What Behavior Intervention Strategies can I use with Uncooperative Students?

Uncooperative students can be motivated using specific behavior intervention strategies. When a student’s confrontational behavior seems driven by a need for control, the teacher can state directives as two-part choice statements.

This strategy involves structuring verbal requests to both acknowledge the student’s freedom to choose whether to comply and present the logical consequences for non-compliance (e.g., poor grades, office disciplinary referral, etc.). This can be done as shown below:

1. Present the negative, or non-compliant, choice and its consequences (e.g., if a seatwork assignment is not completed in class, the student must stay after school).

2. State the positive behavioral choice that you would like the student to select (e.g., the student can complete the seatwork assignment within the allotted work time and not stay after school).

For example: John, you can stay after school to finish the class assignment or you can finish the assignment now and not have to stay after class. It is your choice.

Learn More… Take this course: Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies

Discuss Here: What are some  behavior intervention strategies you can use in the classroom?