Sunday, January 18, 2015

Effective ways to change behavior

1. Make information tangible and personalized
E.g. Why do we need to learn about measurement and conversion?
Answer: Imagine you are a businessman from USA who wants to import coffee beans from Brazil. You need to know what is the metric unit for measuring weight (kilograms) in Brazil compare to customary unit  (pounds) used in the USA to conduct business with coffee farmers.
E.g. Strategies to teach students about bullying need to be different for elementary and middle school.

2. Inform people what they will LOSE not gain from their behavior
E.g. When students do not stop behavior that disrupts instruction, they will lose Friday reward.
E.g. When students do not write their names and date on the assignment, they will lose points.

3. Set behavioral expectations to change attitude
E.g. Say, "I talk to students who raise their hand," encourages students to stop speaking abruptly.
E.g. Tell students to turn off light whenever the classroom is empty can encourage students to stop wasting energy and save money.

4. Connect to CORE VALUES
E.g. Students love their parents, so encourage them to do good deeds to please their parents.

5. Social norms
E.g. When the class is not following directions (e.g. socializing), say "I like the way [name] is sitting and having his/her homework on the desk."