Emotional Behavioral Disability

Alison Nielcen

Saint Marys University of Minnesota

Schools of Graduate and Professional Programs

Portfolio Entry for Wisconsin Teacher Standards Three and Five

EDUW 694 Classroom Environment

Instructor: Catherine Anderson

November 16, 2016

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Wisconsin Teaching Standard #3: Teachers understand that children learn
differently. The teacher understands how pupils differ in their approaches to
learning and the barriers that impede learning and can adapt instruction to meet the
diverse needs of pupils, including those with disabilities and exceptionalities

Knowledge: The teacher understands and can provide adaptations for areas of exceptionality in

learning, including learning disabilities, visual and perceptual difficulties, and special physical or

mental challenges.

Dispositions: The teacher appreciates and values human diversity, shows respect for students

varied talents and perspectives, and is committed to the pursuit of individually configured

excellence.

Performances: The teacher uses teaching approaches that are sensitive to the multiple

experiences of learners and that address different learning and performance modes.

Wisconsin Teaching Standard #5: Teachers know how to manage a classroom.

The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior
to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active
engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

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Knowledge: The teacher can use knowledge about human motivation and behavior drawn from

the foundational sciences of psychology, anthropology, and sociology to develop strategies for

organizing and supporting individual and group work.

Dispositions: The teacher is committed to the continuous development of individual students

abilities and considers how different motivational strategies are likely to encourage this

development for each student.

Performances: The teacher analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions and

adjustments to enhance social relationships, student motivation and engagement, and productive

work.

Danielson Framework for Teaching

Domain 2: The Classroom Environment

Component: 2d Managing Student Behavior

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Element: Response to misbehavior

Pre-Assessment

Self-Reflection Assessment of Classroom Environment Related to WTS 3&5

I am an elementary special education teacher at the Iron River Elementary School, which is

part of the School District of Maple. The Iron River Elementary is an outlying elementary school,

located approximately 18 miles from the other schools in the district. The Maple School District is

located in rural northern Wisconsin and is comprised of 1,328 students in four buildings, of which

8.5% are minorities, 44.1% are participating in the free lunch program, and 15% have disabilities.

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The average adjusted gross income from 2011 was $46,353. Ninety-six children attend our school

in Kindergarten through fifth grade.

I am the only special education teacher in our building and currently have nine students on

my caseload. I have one Kindergarten student, age five, two first graders, age six, two third

graders, age eight, and four fifth graders, age ten. Eight of my students are boys. My students

have varying disabilities such as autism, emotional behavioral disability (EBD), and specific

learning disabilities (SLD). Most of my students have significant sensory needs that I help them

address throughout the day. I provide supplemental reading instruction to seven of my students and

supplemental math instruction to four of them. I also lead a social skills group, teaching

organizational and self-regulation skills to a group of four fifth grade students. We spend a lot of

time practicing strategies to control impulses as well as ways to de-escalate ourselves. All of my

students are Caucasian and five out of the nine are on free or reduced lunch.

I have students who come to me throughout the day for sensory breaks or if they need help

working through a problem. Currently, two of my fifth grade students are sent to my room almost

daily due to behavior problems they are having in the regular education classroom. Typically, this

is because they have responded inappropriately to a frustrating situation in the classroom, either by

acting out physically, whining or crying, or refusing to work. I have a quiet corner with

beanbags in the back of my room for students who need help self-regulating. I have fidgets, books,

and other calming items in my quiet corner, as well as a timer. Usually, I set the timer for five

minutes when a student arrives, then check in with them to process the situation. I also have

dividers placed throughout my classroom to create independent work stations for students. I have

one student computer in one of these areas. There are two big windows in my classroom that face

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the north side of the building and look out onto the playground. I have a Smartboard behind my

main teaching area. I spend a majority of my time working with students at a half circle table in

front of the Smartboard. Students also take tests and complete assignments in my room if they

need a quiet place to work. My classroom typically has anywhere from one to seven students in it

at a time. I am usually working with a small group or one-on-one with a student at a table, while

other students work independently at work stations around my room. The general atmosphere of

my classroom is calm and inviting most of the time. Students are generally happy and encouraging

of others when we are working together in my classroom.

