Dealing with Resistant or Uncooperative Student Behavior Using Patrick Sloss’s 10R Technique

For Grades K-4
Tom Mcintyre

Purpose: To control or change aggressive or noncompliant student behavior.

Materials: At the beginning of the school year, work with students to develop a list of non-acceptable actions, with a set amount of privileges (e.g., free time), to be subtracted for each.

Procedure: For maximum effectiveness, it is recommended that all ten steps be followed consistently after each behavioral incident

1. Response cost (penalty). When a non-acceptable action is displayed, remove a pre-determined privilege… as the student states which rules were broken....
   
   
2. Relaxation. Have the student go to a preassigned place (e.g., a mat, carrel, or corner) and relax him- or herself. He or she summons you when calm. If the voice is excited or sarcastic in tone, or if the muscles appear tense, tell him or her to continue to attempt to become calm and relaxed.
   
   
3. Rectify. Have the student provide restitution for any physical/emotional damage done. This may involve repair of items, an apology to another, or repayment for damage.
   
   
4. Recognize. Help the student to recognize the cause of his or her misbehavior and identify more appropriate responses for that situation.
   
   
5. Rehearsal. Have the student practice the alternative behavior(s) identified in Step 4. The role-playing situation should be similar to the event that was handled inappropriately by the student.
   
   
6. Reinforce. Reinforce, praise, or otherwise reward the student for having demonstrated appropriate behavior. Encourage more of the behavior in the future. Also reinforce the behavior when the student later displays it.
   
   
7. Reflect. Ask the student to identify the consequences of her or his disruptive behavior and compare them with the possible consequences of the desired action. This analysis helps the student to see the benefits of proper behavior.
   
   
8. Re-enter. The student has missed anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours (of class time) during this session. He or she should finish all work missed. This action ensures that these sessions do not become a learned way to avoid certain schoolwork.
   
   
9. Record. Record data to assist in evaluating the long-term effectiveness of this intervention.
   
   
10. Repeat. Use this technique as necessary to change behavior