doing extra work, they're more likely to repeat that behaviour.
Here are a few ways by means of which behaviourism can be inculcated in the learners of the ADHD courses online, which can help them in the future when they start their career as educators.
1. Incorporate behaviourism into course design
It is suggested for the learners of the ADHD courses online that using weighted grades for homework assignments, exams and class participation is an effective application of behaviourism on the students with special needs when they start teaching. When educators do this, the students are reinforced for putting their efforts into the correct priorities. This can be one important way by means of which the future educators can utilise the theory of behaviourism in the class.
2. Feedback
The aspiring SEN educators should always keep in mind that they need to provide prompt feedback to the students and show them the right path to progress. Students who budget their time accordingly would likely attain a higher grade. Additionally, educators should provide students with ongoing feedback to point out what they’re doing well and where they need improvement.
3. Classroom Reward System
The learners of the ADHD courses online should also learn to implement a behaviourism strategy called a token economy. Students are told how to earn a token, such as listening, staying on task and raising their hand. Depending on the child's age, tokens can be stars, stickers or a punch card. When tokens accumulate, students may exchange tokens for a reward that the student chooses. This can be an efficient way to help students with special needs make a significant progress in the future.
4. Teaming up
The future special needs educators may find it helpful to collaborate with other teachers interested in using behaviourism to improve student performance and behaviour. Many schools rely on a behavioural framework known as Positive Behavioural Intervention and Supports to shape behaviour in classrooms and extracurricular activities. Teachers can look to target up to five behaviours to reinforce throughout the curriculum and this can be very helpful for the future educators who are looking to make a career in the sphere of special education. Key components of PBIS include clear communication of rules, regular routines, consistent reinforcement of targeted behaviours, social skills training and natural consequences, such as temporary loss of privileges.
5. Behaviourism for Classroom Teaching
The learners of the ADHD courses should also learn how to use behaviourism to increase learning and decrease distracting student behaviour. When writing lesson plans, it is the duty of the educators to identify what knowledge and skills they want their students to master. They should also determine how they will objectively evaluate the performances of their students. For this, they can look to develop a system for tracking student progress, and intervene if problems arise. In this respect, the educators need to make a prompt communication to the students regarding their academic and behavioural expectations. They can also exams and grades to encourage students to do their best work.
6. Behaviourism to maintain discipline
In the case of special needs students, it is important for the educators to learn how to maintain discipline and they can utilise the nuances of behaviourism in this matter. To control disruptive behaviour that can affect teaching and learning, it is the duty of the educators to praise positive behaviour, ignore mildly irritating behaviour and consistently enforce consequences for breaking rules.
The aforementioned points can be very helpful for the future educators, who are expected to make a career in the sphere of special education in a prompt manner. The development of any learner of the comprehensive ADHD courses online depends on how they are able to cope with the challenges that they are set to face when they start their career as educators at the helm of the students with special needs. The prompt utilisation of the various nuances of behaviourism can help in the development of the future special needs and also cater to the holistic development of the overall teaching-learning procedure and the students as well.
