Topic Progress:

INTERACTING. Just as moving and scanning work together, you should also frequently interact with students. Providing feedback, both positive and corrective, keeps students focusing on their performance, and are needed when teaching, encouraging, and addressing both academic and behavior errors. Proximity, signals, and non-verbal cues are also used during active supervision.

Frequent interactions can also include the use of pre-correction. Simply saying, “Please be sure your iPad is charged and ready for the morning,” or, “Remember to pause and wait for the prompt before you hold up your answer,” will increase expected behavior.  Periodic prompts to the group will help keep students on track (Lampi, Fenti, & Beaunae, 2005).

Your frequent interactions should also include both contingent and non-contingent attention. Non-contingent attention includes greetings, smiles, and conversations that provide time and attention that is not tied into performance. After interacting or assisting a student, taking the time to remind them of the expectation immediately increases the likelihood the student will use expected behavior or adjust their work.  

High rates of general praise and specific positive feedback should also be provided contingent upon students displaying desired behaviors. Specific positive feedback that describes the expected behavior and provides a rationale, whether or not it is accompanied by a tangible (sticker, ticket, token, etc.), reduces the discrepancy between the students’ performance and the expectation.

While moving and scanning, you will also want to address any behavior errors quickly and calmly using a continuum of strategies including: 1) ignore/ attend/ praise, 2) re-directs, 3) re-teaching, 4) providing choice, and/or 5) a student conference.

Young man with pencil in hand has a puzzled look on his face. A teacher is knelt beside the desk and explaining the book.