Good behavior has been added to the curriculum at Great Bend USD 428 schools.
Staff talk about the Behavior Matrix, which in this case means a situation or a set of conditions in which something else develops or forms — i.e., better behavior.
All schools start with these prime directives: Be safe, be respectful and be responsible.
Each school has refined the fine points of its matrix. At Riley Elementary School, students know the expected behavior in the hallway, the rest-rooms, the playground and on the bus. For example, the water in the bathrooms stays in the sink and toilets.
If a behavioral problem arrives, the instructors see it as a “teachable moment.” And if a student is “caught being good,” he or she may get a ticket that can be entered in drawings for prizes. A prize may be anything from a pencil to getting to sit at the teacher’s desk. There are also some more elaborate prizes planned for the end of each quarter.
The expectations grow as students mature. Behavior expectations are also being spelled out at the middle school and the high school.
It all sounds so simple, but school administrators say it’s already having a positive effect. It makes sense; a student can’t do what’s expected if the expectations aren’t made known. Even if they learn at home to be safe, respectful and responsible, students may encounter new situations at school that need to be explained.
Employers say they want young employees to have more than “book knowledge.” They want the people they hire to have a good attitude, be punctual and conscientious. Teaching that with reading and math will help, and those employers may also want to remind employees of their own expectations.