Clear, Consistent, And Predictable Consequences

Why should I do it:

• This is the cornerstone and foundation for all effective consequence systems
• It provides student with comfort and limits
• You remain in control of the environment
• Establishes clear cut boundaries
• Reduces students’ anxiety about remaining within the class and school rules
• Increases student compliance and participation
• Increases student responsibility and accountability
• Reduces excuses
• Increases class and school coherence
• Improves the class and school atmosphere
• Provides structure
• Improves students’ ability to cope with accepting consequences
• Causes students to think about their behavior and cause/effect more

When should I do it:

• This should ALWAYS be used with consequences, rules, behavior systems, etc

How do I do it:

• Always deliver consequences with a neutral and flat emotional state and tone, remaining calm and collected and avoiding matching the potentially escalated state of the student
• Be brief, succinct, to the point, and avoid lecturing when giving consequences
• Deliver the consequence, expectation, etc, and then walk away
• Give a consequence for the behavior every time it happens and avoid partiality
• Always give the same consequence or group of consequences for the same behaviors
• Keep a visual list in the classroom of the consequences
• Discuss the consequences with the students occasionally, ensuring they understand and know what the consequences are, why, and what for, having them give examples and repeat them back
• Use simple language
• Always make sure the student knows why and what they are getting the consequence for
• Try pointing to the specific consequence on the visual list rather than lecturing students verbally
• For younger students, make a visual consequence list with pictures rather than words, or a combination of pictures and words