Why think sheets changed the way we debriefed and problem-solved student behavior in my classroom. Here's how!
I'm sure the last thing you want to do after you have processed and moved beyond a student behavior is to have them do another task or demand? Well, I'm here to challenge your thinking and tell you why I always use a think sheet after a student behavior!
Address the problem and develop a solution: Using a think sheet is an easy way to help students analyze the problem that resulted in a behavior. What is the problem? How did their response escalate the problem? Did their response to the problem get them what they needed? What would have been a better response to the problem? If we choose to debrief, then we allow students the time and space to co-regulate with us and develop better solutions to their problems. What we know about students is that many of their behaviors are a result of a skill deficit that we need to address. This debriefing process can help them and us determine what skill they are lacking and how we can work to teach them those skills.
Not every child responds to a verbal debrief: Verbally debriefing is hard. And if a student can't or won't engage in that process, then neither party is learning anything about why they responded to the problem the way they did. So many of our students need time, space and less talking to debrief. Think sheets allow them that time to do so. This also supports students with communication or language impairments that may need additional visual supports and accommodations to debrief.
Regulation through reflecting: Sometimes us talking to a student can re-trigger or re-escalate them back into a behavior. We know when students are overstimulated they need repetitive, calm and regulatory movements to debrief. Think sheets can offer an opportunity to sit, color their sheet, use a sensory tool while doing so, sit with a timer and re-regulate with those calming strategies of coloring, circling and reflecting.
Helps to develop empathy: Using a think sheet can help our students develop empathy. They can begin to reflect how their actions can negatively or positively impact their friends and peers and how they can avoid a response in a future that negatively impacts those relationships. These think sheets have built in components of analyzing other's feelings and the impact their actions have on how that person may perceive them now.
Restorative practice: These think sheets can help students build on the capacity of developing restorative practices for maintaining and restoring relationships with peers, friends and staff members. It's important when students engage in a behavior and others around them feel there was an injustice, that we as staff members are modeling what these restorative practices look like through utilizing the think sheet to guide that process.
Here is the link to my think sheets available in my TPT store. This product includes 8 different sheets focusing on problem solving, developing empathy and reflecting on their behaviors: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Behavior-Think-Sheet-4135093