JumpStart Symphonic Metal Day (11/13/23)

It’s also World Kindness Day so while you’re giving explicit instruction to your students about kindness (especially random acts!), put on some Symphonic Metal.  Think Meatloaf or TSO (it is coming up on TSO season, and if you’ve never seen a concert, put it on your list!) if you think you’ve never heard of this genre before.

Big Idea:  To be fair, Kristin didn’t come up with this quote, but it is in her book that we covered in October on TeachIllinois, and was the most referenced quote in the reflection papers submitted at the end.

Some schools are big enough that they employ a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  And if you turn to Google, there are several answers as to how many functions of behavior there are.  In a nutshell, let’s go with four.  This is the SEAT model:

SENSORY: provides stimulation to the pleasure centers of the brain.
ESCAPE:  your basic avoidance strategies
ATTENTION:  we are social creatures and sometimes we need interaction
TANGIBLE:  we do certain things to get certain things.

These aren’t just for kids, either - this explains all human behavior.

This week, try this: Try looking at your students’ behaviors through the SEAT lens.  How does your understanding of what needs to be done in response change?  Is it better to respond to the behavior or dig down to the underlying needs? (This is not a trick question, and the answer will probably vary depending on the situation.)

Quote:  "Every behavior is an expression of need."  (Kristin Souers)

Educator Resource:  Managing Child Meltdowns & Tantrums [5:23 VIDEO].  So this is on the Autism Helper channel and is designed for younger students.  HOWEVER, after watching it, I think that several of her points, like getting yourself in check, remaining calm, and not pointing out what they did wrong (in the moment) are applicable to all ages.  My biggest takeaway?  We need to be regulated and calm (which can be challenging!).

Dad Joke:  How do you get a country girl to go out with you?  Attract her.