Self-management is a type of behavior modification strategy that helps a student learn how to manage his own behavior instead of depending on factors such as rewards and punishments from an external source such as a teacher. A student learns to be responsible for his own behavior, which increases the likelihood that desired behaviors will continue over time, because the student feels a sense of empowerment and control.
Significance
The purpose of self-management of a child's behavior is to increase a positive behavior or decrease a problem behavior by teaching the child how to take responsibility for his actions. According to Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, techniques for self-management of behavior teach the student to be the agent of change instead of being over-dependent on a teacher or other adult to approve or correct his behavior.
Applications
Techniques for self-management are most useful to individual students to help improve classroom behaviors such as focusing on educational tasks, according to Special Connections. Sevier County Special Education in Tennessee suggests that techniques for self-management can help a student function independently and mind his own behavior when a teacher or other adult is absent.
Types
Self-management of behavior involves internal and external strategies that aid a student in shaping a certain behavior, according to Special Connections, a website for educators. Self-instruction involves a student verbally telling himself to perform a certain behavior. Self-monitoring is a student's conscious mental effort to be aware of his behavior. Self-evaluation involves a student comparing his performance against a set of criteria such as his goals for self-management. Self-reinforcement is a student rewarding himself for a desired behavior or punishing himself for failing to achieve a desired behavior. Both self-monitoring and self-evaluation can include the practice of self-graphing, in which a student creates a visual representation of his performance in the form of a bar graph or line graph.
Benefits
Allowing the child to be the control agent allows the teacher to focus on teaching instead of focusing on controlling the behavior of the student. Techniques for self-management give students and teachers a positive way to deal with punishment and thus reinforce behavioral management techniques that are educational and empowering, according to Special Connections.
Potential
Techniques for self-management can apply to students of varying ability and varying age, according to Lehigh University. Self-management techniques can help a student improve his interaction with his peers, improve his academic performance and reduce his problem behaviors, while increasing the likelihood of appropriate behaviors.
