How to Answer: If you were asked to create a behavior modification plan for ongoing misbehavior, what would it be?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Teacher job interview.
4. If you were asked to create a behavior modification plan for ongoing misbehavior, what would it be?
What You Need to Know
Discipline varies widely across the board. For this question, it's important to consider the disciplinary culture of the school in which you are interviewing. While a strict approach may have worked for you in the past, the same method may not work for students of this school. Think about what has worked and failed in your disciplinary approach in the past. Do you lean more toward punishment, reward, or intrinsic motivation strategies? If you don't have much teaching experience, do some research on effective behavior modification methods as this is a question that's likely to come up in any teaching interview.
Written by Rachelle Enns
Entry Level Example
"I have learned a bit about behavior modification while obtaining my Bachelor's degree in Education; however, I have much to learn and would love to hear more about your take on this topic. From what I know, it would be best to include the school districts' psychologist for severe issues. If the behavioral concerns were typical, I would call a meeting with myself, the Principal, and the parents of the student. From there, I would make a collaborative plan that involved accountability from all parties."
Written by Rachelle Enns
Answer Example
"I once had a class with 19 students, many whom were boisterous, disruptive, and uncooperative. None of them wanted to listen to me, a new teacher in their school. So I leveled with them and let them set their own rules as a class. This approach created a pact of accountability. Some of their rules were pretty fun, too - a sleeper would immediately get a photo taken of them, then posted on the class' private Facebook page, for instance."
Written by Rachelle Enns
Experienced Example
"I have created a few behavior modification plans in my education career and feel that the most effective plans are the ones where the student in question is directly involved in the plan. When the student feels accountable for their behavior, with direct consequences attached to not meeting expectations, I find that behavior plans are more effective."
Written by Rachelle Enns
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