Getting Teachers to Implement your Amazing Behavior Plan 

You completed observations, did interviews, and created a solid behavior plan. You convince parents that this will help their child and the student is even excited about the plan! You meet with the teacher and go over how to implement everything. All looks good.

On day 3, the teacher forgot to use the plan and said it wasn't helping anyway.

Most of those times, I wanted to scream or grind my teeth to nubs.

But I know remembering to give a token does not hit the top of a classroom teacher's to do list. It's a new routine and they've already tried a lot.

It took some trial and error, but I found a successful approach to get teachers on board and plans working.

My Solution

Flood Support

The first week, I would go by daily, sometimes multiple times per day, for a few minutes. I also scheduled classroom support for about 30 minutes a couple of times per week -- focusing on when the student is most likely to struggle.

It may not be doable for everyone. The goal is to give extra help to get those first tokens and make using them part of the natural routine.

By the second and third week, I'd keep my scheduled classroom support time and pop-ins but leave a day where I didn't come in. That day, I'd stop by after school and see how the teacher felt the day went.

When I went in for classroom support, I'd prompt the student to ask the teacher if they earned their token. I want the behavior plan to be the student's responsibility. This prompting is the beginning of that. Teachers are often encouraged when they see that the plan motivates the student.

Handle Rewards to Start

The end of the day is hectic in classrooms. This can also be an overwhelming time for more behaviorally intense students. At the beginning of the behavior plan, I would take the student to my office to give out the prize if they met their goal.

Over time, the student would come on their own, or we'd move the prize box to their classroom, or we'd move towards less frequent or intrinsic rewards.

Make sure to think about when and how reinforcers will be given in your written plan. Nothing is wrong with a quick IOU note you can give students if a reinforcer isn't given immediately.

Manage Data Initially

I'd take total ownership of tracking the data for the first one to two weeks. Either go in at the end of the day and record their tokens or create a paper-based plan that you can collect. If they are coming to your office for a prize, this is simple to do while they are looking through the prize box.

Enter the data, create the graphs, and share a weekly summary. Teachers love seeing the data, even if they don't love collecting it. It also helps us note discrepancies in the data or days when the student earned the reinforcer, but their behavior could have been better.

Eventually, I handed this responsibility over to the teacher. What they took on depends on how comfortable they were with the data. I'd show them quick shortcuts and tricks and give them an Excel template.

Home-School Communication

Creating a home-school log to accompany the behavior plan is helpful. Complete this in the first week or two, and get parents hooked on hearing how their student is doing. 

Keep it simple. It can be a photocopied version of the plan that you mark off or even a tiny box for a sentence or two. I'd also leave room for the parent to comment and let us know how home went: did the child sleep okay or skip breakfast? Is something about their routine different?

Keep it Simple, Sweetheart

Your behavior plan might be beautiful and well thought out. In theory, it perfectly incentivizes a student to perform the target behaviors. If it requires the teacher to give a reinforcer every 10 minutes, begin to prepare for disappointment.

When you design a plan, consider the unique skills of the teacher and the classroom environment the same way you consider the unique traits of the student.

What can the teacher realistically do? When is it feasible to give a reward? It can be helpful to make the individual plans match aspects of the classroom.

If the teacher has a superhero theme, I make a superhero chart. Usually, the plans give reinforcers more often or for different things, but it keeps the student connected to the class system. Stick to the class schedule when you break up blocks of time.

Collaborate on Revisions

Involve the teacher in the initial planning and definitely the revisions. Revisions are vital for the behavior plan to become the teacher's plan and less of your plan. You want to chat about what isn't working and what is, and how to get rid of the behavior plan as the student improves.

Don't Underdeliver

If you can't do the things I've suggested so far, don't tell a teacher you will. There is no quicker way to make a teacher less invested in a plan than if the person who designed it doesn't follow through.

What's Your Exit Strategy?

Consider at the beginning how the plan is going to be weaned off. Keep the teacher involved in this discussion by setting benchmarks together. Celebrate as the student's behavior improves and they graduate from the plan.

Give Kudos

Supporting behaviorally challenging students can be draining, especially when you are concerned with the needs of a whole classroom. Any teacher is allowed a daydream or two where their most challenging kid magically transferred to a new school.

When you get a teacher to implement a behavior plan, give them all the compliments and thanks.

I would highlight them in my newsletter, brag to my principal, tell other teachers, make them an example in my professional development sessions, and tell the student's parents.