Positive Behavior Has Its Rewards

Guest Blog Post By: Kay Little, Digital Learning Coach

Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a district initiative to make schools safe and promote positive behavior.  The focus of PBIS is prevention, and not punishment. Students learn about what behavior is appropriate, and are taught social skills, including how to act in different settings. They may learn through role-playing or through actual lessons.

At Lakeside Farms School, the entire staff has implemented a lanyard program to encourage positive behavior. If a student goes above and beyond in being safe, responsible, or respectful, a staff member may put a PBIS lanyard around the student’s neck, and tells the student how they were being safe, responsible, or respectful. Throughout the day when other staff members or students see the child wearing a lanyard, they ask the student what they did to earn it. The student then reiterates what they did to earn the lanyard, which again reinforces the positive behavior.

According to Lakeside Farms Principal, Matt Thompson, there are two positive benefits to the lanyard program:

The child receiving the lanyard feels positive about receiving it, and has the opportunity to re-explain why they received it several times throughout the day to their classmates and staff members. Peers who see the students with the lanyards want to know what they did to receive it, which reinforces the positive behavior. It is also a great way to build the School/Home connection.  When parents ask their child how they earned the lanyard, the child once again reinforces safe, responsible, or respectful behavior by verbalizing why they received it.  

Mr. Thompson models the
Lakeside Farms lanyard.

The student takes the lanyard back to school the next day and turns it in to their teacher.  The teacher then gives the student a cougar paw to put on a bracelet or a backpack.

Lakeside Farms also has Possum Reward tickets that are given out to students for being safe, responsible, or respectful. The tickets are taken to their classroom where they are put in a basket. Teachers use the reward tickets in the classroom for class incentives, such as the opportunity to eat lunch with their teacher. Also once or twice a week the office calls for the tickets, and Mr. Thompson draws names for school wide incentives.  

PBIS has been very successful throughout the district. At Lakeside Farms, a student who earned a PBIS lanyard was so proud of it that he wore it to the grocery store and to his friend’s house. He even slept with it. He was so proud and excited!

Thanks to the UPS Store for printing and donating the PBIS lanyards for Lakeside Farms School.