Wondering what it is and where can you see an example of a behavioral contract for an elementary student? Keep scrolling for all this information.
What Is A Behavior Contract
A behavior contract is just that, a contract that has to do with behavior. It is great tool for teachers to have in their toolbox of strategies to use when modifying behavior. (Side note – if you are looking for background on behavioral interventions for children, check out this article.)
Oftentimes it lays out what the expected behavior is in a given situation or space. This could be during a specific time of the day such as recess. Or it could be something that goes throughout the day such as a safety contract.
Anyway that you use it, the intent is to have both parties (in this case the student and teacher) agree upon what is expected for behavior. This is made specific so that everyone is harmonious in what needs to be done.
How To Write A Behavior Contract
Writing up a behavior contract is similar to any other contract. There are a few main things that each contract needs. So what are the three main components of a behavior contract?
- Basic, identifying information. These are things like the date (or dates the contract is good for) and the student’s name. You know, the typical things that go in any type of contract.
- What the expected behavior is. This should be specific as to what the student needs to do to uphold the contract. It should also include where this behavior is being looked for.
- Lastly, the outcomes if the student does or doesn’t follow it and signatures signing off on it. Making sure to list out exactly what is going to happen is important. It makes sure everyone is on the same page so there isn’t any confusion or misunderstanding down the road. Signing off is the last part. This means both the the student and teacher are committing to uphold everything on the contract as stated (including the consequences, both good and not so good).
Check out this post for more specifics on how to write a behavioral contract. You’ll find 3 easy to follow guidelines to writing your own:
- Keep them simple looking.
- Make it specific to the child.
- Make it official.
Examples Of Behavior Contracts For Elementary Students
Need to see something in action to really understand it? I got you. Here are a few examples of behavior contracts for students at the elementary level.
This sample of a behavior contract is to be used on the school bus. It has space for all the basic identifying information at the top. In the middle, it lists out the expectations while on the bus. The bottom has space for what happens if the student does or doesn’t follow the contract. If you are looking for more information on bus riding expectations, click here to read this article all about it.
This example of student behavior contract could be used during the school day in the classroom setting. This contract is a bit different in that the user checks boxes indicating what the looking for expectation is. Other parts of the contract include identifying information, future consequences (both good and not good) are listed, along with space for both the teacher and student to sign.
Want these contracts so you can print and use? Grab them here. You’ll get 8 different contracts to use for a variety of behavioral situations. These contracts come in multiple different versions to suit the situation and child’s interests best so you’ll have 45 different ones to choose from. They are all as easy as download, print, and use. Plus you’ll get some great social stories to accompany them to help teach and reteach expectations. Click here to save yourself time while getting student behavior back on track.
Looking For More Help With Difficult Student Behavior?
Modifying unwanted student behavior can be hard.
Check out this post all on functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) for some great information. Here you’ll find not only what FBA stands for, but also what is the purpose of a functional behavioral assessment, and how to do one.
Once you get the data from an FBA, put it all together by writing a behavior intervention plan (BIP) using this post. It breaks down everything including goals, strategies to use, how to progress monitor, and even includes a behavior intervention plan template.
Grab this simple 5 step guide to help you write an amazing behavior plan (which just might include using a behavior contract). Plus you’ll get a few free data collection templates (how awesome is that?!?). Just tell me where to send it to!
Hopefully, you learned more about what these tools are and saw a helpful behavioral contract example or two.
Happy Teaching!
