When a student is non-compliant, the teacher can
structure verbal requests to both acknowledge the student’s freedom to choose
whether to comply and to present the logical consequences for non-compliance
(e.g., poor grades, office disciplinary referral, etc.).
Type: Student Strategy
Procedure:
The teacher frames requests to uncooperative
students as a two-part 'choice' statement:
(1) The teacher presents the
negative, or non-compliant, choice and its consequences (e.g., if a seatwork
assignment is not completed in class, the student must stay after school);
(2)
The teacher next states the positive behavioral choice that the student is
encouraged to select (e.g., the student can complete the seatwork assignment
within the allotted work time and not stay after school).
Here is a sample
2-part choice statement, 'John, you can stay after school to finish the class
assignment or you can finish the assignment now and not have to stay after
class. It is your choice.'
Research Citation: Walker, H.M. (1997). The acting-out child:
Coping with classroom disruption. Longmont, CO: SoprisWest.