×

Training helps teachers address student behavior

BUCKHANNON — Upshur County elementary, special education and Title 1 teachers now have the training and a few props to help them address problem behaviors in the classroom.

The one-day Good Behavior Game training, taught over three days to accommodate everyone, was led by PAX trainer Jack Legg and is evidence-based.

“There is a lot of research behind it and it is an international program,” he said. “There schools all around the world that use this and here recently it has been moving out throughout the Ohio and West Virginia region.

“Teachers are learning new strategies to deal with behaviors in their classroom,” he said. “These are strategies to address problem behavior and increase positive behavior and also create an environment that helps kids who have experienced trauma.”

The teachers leave the training with a bag of tools to help them in the classroom including something unconventional — a harmonica.

Using a harmonica is one way to get students’ attention or to get their focus that is not harsh or that will not worsen any trauma that someone has experienced in their life, according to Legg.

“The idea that is instead of me yelling at my class or instead of me making loud noises that might frighten the students I am going to use a sound that is somewhat soothing and one that is also clear and concise,” he said.

Legg said he hopes those tools stick with the teachers when they head back to school in August.

“I hope they come away with some new ideas and new strategies, some tools they can use in their classroom to help all students succeed even those who come from environments where they haven’t had a lot of stability or consistency in their life,” he said.

Curriculum director Jody Johnson said Upshur County Schools thanks Community Care of West Virginia.

“We had a grant opportunity with Community Care of West Virginia to offer mental health services to our students,” she said. “One of the requirements was there needed to a research-based behavior program at the school level. They found the PAX Institute and we talked about it. It has a lot of research behind it and so we were really excited.

“We hope we will see an increase in positive peer interactions, of course a decrease in behavioral issues, an increase in engagement which hopefully will result in an increase in achievement, attendance and all those things because school will be a very positive place to be,” she said.

Johnson said she had talked with a few teachers already about their experiences.

“They said it made a lot of commence to them, it was easy to implement and it was focusing on the positive,” she said.

The PAX training is one more concept that Upshur County Schools is using to compliment the trauma responsive approach the school system is taking county wide, Johnson added.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $3.92/week.

Subscribe Today