Check the plans already in place
Review the student’s IEP, 504 plan, behavior plan, and school safety procedures. Note the accommodations, supports, and staff roles that already apply. Ask the case manager or administrator about anything unclear.
Dr. David A. PalmerRewire the Response™Book a Call A practical resource for classroom teachers
Get a practical next step for the classroom.
Start with the free Six D’s Decoder: a quick reference for describing what you see and deciding what to discuss with your team.
Before students arrive
Take ten minutes to prepare.
You do not need to solve every pattern before the day begins. Start with one recurring moment and the supports already agreed for that student.
Choose one moment to prepare for
Pick a recurring point in the day—such as starting independent work, a transition, or waiting. Identify one support already approved for that student, such as a clear first step, a visual cue, planned movement, or another way to access the task.
Know who to contact
If a student pushes furniture, leaves the supervised area, or anyone may be unsafe, follow the student’s and school’s established procedures and contact the designated support staff. Confirm the plan with your administrator or case manager; do not improvise a separate safety plan.
Notice without labeling
Describe the moment you can see.
When several students need support at once, precise observations help the team work out what to adjust. A behavior description is a starting point for inquiry, not a diagnosis or explanation.
- Work avoidance or head down: note the task, directions, time, and what happened before the student stopped participating. Check task access and agreed supports with the team.
- Movement or difficulty starting: note when it occurs and what helps the student begin or rejoin. Check planned movement, pacing, and accommodations already in place.
- Desk pushed or student leaves: prioritize the student’s established safety response and school procedures. Contact designated staff and share the incident through the required school process.
After the moment
Give your team useful information.
Brief, neutral notes make it easier to compare patterns across settings and decide together what support to try next.
Write what you observed
Record what happened just before, the actions you could see or hear, what adults did, and what happened next. Use neutral, specific descriptions instead of labels or guesses about intent.
Share the pattern with the team
Bring the notes to the case manager, special education team, or administrator. Ask whether the current supports fit the task, transition, environment, and level of support the student needs.
Make one agreed adjustment
Choose the next step with the people responsible for the student’s plan. Decide who will try it, when, and what the team will watch for. Keep required safety procedures and accommodations in place.
A note you can use
Before: What was happening? Observed: What did the student do or say? Adult response: What support was offered? Next: What happened afterward?
Keep learning with the team
Use a shared lens for what staff are seeing.
The free Six D’s Decoder offers a common vocabulary and classroom reference. Treat each pattern as a description to explore, not a label or a conclusion about why a student acted.
