A Foolproof PBS and Classroom Management Plan for Middle School

Like many teachers, I tried many classroom management plans that incorporated Positive Behavior Support (PBS), sometimes also called Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS). My school is big on creating and keeping PBS plans throughout the year, so I tried a few different plans that included succinct lists of expectations and procedures and relevant consequences and rewards, but in the end, the plans got lost in the shuffle of a busy school year.

Consistency is key when it comes to good classroom management, but because schools are such busy places, consistency can feel like a losing battle. So after a lot of trial and error and brainstorming, I created a classroom and PBS plan that has been fully effective with very little effort. This plan is easy to follow, easy to implement, easy for students to understand, and it puts accountability completely on the students. It also allows for more difficult students to have a fresh start every day, which we all know is important.

This plan also hinges on big rewards. In order to motivate middle schoolers, the payoff has to seem "worth it" to them. Middle schoolers are not likely to work hard for an entire month for a 10-minute reward or dollar store prize. What I reward my students with is an entire PBS day at the end of each month where they can play board games, card games, color and draw, read books, and socialize.

While an entire 90-minute spent on PBS period might seem like a lot of wasted or lost instructional time, consider this - if I lost 10 minutes of each day focusing on adhearance to procedures and expectations, redirecting behavior, and implementing consequences, I am losing 50 minutes per week, which over the course of an entire month can add up to be as much as 200 minutes. With this plan, I spend less time daily dealing with behavior, so those 90 minutes per month spent on PBS still amount to less lost instructional time overall. Plus, the prospect of earning an entire period of PBS time each month is crazy awesome for students, so it's really motivating.

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Here is how the plan works:

Each day, every student has 1 point that they earn simply by showing up. Their job is to keep that point. Their point can be lost by failing to follow expectations. The list is short and succicnt. Disruption, horseplay, not having completed homework, not following classroom procedures, and disrespect.

Students get 1 warning that usually goes like this: "Sam, you are being disruptive, if it continues I will take your point." 

That is usually enough. Students typically say "no miss! I'm sorry!" and the disruption stops. If it doesn't, I take thier point for the day. Because students only get 1 point per day, they can only lose 1 point per day. If poor decisions extend beyond losing their point then discipline becomes involved including phone calls home (what this looks like varys depending on the school).

Students can also earn points too, which makes this plan so effective. There is a list of things that students can to to earn points that includes doing something very kind or helpful for another student (above and beyond), getting a compliment from another teacher, getting 100% on a test or quiz, etc. Students can earn points throughout the month, so this can help to offset points lost if a student just had a bad week.

This also encourages positive behavior!

In order for a student to participate in the end-of-the-month PBS day, they must earn a certain percentage of points. I start the year at 70% and raise it throughout the year (this encourages positive behavior long-term). The number of points needed each month to have the correct percentage will vary depending on how many days in that month you have school.

Throughout the month when students are beginning to lose points, I have the opportunity to pull them aside and discuss their behavior and explain that they are coming dangerously close to losing the PBS day.

In order to keep track of points, I use a coding system and a chart for each month. If a student loses a point, I mark it in the chart with the code that corresponds to the problem behavior. If students earn points, I mark the chart with the corresponding code for earned points. I only mark the chart where students lose or gain points - a blank square in the chart means that the student kept their point that day.

This is also helpful when I have conferences with parents, counselors, or students. I can refer to the chart and explain exactly what behavior was occuring on which days. This also allows me to show students exactly why they are unable to participate in PBS days if they lose too many points. It can be a great way to track behavior for students who are on behavior plans or who have IEP's that require behavior tracking.

I am going to give you a copy of my behavior plan book for free! Each month has space for 25 school days and 25 students. There is a page that explains how the system works (if your school wants a written PBS plan), and a chart of codes for points lost or earned. I used my binding machine to bind all of this into a book, but you could use a binder or 3-prong folder as well. You can adapt this plan to match your school or classroom expectations!

Download this document By Clicking Here!!

If you have questions or need support in implementing this in your classroom, feel free to contact me via the comments section, or send me an email! If you do implement this, please let me know how it goes! I love hearing success stories from other classrooms!