Effective Teaching Strategies
In this section of our webpage you will find some valid strategies for teacher's that have a student with ODD in their classroom. Hopefully you will find some helpful tips and tricks to help both you and your student! Please take a look through some of the materials posted as well as clicking on a few of the resources listed below.
Tips and Tricks:
- Build on the positives, not the negatives and offer some sort of incentive program.
- Pick your battles - if you try to fight with them about everything.. nobody wins
- De-stress:
- Go for a walk at recess or lunch
- Take a deep breath and remember, the child is not doing this on purpose and they may be as frustrated as you.
- Play a quick game online... Click here to try this one out
- Seat a student with ODD near the teacher and away from areas of the room where traffic is high, such as by the pencil sharpener or the door.
- Clearly posted and frequently reviewed classroom rules
- Highly structured classroom with little down-time
- Create a behavior prevention program or contract with the student and his or her parents
- Integrate lessons that have to do with social interactions and showing the students how to deal with conflict resolution
- Integrate a program known as Tribes. This program helps build community in your classroom. Click here for more details.
- Create a space in your room where the student can go to calm down or get away when they need to.
- Find out what motivates your student and use it!
- Model to your student how to deal with feelings. This will help them learn how to deal with their own feelings.
- Involve physical activity as much as possible. This helps them expend their energy in a positive way.
- Use deep breathing exercises in your classroom with all of your students.. This will not only help them all take a break when they need it but will so make the student who has ODD more inclined to use it.
Examples of Teaching and Instruction Strategies for ODD Children:
The following examples outline some possible struggles that ODD students have in school. The examples provide some strategies for instruction that teachers can use to help better teach ODD students. Each of the cases below involves a student that has ODD.
Tony is in the 3rd grade and routinely ignores classroom rules and guidelines. During math class, Tony constantly talks without raising his hand and talks out of turn. Tony’s teacher would like to implement a strategy to help Tony understand and follow the rules of the classroom.
Tony’s teacher should:
· Maintain her/his composure and ensure that a confrontation does not begin with Tony.
· When possible provide Tony with the expectations for behavior in class. Show that raising one’s hand is a non-negotiable rule and clearly outline the consequences.
· Establish a close proximity to Tony and in a calm and quiet voice provide a positive statement such as “Tony I need you to start raising your hand when you wish to talk in class.”
· Avoid the words “stop” or “don’t”.
· Be consistent in administering consequences for subsequent issues with following rules.
· If Tony continues to break rules design a behavior plan alongside his parents that outlines expectations and consequences. Ensure that you provide clearly posted classroom rules for which Tony can view throughout the day.
Erica is a 2nd grade student that continually distracts and often begins unprovoked fights with other students. His teacher has noticed that these distractions have negatively impacted the learning of Tony and the students that he has distracted. Erica’s teacher would like to implement a plan to have Erica stop distracting others and to deter fighting other students.
Erica’s teacher should:
· Talk to other students about the importance of walking away from confrontations with Erica.
· Seat Erica near the Teacher’s desk and post clear rules to respecting other people’s learning.
· Model appropriate social behavior and provide Erica with clear expectations on how to interact with fellow classmates.
· Integrate cooperative lessons that require learning how to deal with social situations. This gives Erica an opportunity to learn ways of properly interacting with others.
· Provide Erica an area that she can go to when she feels frustrated with classmates. This area should be free of distractions and should provide her outlets for dealing with anger.
Michael is a grade six student that often displays angry outbursts in class. He is defiant and is subject to unprovoked tantrums that include using hurtful and obscene language towards peers and teachers. Michael is spiteful and sees winning arguments as important. His teacher finds his outbursts hurtful to the learning of others and the safety of others.
Michael’s teacher should:
· Find triggers to Michael’s anger and create an environment that avoids these triggers. Talk to classmates about avoiding confrontations with Michael.
· Create an area in the classroom for which Michael can go to when feelings of anger or rage appear. This area should be away from heavy traffic areas and should allow Michael the opportunity to release anger.
· Work on deep-breathing exercises that will help relax Michael during outbursts.
· Avoid power struggles and allow Michael options to help give him a feeling of control.
· Create a behavioral support plan with administrators and parents that will ensure a comfortable atmosphere and actions for controlling outbursts. Outline goals and expectations for Michael’s behavior in class.
Angela is in grade 5 and refuses to complete schoolwork. She often ignores or pretends to not understand the instructions given in class. Angela has trouble admitting her difficulties and blames her shortcomings on others. Angela’s teacher wishes to help motivate Angela so that she can better complete assigned schoolwork.
Angela’s teacher should:
· Ensure that work is at appropriate academic levels for Angela.
