In today’s educational environment, schools, administrators and teachers are pressed to improve student test scores. When individual students act out, it diverts the focus of the teacher and can derail progress for the day.
Behavioral specialists, sometimes called student concern specialists, assist teachers by removing disruptive students from the classroom and working with them one-on-one before returning them to class with a more productive outlook.
Value to Students and Teachers
These highly-trained professionals provide a service to teachers and students alike. Children with emotional issues often struggle to progress academically. When they act out, they can thwart the academic progress of other students. Behavioral specialists are trained to handle disruptive behavior in a variety of settings with a toolbox of strategies designed to help troubled students modulate their behavior.
Behavioral specialists work closely with teachers, who often deeply appreciate their calming effect on disruptive students. When working with children struggling with emotional or social distress, behavioral specialists often create Behavioral Improvement Plans and meet regularly with the children to help them achieve their weekly objectives. Each plan is tailored to the particular needs of the student.
The Research Behind Behavioral Specialists
Forty years of scientific research supports the positive impact of behavioral interventions in the classroom, and more recent research reinforces the importance of the kind of social-emotional training provided by behavioral specialists. In one Connecticut school that tracked results after hiring two behavioral specialists, referrals for disruptive behavior by students plummeted by a third.
When students learn classroom etiquette and social skills, they can improve their academic outcomes and establish skills to further their education and succeed generally in life. Additionally, students empowered with the skills to navigate the school day cease impeding the learning process for others.
Charleston Promise Neighborhood invests in behavioral therapists in the four elementary schools in its footprint. They are prized by administrators and teachers for their ability to listen sympathetically, provide understanding of certain behaviors and their causes, collaborate with other professionals on behavior management, and ultimately free teachers to focus on their primary task – educating students.
