Week 6 -Special Education -Evaluating Reinforcement

Evaluating Reinforcement in Special Education
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Date
Evaluating Reinforcement in Special Education
Question 1
Vignette illustrates that Aaron seems to work well with his resource teacher. The reason behind this tendency is that Aaron admires and respects the teacher, as he feels that she understands him better CITATION Whe04 \l 1033 (Wheeler & Richey, 2004). Being able to relate with his resource teacher makes him feel safe, hence the good behavior in class. For this trend to be brought back to the main classroom, the math teacher should consult with the resource teacher to find out what engaging activities are likely to help Aaron focus more on classwork. Also, instead of invoking punishment through taking Aaron to the principal’s office, the math teacher should attempt a different approach by showering him with positive reinforcement (Gunther, 2004). It entails recognizing positive behavior and encouraging it. Positive reinforcement will ensure Aaron performs accordingly in class.
Question 2
Sending Aaron to the principal’s office is no way likely to change his behavior in class because it means giving him exactly what he wants. He resents the math class which causes him to throw tantrums knowing it would get him sent out of class, which means reinforcing his negative behavior. Punishment tends to stop misconduct as opposed to completely changing a child's behavior, hence Aaron is likely to keep misbehaving during math to get sent to the principal's office (Gunther, 2018). The teacher should first create a rapport with Aaron, then exploit fun ways to teach math that will make him enjoy the lessons.
Question 3
Additional information is needed to further understand Aaron's behavior. His relationship with parents and siblings at home might be cause for indiscipline if he feels alienated from the family. Also, it is possible that he simply finds some math problems frustrating, hence the teacher should train him on coping methods like taking deep breaths once he feels triggered to act out. The environment in class could be another cause for Aaron's behavior, together with his r...