With students being in various grades and having various needs, it is very difficult for me to

group students together for instruction. I have made a schedule that meets the needs of my

students, but leaves me little preparation time or collaborating time with teachers. I also push into

fifth grade during language arts instruction to modify instruction for my students. Our district

purchased a new English language arts and math curriculum this year as well as a new progress

monitoring system for the special education department. I have been busy trying to learn all of

these new materials this school year. This year our school day is longer by one hour due to the

district moving to one bus route. This change has allowed for more RTI time during the day, which

has been helpful. Students are now able to receive support in the areas of math and reading, if

necessary.

I believe that classrooms should be a safe place for students to learn. Many of my students

come from single parent homes or live with a relative. I believe children need to first feel safe

before they can begin to understand concepts we are trying to teach them. I attempt to keep my

classroom very inviting and calming in order to meets both the sensory and emotional needs of my

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students. That being said, however, some of my EBD students use my room as a cool down

room during the day. One student, in particular, visits my room between one and five times per

day, depending on his ability to self-regulate. This can interrupt any teaching I may be doing at the

time, but I try to regain control as quickly as possible. I also believe all children can learn if given

the opportunity. It is extremely important to me to hold my students to high standards and

expectations. I have high expectations for their behavior, responsibilities, and academic progress.

Though tasks may be challenging for my students, I expect them to persevere and will help them to

achieve their goals. I have great relationships with my students. I make a point of letting them

know I care about them; however that does not mean I do not expect anything from them.

Independence is also very important to me. I do not want my students relying on adult support

throughout their school career if it is not necessary. I try to teach my students to be as independent

as possible, though they always know they can come to me with any concerns or questions they

may have. It is also important to me to provide parents and caregivers with as much support and

encouragement as possible. I am familiar with services provided in our community, such as

counseling at the local clinic. Many parents are not aware of this service and I have helped some

families become established with therapists in order to meet their emotional needs outside of

school.

In regards to Charlotte Danielsons Framework For Teaching, Domain 2: The Classroom

Environment, I feel strengths of mine are the culture of learning and respectful environment I have

created. I build rapport with my students immediately and maintain that throughout the year. I

also have a very organized and safe classroom, making my space accessible to all students.

However, I do feel I need to improve in the area of managing student behavior. With the EBD and

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autistic students I work with, behavior is a constant issue in my classroom. I provide clear

expectations to my students, however, it seems I get caught up in negative consequences. I

struggle with putting into place positive behavioral supports for these students. I would like to

learn more about EBD as an exceptional condition to help my students manage their behavior in a

positive way. I hope to learn strategies to help these students be successful in the general education

setting, as well as my classroom and the community. It is my goal to help my students succeed in

all aspects of their lives.

Essential Question to Guide Learning Process and Growth

The reflection process shows I need to research strategies to improve students behavior in

the classroom. This process has also made me realize how important emotional relation is in my

teaching practice, especially when working with EBD students. The question that will guide my

research is: What are some positive behavioral interventions that can be used for students with

EBD that can affect behavior in special education?

Synthesis of Research

Emotional Behavioral Disability (EBD) is a term that describes a variety of different

disorders in children and adolescents. Students identified under this umbrella can have diagnoses

ranging from Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) to depression or anxiety. The State of

Wisconsins EBD criteria for special education does not require a medical diagnosis, (Boreson,

2010). While the cause of EBD is not always defined, it is sometimes helpful in developing

appropriate programming for a student. Studies have shown the brain controls all behavior,

positive or negative. Factors such as prematurity, exposure to trauma, and intrauterine alcohol

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exposure are all risk factors and may contribute to a higher likelihood of EBD. These factors can

significantly affect the frontal lobes and prefrontal cortex as the brain develops, especially if these

stressors took place in the womb through age 3. Executive functioning, which are skills such as

reasoning, impulse control, motivation, and judgment, are regulated by the prefrontal cortex i.e.

the brains executive control center (Davis, Culotta, Levine, & Rice, 2011).

