Behavioral Interventions Using the 5 Cs of Positive Youth Development
When I stepped out of my own classroom after 16 years, I was shocked to hear the way teachers speak about kids with behavior issues. Of course I had heard the rumors of what is said about “these kids” in the teacher’s lounges, but I was able to avoid that all of my years teaching - I never really had a lunch period anyway. So when I took a job going across a large district to hear about the “bad behavior” teams need help with, it broke my heart to be a part of the conversations where educators would say awful things about kids. Reflecting on my past experiences and training about the importance of using a common language in the classroom, I realized I needed to create a common language to guide teachers. At the same time, I was fortunate enough to come across Dr. Richard Lerner’s 5 C’s of Positive Youth Development: Competence, Confidence, Character, Connection and Caring. I realized that if these were set as our goals for what we aim to teach kids, it would shift both the conversation and our perspective on students. This approach reminded me of Ross Greene’s concept of Lagging Skills, but it offers a simpler framework for those not specifically trained in behavior and academic interventions. People tend to be familiar with the basic understanding of each of these qualities.
Using the strength to accommodate for the weakness is the best way to support teaching replacement behaviors and ultimately behavioral change. So, when teachers are able to identify the area(s) of weakness within this framework, along with the student’s strength, we can see the interventions and implement them with confidence that they will be effective and they will be simpler because they are rooted in a student's natural tendencies (their area of strength).
“ I realized that if these were set as our goals for what we aim to teach kids, it would shift both the conversation and our perspective on students.”
Contact me to talk more about how this can work for your staff to understand the cause of misbehavior, and find ways to appropriately intervene proactively and effectively. Explore more fascinating information about Dr. Lerner’s work with the 5 Cs and how to use them here.
