Sample Behavior Contract

All human beings can be divided into personality types. Take any social setting and you will be able to identify the natural leaders, followers, and the rebels. This division according to personality types can be traced back to school days. There are always some kids who demand authority by bullying other kids or by being temperamental and rebellious. In such a situation it is important to employ various positive means of child development to modify the kid's behavior. Behavioral contracts are largely considered to be a positive reinforcement method that can be used for behavior modification. In this article we help you learn how to draft a behavioral contract with the help of a sample.

Behavior Contract: Overview

So how does a behavioral contract work and how does it help in child behavior modification? Such a contract by detailing what is expected from not only the student, but also the teacher and the parent, helps determine the conditions that the parties involved need to abide by. Since the contract is drafted in a way that is similar to a business contract, it means the student has a say in the conditions of the contract and therefore, is more driven to stick by it. Refer to any behavior contract sample and you will see detailed conditions and results specified. It gives a student an experience of managing oneself. Behavioral contracts can work for specific students or for the entire class depending on how it is drafted and what the purpose of the contract is. Looking up a sample is the best way of understanding these contracts.

Studies have shown that of the many behavior modification techniques for children that are employed, the behavior contract can be quite efficient due to the shared objective of the teachers and the students. It allows the teachers and the students (and in some cases, parents), to converse frankly and openly as expectations have been clearly outlined. If there exists open conflict then a behavioral contract can help by neutralizing the situation. It encourages the kids to think in a more mature and adult manner. Studies have shown that behavior contracts help children by helping in the development of self control, responsibility, negotiation skills, and the ability to monitor one's own behavior.

Behavior Contract Sample

A good behavior modification plan will use both a behavior contract and behavior charts with a point rating system to judge a student's behavior over a period of time. While drafting a behavior contract, a teacher needs to decide what are the behavioral patterns that need modification. Once this is decided the teacher and the student should sit together and draft the contract. A good behavior contract template will tell you that the main features of such a contract are the objective to be attained, the reward if the student attains the objective, the consequence of not adhering to the behavior as mentioned in the contract, the time period, the method that will be employed in order to monitor the behavior of the student, and the review date for the contract. Contracts differ depending on the age of the student so you will notice that a behavior contract for teenagers is very different from a behavior contract sample for kids in elementary school. Given below is a contract for students in elementary school.

Name of Student: Larry Collins Date: 21st October, 2010 Room: Grade 5, English With this contract, Larry Collins agrees to be on his best behavior and have a good attitude while on school premises. He agrees to follow every instruction that the teacher gives him without unnecessarily questioning the teacher's authority, and giving her a chance to complain. In case the student is unable to fulfill the instructions of the teacher (academic or disciplinarian) which are for the good of the student, then the teacher has the right to give him a black mark sign. The higher the number of black marks, the poorer will the student's behavior rating be. In case the student receives no black marks in a day, then he will get one of the following perks, depending on the throw of the die. 1 - Two chocolates 2 - Leading assembly line 3 - Extra games time 4 - Class prefect 5 - Storybook 6 - Right to choose game for games period. In case the student gets one black mark, then he loses the chance to roll the die for that day and the next. In case the student gets more than one black mark, then there will be a restriction on his games period and recess breaks. Name of Student: Larry Collins Signature: Name of Teacher: Annette Kipling Signature:

So now that you have taken a look at a sample, you know how such a contract should be drafted. Always take your student's opinion into consideration before drafting the contract so that a common goal can be established.