EBD can significantly impact a students academics and socialization throughout the school

years. Dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex can lead to antisocial behavior, aggression, conduct

disorder, stealing, and lying. All of these behaviors can lead to rejection by peers, greatly

contributing to the behaviors and contributing to the cycle (Davis, Culotta, Levine, & Rice, 2011).

Research has shown that movement can greatly improve the mood and reduce stress, which has a

significant impact on the brain. According to Davis, Culotta, Levine, and Rice, 2011, A constant

state of stress is bad for the brain and bad for effective learning (p. 228). Brain breaks are

necessary in a classroom setting in order to relieve the brain of stress and hopefully decrease

negative behaviors significantly.

Currently, I have one student on my caseload that is classified as EBD; however, I have

years of experience working with emotional disabilities, both in the school setting and in a day

treatment setting. I also work with students with autism and Other Health Impairments (OHI) who

exhibit significant behaviors throughout the day, including aggression and withdrawal. I am

constantly trying different strategies to connect with and help my students to maintain appropriate

responses and behavior throughout the day. Though some of these strategies are effective, I want

to learn more consistent and effective strategies to help my students respond appropriately to

emotional and stressful situations.

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 The challenges I face when working with my EBD population and other students with

significant behaviors vary from day to day. What works one day for my students may not be

effective the next day. I would like to learn new strategies on how to motivate my students to start

and finish assignments. Frequently, students are sent to my classroom for work refusal and

disruptive classroom behaviors. I would like to research and implement strategies to help my

students identify and regulate their emotions as well as improve compliance with tasks throughout

the day.

The State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) defines EBD as

inappropriate behaviors that are so different from children of similar age, ability, educational

experiences and opportunities that the child or other children in a regular or special education

program are negatively affected (2016). These behaviors need to be severe, chronic and

frequent and take place in school and one other setting, either the home or community. Some

characteristics of EBD are a child displaying the inability to form or maintain relationships, an

inappropriate response to situations, extreme withdrawal or aggressive behaviors, pervasive

depression or anxiety.

The Zones of Regulation, written by Leah M. Kuypers, MA Ed. OTR/L, describes

techniques students can use to help them recognize their emotions and to gain self-regulation

strategies (Kuyers, 2011). This curriculum is beneficial in helping students identify and regulate

their emotions in a more positive way. Many students with behavioral issues do not have the skills

necessary to regulate their emotions. They also do not have the skills needed to react appropriately

to stressful or challenging situations. This curriculum offers many strategies that guide students on

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the path to being able to regulate their emotions. It is also important for students to have

consistency across settings throughout their school day.

Another resource for understanding EBD students is The Explosive Child, by Ross W.

Greene, Ph.D. (Greene, 1998). Dr. Greene outlines three plans (pages 88-99) that can help adults

deal with what he defines as lagging skills of the explosive child. Just as every child learns

differently, we also know that every child develops emotionally at their own rate. Greene identifies

explosive children as those that lag in their development so they are not equipped to deal

emotionally with certain situations. Although this book was written for parents who have children

with explosive behavior, these three strategies could definitely be implemented in the classroom.

Greene describes Plan A as solving the problem unilaterally or against the childs will.

Statements such as, Ive decided that you will are usually not effective with students or

children whom exhibit maladaptive behavior, according to Greene (1998). He states that if you are

currently using such an approach with children and it is ineffective, you should stop using it

immediately. This is usually a go-to strategy for adults when they become frustrated and dont

know what else to do. Often times, when an adult is not gaining compliance and control of the

situation they resort to the my way or the highway Plan A approach.

Because Plan A can be viewed by children as a unilaterally enforced plan, Greene created

and recommends Plan B and Plan C. Greene describes Plan B as having three steps: the Empathy

step, the Define the Problem step, and the Invitation step. In the Empathy step, the teacher gathers

information from the child to better recognize their distress or viewpoint. This is the listening step

and validates what the child is thinking and feeling. It allows the adult to really understand what

the nature of the problem.

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 In the Define the Problem step, the parent or teacher articulates their viewpoint and

concerns about the same problem. They will calmly state what they have heard from the child and

then state any concerns they might have about the situation. This is not a time to debate with the

child about who is right or wrong, it is a step that provides an alternate view to the child in a non-

threatening way.

