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Maximizing Instructional Time Through Positive Behavior Strategies
Wendy Allen & Monica Ballay
Session Description:
Raising student achievement and having a positive effect on student learning are goals of teachers and administrators. Decreasing behavioral problems and increasing instructional time through implementation of positive behavioral strategies in the classroom and school can accomplish these goals. A teacher loses at least 10 minutes of instructional time on a problem behavior that is referred to the office; this action results in 10 minutes of learning lost for each student. The goal of this presentation is to give teachers and administrators the tools to create a positive, proactive environment that supports the learning of all students. IDEA mandates that educators use positive behavioral strategies (PBS), when problems arise that interfere with student learning. The process of PBS is to create behavioral expectations and teach these expectations as well as develop consequences and incentives. The success of PBS can be assessed through qualitative and quantitative surveys and discipline data. Participants will be actively engaged using the latest brain strategies, group activities and interactive discussions.
Wendy Allen & Monica Ballay
Wendy Allen has taught for six years at Denham Springs Freshman High School in Louisiana. She has a degree in psychology, a master's degree in secondary education and is certified in general science, biology, English and social studies. Allen has contributed to her school by establishing a psychology program four years ago and a newly accepted forensic science curriculum for the upcoming school year. She is a member of the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Team at Freshman High and has trained the entire district in PBS. She also serves as facilitator for the program at a local high school. In addition, Allen attended the International PBS Conference in Tampa this year for professional development.
Monica Ballay has been teaching for 11 years. She has a degree in secondary science education, a master's degree in administration and a specialization in supervision and educational technology. For the first eight years of her career, she taught all levels of science. Ballay has served for the past three years as assistant principal, focusing on curriculum and instruction as well as discipline at an all-freshmen school. She has been an assessor and mentor for Louisiana's Teacher Assessment Program, coordinator of the Guidance Awareness Preparation Program, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools coordinator, Science Olympiad sponsor, blackboard facilitator and technology instructor of INTECH. She has been awarded eight different grants and served as facilitator for the Louisiana Improvement Grant, a School-wide Positive Behavior Support program and Family School Linkage. She also developed School-wide Positive Behavior Support training for the district and was a member of the state Positive Behavior Support Team.