· Offer Angela choices in the learning process. This can be as simple as letting her pick where to sit while working on assignments or choosing the way she presents her work. This gives Angela a feeling of control over her learning.
· Allow Angela the ability to redo assignments.
· Pace instruction so that Angela can do a preferred activity upon completing a non-preferred activity. Set goals with Angela and allow for proper incentives upon completion of each goal.
· Maintain routines within the classroom to ensure Angela is comfortable enough to do assignments and listen to instructions.
The following examples outline some possible struggles that ODD students have in school. The examples provide some strategies for instruction that teachers can use to help better teach ODD students. Each of the cases below involves a student that has ODD.
Tony is in the 3rd grade and routinely ignores classroom rules and guidelines. During math class, Tony constantly talks without raising his hand and talks out of turn. Tony’s teacher would like to implement a strategy to help Tony understand and follow the rules of the classroom.
Tony’s teacher should:
· Maintain her/his composure and ensure that a confrontation does not begin with Tony.
· When possible provide Tony with the expectations for behavior in class. Show that raising one’s hand is a non-negotiable rule and clearly outline the consequences.
· Establish a close proximity to Tony and in a calm and quiet voice provide a positive statement such as “Tony I need you to start raising your hand when you wish to talk in class.”
· Avoid the words “stop” or “don’t”.
· Be consistent in administering consequences for subsequent issues with following rules.
· If Tony continues to break rules design a behavior plan alongside his parents that outlines expectations and consequences. Ensure that you provide clearly posted classroom rules for which Tony can view throughout the day.
Erica is a 2nd grade student that continually distracts and often begins unprovoked fights with other students. His teacher has noticed that these distractions have negatively impacted the learning of Tony and the students that he has distracted. Erica’s teacher would like to implement a plan to have Erica stop distracting others and to deter fighting other students.
Erica’s teacher should:
· Talk to other students about the importance of walking away from confrontations with Erica.
· Seat Erica near the Teacher’s desk and post clear rules to respecting other people’s learning.
· Model appropriate social behavior and provide Erica with clear expectations on how to interact with fellow classmates.
· Integrate cooperative lessons that require learning how to deal with social situations. This gives Erica an opportunity to learn ways of properly interacting with others.
· Provide Erica an area that she can go to when she feels frustrated with classmates. This area should be free of distractions and should provide her outlets for dealing with anger.
Michael is a grade six student that often displays angry outbursts in class. He is defiant and is subject to unprovoked tantrums that include using hurtful and obscene language towards peers and teachers. Michael is spiteful and sees winning arguments as important. His teacher finds his outbursts hurtful to the learning of others and the safety of others.
Michael’s teacher should:
· Find triggers to Michael’s anger and create an environment that avoids these triggers. Talk to classmates about avoiding confrontations with Michael.
· Create an area in the classroom for which Michael can go to when feelings of anger or rage appear. This area should be away from heavy traffic areas and should allow Michael the opportunity to release anger.
· Work on deep-breathing exercises that will help relax Michael during outbursts.
· Avoid power struggles and allow Michael options to help give him a feeling of control.
· Create a behavioral support plan with administrators and parents that will ensure a comfortable atmosphere and actions for controlling outbursts. Outline goals and expectations for Michael’s behavior in class.
Angela is in grade 5 and refuses to complete schoolwork. She often ignores or pretends to not understand the instructions given in class. Angela has trouble admitting her difficulties and blames her shortcomings on others. Angela’s teacher wishes to help motivate Angela so that she can better complete assigned schoolwork.
Angela’s teacher should:
· Ensure that work is at appropriate academic levels for Angela.
· Offer Angela choices in the learning process. This can be as simple as letting her pick where to sit while working on assignments or choosing the way she presents her work. This gives Angela a feeling of control over her learning.
· Allow Angela the ability to redo assignments.
· Pace instruction so that Angela can do a preferred activity upon completing a non-preferred activity. Set goals with Angela and allow for proper incentives upon completion of each goal.
· Maintain routines within the classroom to ensure Angela is comfortable enough to do assignments and listen to instructions.
It is important to remember that we need to be fair to all students. Fair means to support them with what they need... not to treat them all the same way.
Resources:
If you are interested in doing some further reading, here are some great websites to visit!
1) http://www.livestrong.com/article/237590-how-to-teach-oppositionally-defiant-children/
2) http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/inmdict/html/pdf/OppostitionalDefiantDisorder_E.pdf
3) http://studentsfirstproject.org/wp-content/uploads/SchoolandClassroomODDStrategies.pdf
4) http://muslimvillage.com/2012/06/06/23814/child-odd-understanding-oppositional-defiance-disorder/