Finally, in the Invitation step, the teacher and student come to a resolution that is mutually

agreed upon. In this step, the problem is discussed and a plan is made. Greene notes that Plan B is

not a quick-fix that will magically cure the child and elicit positive behaviors immediately. It is a

small step toward improving the lagging skills of the child and arriving at an improvement without

all the drama that usually accompanies Plan A.

The third option Greene outlines is Plan C, which states the adult should temporarily set

aside an unsolved problem completely. Greene is quick to explain, this step is by no means

giving in, rather it is simply agreeing to disagree until the child is able to rationally discuss a

plan. For most children with lagging skills, there are many more problems than there is time to

tackle them all at once. Plan C allows you the freedom to not work on every problem at once,

rather to concentrate on the most challenging problems first by setting aside a few of the concerns

to be dealt with at a later time.

Another resource to understand the exceptional condition of EBD and to find effective

strategies is a book titled, School Success for Kids with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders by

Michelle R. Davis, Vincent P. Culotta, Ph.D., Eric A. Levine, Ed. D., and Elisabeth Hess Rice, Ed.

D. (Davis, Culotta, Levine, and Rice, 2011). This book outlines many great strategies that have

been proven to be effective with EBD students, including many research based interventions such

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as token economies, positive reinforcements, level systems, behavior contracts, self-monitoring,

and service learning. Three popular interventions are positive reinforcement, token economy, and

behavior contracts. Positive reinforcement is focusing on the good behavior versus the bad.

Reinforcements can be anything from stickers to verbal praise. The authors suggest offering three

positives for every negatives or corrections.

Token economy is a way to reinforce positive behavior throughout the day. Students earn a

token for displaying appropriate or expected behavior throughout the day. The students can then

purchase items at a school store or from a prize bin with their tokens. The authors state that this

intervention is not effective with students whom do not respond well to praise. Lastly, behavior

contracts assist in molding behavior over time with a student, according to Davis, Culotta, Levine,

and Rice (2011). Behavior contracts should focus on only one behavior at a time, should be

attached to a reward, and the contract should be attainable in a short period of time. These

contracts are written agreements between the teacher and student, stating the desired behavior a

student should display. For example, if a student is working on keeping their hands to themselves

throughout the day, the contract would state that when the student successfully keeps their hands to

themselves for 5 periods of class, they earn 5 minutes of Ipad time.

I plan to implement these strategies with my students to help them be successful in the

school setting. It is important to me to help my students reach their goals and be successful in the

regular education classroom. That is why I have created a brochure (Artifact B) in order for

teachers and parents to understand The Zones of Regulation and hopefully establish common

language both at school and at home. I also created a check in/check out visual (Artifact A) in

which students will identify which Zone they are in at the beginning and end of each day.

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 Professional Implications of Research

The question that guided my research was What are some positive behavioral interventions

that can be used for students with EBD that can affect behavior in special education? Throughout

my research, it became clear to me that the brain truly does drive behavior. I was also surprised to

learn how important Brain Breaks are for providing stress relief to a brain that is in a constant state

of stress as some of my students are. Not only does my student with EBD struggle with self-

control and emotional regulation, but many of my students experienced trauma in their early years,

possibly causing their brains to have developed differently. Understanding how these students are

wired differently will help me improve my teaching practice and ultimately help my students

regulate their emotions.

Problem behaviors tend to disrupt the learning of students in both the regular education

classrooms and my classroom. If I can implement strategies to prevent or decrease problem

behaviors from occurring, I can increase the learning for all students in all settings.

Research-based Action Plan

Action Plan Summary

In my research, I learned strategies to help my students identify and regulate their emotions

as well as different strategies to help approach problem behavior in the classroom. I will

implement frequent brain breaks into my day as well as increase movement in my classroom. I

plan on purchasing flexible seating options (i.e. stools, wiggle cushions, bouncy bands for chairs)

for my students to allow more movement in the classroom. I also plan on implementing The Zones

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of Regulation more consistently in order to help my students identify and hopefully regulate their

emotions. I have created a Zones check in/check out sheet for my students to use each day. For

students who display more significant behaviors, I plan on using Dr. Greenes approaches to help

identify students lagging skills as well as helping them find strategies that work to improve these

lagging skills. Currently, I use a token economy system with my students, but plan on being more

consistent with this going forward.

