The best way for you to keep students calm and in phase 1 of the acting-out cycle is for you to

The acting out cycle consists of seven phases, as indicated in the above graphic. A teacher's goal in a classroom is either to have students in the calm phase during instruction or to intervene early on in the acting out cycle. Recognizing the phases of the acting out cycle and responding appropriately and early on in the cycle will help prevent disruption of instruction and ensure the safety of students. Here is some additional information on each phase.

Calm - During the calm phase, a student is on-task, compliant, and engaged in the classroom. Teachers can facilitate such an environment by ensuring that social and behavioral expectations are clear and giving students appropriate attention that is both contingent (specifically directed at actions a student is doing, praising work or behavior) and non-contingent (engaging with the student unrelated to his or her actions). Furthermore, a good lesson plan will help students remain engaged and in the calm phase.

Trigger - A trigger can be caused by an unaddressed concern that the student might have. This might be school-based, such as a negative interaction with a classmate or teacher, or confusion about an assignment. They can also be nonschool-based, such as a negative interaction with a parent or other types of stresses at home.

Agitation - The agitation phase can last a long time and it is imperative that educators intervene early in the agitation phase or it is possible that intervention strategies might escalate the behavior if the student has been in the agitation phase for some time. Signs of agitation include: restlessness, off-task, starting and stopping work, and moving their body in some way, such as tapping feet or hands, moving the eyes around, etc. An effective method is verbalizing to the student that you recognize he or she is struggling to stay on task and asking how you can help. A teacher can also shift the direction of the task by grouping students together or making the task an independent task.

Acceleration - Teachers often first notice a student is in the acting out cycle in this phase. Behaviors become more intense and students are likely to be very argumentative. They engage with the teacher in an argument or interfere with instruction. It's important for teachers to recognize this phase and be respectful to the student instead of trying to negatively delegate authority (i.e., no sarcasm, empty threats, or demeaning statements). Students in this phase will likely take direct and short step-by-step instructions. Teachers should redirect by recognizing their behavior and asking them to stay on task while giving them a specific, short task to do (i.e., part of the assignment they are working on) and tell them you will check back in on them. When teachers check back in with the student, he or she should be praised for the good work they've done or the effort and the teacher should give them another short, manageable task.

Peak - The peak phase is when the student's behavior is completely out of control. Often the peak phase is a short phase; however, it is devastating for the student and those in the class. During this phase a student might hurt themselves, assault other students, destroy school property, or sob. The teacher will not be able to prevent the behavior at this point and should focus on ensuring the safety of the students. Schools might also have a specific protocol for teachers to follow if a student has reached the peak phase.

De-Escalation - During this phase, students might be disoriented and confused, often unwilling to discuss the incident. However, students generally respond to directions given by the teacher. The teacher should remove the student from classmates (not as a punishment) and give them a short task to work on that is within their instructional level.

Recovery - Teachers should debrief the student during this phase and the whole class if necessary. Students will be calm and subdued in the recovery phase but may still resist talking to about the incident. However, teachers must seize this opportunity to discuss the incident with the student. It is also important for teachers to reflect on how they might have reacted differently during the acting out cycle.

Managing the cycle of acting-out behavior in the classroom (Colvin, 2004)

Phase 1: Calm

Classroom structure and quality instruction

• Supervise, reduce distractions, and provide quiet space.
• Establish and teach clear expectations and acknowledge and praise compliance.
• Establish routines to decrease downtime and disruptions.
• Plan ahead for starter activities, transitions, and entry and exit routines.

Phase 2: Triggers

• Identify the situation where the behavior is likely to occur.
• Use pre-correction to teach appropriate response. Rehearse the expectations, prompt or remind students as needed, provide specific praise and reinforcement.
• Work with all staff and faculty to teach and reinforce social skills.
• School and non-­school triggers -­ Group social skills, anger management, community services.

Phase 3: Agitation

• Show empathy: recognize the student’s problem and communicate concern.
• Redirect and help the student become engaged in activity, lesson or task (passive or movement).
• Provide choices.
• Provide space in a quiet area or allow students to disengage briefly or put their heads down.
• Use proximity or brief interactions; show acceptance.

Phase 4: Acceleration

• Pause and assess ­‐ “Is this an emergency situation?”
• Avoid escalating the student’s behavior.
• Pausing rather than responding immediately shows students that while they may be out of control, staff are calm and controlled.
• Use a calm but serious tone.
• If the situation escalates, withdraw and follow school procedures for emergency situations.

Phase 5: Peak

• Focus on student and staff safety.
• Notify necessary staff of situations and provide directions for response.
• If needed, evacuate others.
• Contact appropriate assistance.
• If an ESI was used - Notify parents, document, debrief and learn from it.

Phase 6: De-escalation

• Monitory for health and safety.
• Once escalation is over, allow student space to calm down, under supervision.
• Avoid blaming - provide opportunity for non-­judgmental discussion.
• Provide independent work that is fairly easy to complete to help regain focus.
• Debrief and document the incident to provide data for ongoing planning for safety.

Phase 7: Recovery

• Help student return to normal activities and engage in learning.
• Continue with planned consequence and do not discuss or negotiate.
• Acknowledge cooperative and appropriate behavior.
• Encourage and support student in changing problem behavior.

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