Module 10: Using Individualized Interventions for Challenging Behaviors

Managing student behavior can be one of the most significant obstacles a new teacher will encounter. There is a general tendency to label students with challenging behaviors with adjectives such as, “lazy,” “unfocused,” “problematic,” or “bad.” An important first step is to determine if a behavioral intervention is necessary. Factors that warrant intervention in school include the following: if it impedes the learning of the individual, if it impacts the learning of others within the environment, or if it is potentially harmful to the student, peers or staff (Steege, Watson, & Gresham, 2009). While these types of behaviors can be stressful for a teacher, it is important to understand that it is not an inherent attribute of the individual (O’Neill et al., 2015). In a school setting, there are numerous variables that affect a student’s behavior, such as work demands, attention from peers, difficulties with learning or even events occurring at home.