Anticipated Implementation

I plan on working closely with the regular education teachers and parents to ensure

they know about and understand The Zones of Regulation. I created a brochure which

summarizes The Zones of Regulation and identifies strategies to help students manage their

emotions. I also plan on doing a daily check in/check outs with my students with EBD and

those whom exhibit problem behaviors. These students will check in with me at the start

and end of the day and identify which Zone they are in. At that time, we will discuss

strategies the students can use in order to stay in or reach the Green Zone. Lastly, I will

provide more brain breaks throughout the day to hopefully improve moods and limit

problem behaviors across all settings.

Anticipated Outcomes

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 My anticipated outcome would be that my EBD student and students with problem

behaviors are more regulated emotionally in the classroom. I also anticipate they will be

more compliant and complete more assignments than prior to implementing these research-

based strategies. If students behaviors and emotions are regulated in the school setting, they

are ready to learn. It is also my prediction that my students will remain in the regular

education classroom for longer durations throughout the day, rather than needing to be

removed for escalating and disruptive behaviors.

Post-assessment: Reflection

What Worked (or anticipate what will work) and Why

1. I anticipate the use of frequent Brain Breaks being successful with my students. My

students require a lot of movement throughout the day and I also think Brain Breaks are a great

distraction for escalating behaviors at times and improve transitions which can cause EBD students

to lose focus.

2. I anticipate my students being really receptive to The Zones check in/check out process

with me. Most of my students feel very comfortable in my classroom and are frequently coming to

me with concerns. Hopefully, this will provide them with the tools necessary to remain in the

desired Green Zone throughout most of the day.

What Did Not Work (or anticipate what will not work) and Why

1. I am not sure if parents or my colleagues will implement The Zones of Regulation in

other classrooms or at home. It is my hope that we can establish a common language as well as

provide students with the necessary tools to identify and regulate their emotions in all settings.

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However, ultimately, this is one more thing teachers will have to learn and implement and some of

my parents are difficult to connect with.

2. Though The Zones of Regulation can be a very effective curriculum to use with students,

it may be too juvenile for some older elementary students. I anticipate it being effective with most

of my students, however, I will not know until I fully implement both the check in/check out and

The Zones curriculum with fidelity.

My Next Steps

1. I plan on implementing The Zones of Regulation curriculum daily in my social skills

groups with my students. The lessons, along with the check in/check out to assess their emotional

zone will hopefully help my students better regulate and identify their emotions.

2. I would like to research and learn more about trauma and how this affects students in

the school setting. While researching EBD, I was surprised to see a correlation between trauma,

the brain, and behavior. This topic fascinates me and I am eager to learn more.

Examples of Artifacts
Artifact A
Below is a check in/check out form that correlates with The Zones of Regulation, (Kuyers, 2011). I
plan using this with my student(s) at the beginning of each day during my social skills group, as
well as at the end of the day, prior to dismissal. We will discuss strategies that may be helpful to
return students to the Green Zone during these times.

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 Artifact B
The following two slides are screenshots of a brochure I created, summarizing The Zones of
Regulation, Kuyers (2011). I will give these to colleagues and parents in order to create a common
language for my students across all settings.

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 Artifact C
These are two Brain Breaks I plan on using frequently in my classroom. I plan on sharing these
with my colleagues as well.

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 References
Boreson, L. (2010). Educational Evaluation of Emotional Behavioral Disability (EBD)-2nd

Edition. Retrieved from Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction website:

https://dpi.wi.gov/sites/default/files/imce/sped/pdf/ebdguide.pdf

Culotta, V. P., Davis, M. R., Levine, E. A., & Rice, E. H. (2011) School Success for Kids with

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 Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. Waco, TX: Prufrock Press Inc.

Greene, R. W. (1998) The Explosive Child. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Kuyers, L. M. (2011) The Zones of Regulation. San Jose, CA: Social Thinking Publishing.

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