Page 23 - CARING and SAFE SCHOOLS in ONTARIO

Those seeking to understand student behaviour in the learning environment will find it helpful to keep in mind the following facts:
✦ Behaviour occurs in a context.
✦ Behaviour is learned.
✦ Behaviour serves a function for the individual.
✦ Behaviour can be changed over time.
(Surrey Place Centre, 2008, p. 7)
To manage behaviour effectively, educators need to consider not just the behaviour itself – what the student is doing – but also the underlying cause(s)
of the behaviour. If educators focus only on what the student is doing, and try
to eliminate the behaviour, they may find that another inappropriate behaviour arises in its place, because the underlying need has not been met. It is important to remember that inappropriate behaviour is usually a response to something in the student’s environment and is an attempt to communicate a need, rather than being deliberately aggressive or purposefully negative.
Behaviour can be understood differently from various perspectives and within a variety of contexts.
a. Definitions of behaviour are variable and may be influenced by subjective factors.
What is identified as inappropriate or challenging behaviour may vary depending on who initiates the behaviour, when and where it occurs, and the perspective from which it is viewed. Adults often interpret behaviour from the perspective of their own life experiences and current circumstances. These perspectives affect the observer’s expectations for the student. Factors that may influence how a person perceives behaviour include the following:
✦ personal childhood experiences
✦ cultural background
✦ school policies
✦ the person’s relationship with the student
b. Behaviour is student and situation dependent.
It is essential to match our expectations for a student’s behaviour to the unique circumstances of the student. For example, our expectations for a student who is unaware of the inappropriateness of a specific behaviour would be different from our expectations for a student who is aware, and we would adapt our response accordingly. Similarly, factors such as the age of the student and the behaviour
of the student in other situations or settings will influence decisions about what is considered acceptable behaviour.
Understanding Student Behaviour
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