Up A Notch: Challenging Behaviours

Up A Notch: Challenging Behaviours

On Wednesday April 9th 2025 I attended a workshop called Up A Notch: Challenging Behaviour By Asad Choudhary. This was a workshop I was looking forward to as challenging behaviours is something that we have all experienced and seen in the classroom, as either a placement student or a teacher. When dealing with challenging behaviours it's important to understand the students trigger and implement strategies in a way to reduce the challenging behaviours. In this workshop I learned new strategies and received insight on some ways to handle and approach these situations. Learning to approach these situations with empathy and working collaboratively. 

The two books that were mentioned by Asad to read based on this topic and challenging behaviours at school are Lost at School by Dr. Ross Green and The School Discipline Fix by Dr. Stuart Ablon and Alisha Pollastri. These authors developed the Collaborative Problem-Solving - 4 Step Process. This was one of the strategies we were taught and the process that was used and followed: 

• Step 1: Identify the issue and observations of the concern

• Step 2: Understand the students concerns

• Step 3: Specify your concern with behaviour as a teacher

• Step 4: Collaboratively come up with a solution to the issue. 

Taking the time to get to know your students and knowing what triggered their arising behaviours can reduce their behaviours due to fostering a more collaborative and inclusive approach. By having an open conversation with the student and letting them have a voice and be heard. As teachers we can assume why a student is showing challenging behaviours, we need to take the time to understand and ask what happened and that it is okay to feel the way they are feeling, instead of yelling at them, giving them the same talk over and over or a detention, we should not jump to conclusions and put blame. I plan to implement the Collaborative Problem-Solving approach in my own classroom. I want to create a space where students feel safe, understood, and empowered to do their best. Understanding the reasons behind challenging behaviours, rather than reacting to them, allows us to build stronger, more respectful relationships with our students. And ultimately, that's what lays the foundation for meaningful learning. In addition to what I learned today "Skill Not Will" was something that stood out and resonated with me during this workshop because kids behave if they want to and mentioned how research shows "we do good, if we can do good" and kids will do well, if they can, not if they want too. If a child is struggling, it's likely due to a lagging skill—not a lack of desire to succeed. Every student can do good and will do good if they put their mind to it and have the proper positive support.

Victoria @ NUO-Cohort 18 - OTECC