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Managing the Cycle of Acting-Out Behavior in the Classroom
Minimize problem behavior and maximize student success!
Acting-out behavior by students manifests in ways that make classroom management and academic success very challenging.
In this time- and field-tested resource, Colvin and Scott present a system for understanding acting–out behavior in terms of seven phases and correcting it before it gets in the way of student engagement and learning. The newly updated edition draws on the latest research to deliver a clear roadmap for educators to assess acting-out behavior and to design effective interventions in a clear, systematic, and achievable matter. Rooted in applied behavior analysis, sound instructional principles, and functional behavior assessment, Colvin and Scott’s method
Strategies for each phase of the acting-out cycle—from structuring the classroom, to managing agitation and escalated behavior, to recovery Case studies that distill concrete action steps from the book’s concepts Checklists, tools, resources, and templates for applying the book’s principles to any classroom. No educator should be without this definitive guide to classroom management and social skill development that sets the stage for student success in school.
"This book is a must-have resource for any classroom teacher in today’s school setting. The authors have translated decades of behavioral research into teacher relevant language and provided real-world examples of how the behavioral support concepts and strategies work." -Amy M. Owsley, First Grade Teacher Clear Creek Elementary, Shelbyville, KY
"Colvin and Scott have developed a guide that provides teachers with the clear steps and tools to dramatically impact student behavior in any classroom." -Sharon Carter, School improvement Specialist Carter International Consulting
Acting-out behavior by students manifests in ways that make classroom management and academic success very challenging.
In this time- and field-tested resource, Colvin and Scott present a system for understanding acting–out behavior in terms of seven phases and correcting it before it gets in the way of student engagement and learning. The newly updated edition draws on the latest research to deliver a clear roadmap for educators to assess acting-out behavior and to design effective interventions in a clear, systematic, and achievable matter. Rooted in applied behavior analysis, sound instructional principles, and functional behavior assessment, Colvin and Scott’s method
Strategies for each phase of the acting-out cycle—from structuring the classroom, to managing agitation and escalated behavior, to recovery Case studies that distill concrete action steps from the book’s concepts Checklists, tools, resources, and templates for applying the book’s principles to any classroom. No educator should be without this definitive guide to classroom management and social skill development that sets the stage for student success in school.
"This book is a must-have resource for any classroom teacher in today’s school setting. The authors have translated decades of behavioral research into teacher relevant language and provided real-world examples of how the behavioral support concepts and strategies work." -Amy M. Owsley, First Grade Teacher Clear Creek Elementary, Shelbyville, KY
"Colvin and Scott have developed a guide that provides teachers with the clear steps and tools to dramatically impact student behavior in any classroom." -Sharon Carter, School improvement Specialist Carter International Consulting
264 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2004
9 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Geoff Colvin
10 books4 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Geoff Colvin, PhD is a teacher, school administrator, and research associate at the University of Oregon.
He is an authority on emotionally disturbed youth.
Geoff Colvin, PhD is a teacher, school administrator, and research associate at the University of Oregon.
He is an authority on emotionally disturbed youth.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 24, 2022
The most useful part of this for me was the concept of the acting out cycle (calm to trigger to agitation to acceleration to peak to de-escalation to recovery). Colvin, especially in the acceleration and de-escalation sections, does a great job of describing student behavior and teacher options. There are a lot of checklists and forms to help teachers and administrators out, and I found these somewhat generic. I adapted one for my use, and I'm guessing most teachers would do the same. If you are looking for a resource that emphasizes de-escalation in student/teacher interactions, I think this is a good place to start.
January 5, 2024
Great book to provide strategies for challenging behavior with students. It also helps educators to understand the why - which is a critical step in moving forward with change.
July 26, 2025
Super boring. This would be helpful for a first-year teacher, though. Yet another textbook that I had to buy, but can't wait to sell.
December 11, 2016
I wish I had read this book before I was completely burned out on teaching. That said, if you are an early career teacher, definitely read this book. Definitely. Really helps to delineate what the day should look like, even for secondary teachers like me. I'm too over it to continue though and am already moving into other careers not in education.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews