If you were asked to create a behavior modification plan for ongoing misbehavior, what would it be?
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.
"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."
"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."
"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."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Giving attention, praise, reward, and consequences.
Jaymie's Feedback
Great start! You have an opportunity to have a strong impact here with your response, so consider going into more detail about this. Do you have experience creating these plans? If so, speak about specific ways you've gone about it. If you haven't, walk the interviewer through the specifics of how you would go about this. Consider the assessment of the behaviors, the strategy, and desired outcome.
Unlock all 27 Teacher questions
Prepare for behavioral scenarios and teaching philosophy questions principals ask.
Get Started