Program Description
Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management (IY TCM) is a teacher classroom management program designed for pre-K-grade 3. Teachers learn classroom management skills through 6 full day teacher group workshops spread out monthly or bimonthly. During these trainings teachers watch video vignettes of effective classroom management strategies used to trigger discussions, problem solving and to practice the skills through role-play scenarios and participants receive feedback from fellow teachers and trainers. The training includes evidence-based teaching strategies such as social, emotional, persistence, and academic coaching, behavior-specific praise and motivating incentives, clear limit setting and proactive discipline starting with the least intrusive methods. Emphases is placed on building positive student-teacher-parent relationships and developmentally appropriate teaching methods. The training is based on a collaborative and self-reflective process where teachers identify personal goals and develop behavior plans for target children. Teachers are encouraged to actively participate in group discussions, and are given reading and practice assignments between workshop days. During the periods between/after trainings, certified group leaders or teacher coaches observe teachers in the classroom, provide modeling and support and meet to review behavior plans and goals.
Program Outcomes
Reinke, Herman & Dong (2018) evaluated IY TCM in 9 urban schools in a school district in the Midwestern US. Among 1817 students who were randomly assigned to treatment and wait-list control groups, 76% were African Americans, 22% were White, and 61% were low income students qualifying for free and reduced price lunch. After 1 year of intervention, IY TCM students scored higher than controls on prosocial behavior (effect size=+0.13), social competence (effect size=+0.13), and emotional regulation (effect size=+0.14), qualifying the program for the ESSA “Strong” level in both the Social Relationship and Emotional Well-being categories. There were no significant effects on other outcomes, such as concentration problems, disruptive behavior, and academic outcomes.
Staffing Requirements
Two graduate-level group leaders are needed to conduct the teacher workshops. Experienced teachers, school psychologists, school counselors, behavior interventionists, and administrators may be chosen as group leaders. The group leaders should have classroom experience, coursework in child development and educational best practices, and should be able to work in a supportive and collaborative way with the teacher groups. These group leaders will need to be trained in an authorized 3-day Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Manager Group leader training prior to delivering the program to the teachers.
Professional Development/Training
Group Leaders participate in a 3-day Teacher Classroom Management Training (offered yearly in Seattle or on-site at agency’s request). Following training, group leaders begin leading groups and receive consultation from The Incredible Years trainers and mentors. Group leaders participate in an accreditation process to ensure that they are delivering the program with fidelity. When group leaders have completed the accreditation process, they are certified group leaders.
Teachers receive 6 full day workshops, delivered in groups of 12-15 teachers. Between workshop days, teachers receive ongoing coaching from a graduate-level certified IY TCM group facilitator or coach.
Technology
Equipment for playing videos.