Reward system

“We turn every rule into something positive,” explains PBS specialist Marjolein. “Instead of ‘You must not run in the hallway’, our behavioral expectation is ‘I walk calmly in the hallway’. Many children do not actually hear the word ‘not’. Anyone who walks calmly in the hallway can be rewarded with a compliment or a token.” Nadine is enthusiastic about the reward system. “Children save up for a personal reward worth 5 to 10 tokens. In the middle and upper grades, these include things like being allowed to sit next to a friend in class or writing with a gel pen for once. Together, they can save up for a big reward that costs 120 tokens. An afternoon of games, for example. As a reward, younger children may, for example, sit in the teacher’s chair during break time, or be the first to choose from the activity board.”

Going home more positive

Marjolein has now been working at De Helix for a year, but she knows that there used to be more unrest at the school. “There was a lot of ‘hassle’ between children, and some bullying. That also causes unrest among parents. PBS provides structure, a positive atmosphere and a safe environment. Children who feel safe at school also go home feeling more positive. The social safety lessons that are part of the method also contribute to this. If something happens that you do not like, you say firmly: ‘Stop, I don’t want that’. And if the other person does not listen, you go and ask the teacher for help.”

Practising the rules

According to Nadine, there are major differences between PBS and, for example, the Peaceful School or the Kanjertraining method. “We actually intervene earlier by teaching behavioral expectations from an early age. By formulating them in the first person—I walk calmly in the hallway—children know: this is about me. Then, in the event of a ‘violation’, you do not first have to ask which hat someone is wearing, as you do in the Kanjertraining method. No, the rules are clear, and we practise them a lot. I deliberately do something incorrectly, and the class explains how it could be done differently. By continuing to repeat the rules, they sink in naturally.”

Seeing every child

“Children often already know themselves that they are in the wrong,” Marjolein continues. “If I happen to walk through the hallway and see children running, they immediately start walking more calmly. I then give them a compliment. But the great advantage of this way of working, in my view, is that you see every child. Children who naturally display positive behavior are rewarded too. Negative behavior does not result in special treatment or extra attention. Everyone learns to set boundaries or to intervene when something unkind is said about someone else. Whether they will also dare to do that in secondary school will differ from child to child, but we lay a solid foundation here.”

Bringing the team on board

Marjolein admits that working with PBS requires a substantial investment. She completed the training herself and can now apply her knowledge at De Helix. “The school really spent several years implementing it. But you receive good guidance with that. It is important to involve the team in developments. That is why one staff development day each year at our school is devoted to PBS. New teachers also need further training. Simply reading the sustainability plan is not enough. A number of teachers are part of the PBS team. We regularly discuss the students who stand out in terms of their behavior. Teachers record conflicts, allowing us to build up data and know who needs a little extra support.”

Parental involvement

“Parental involvement is an area of focus for us,” Nadine admits. “We will soon describe the lessons in more detail in the newsletter. This will enable parents to ask their children more targeted questions about them. Nevertheless, I can already see that parents are thinking along with us about changing behavior. Recently, I told a parent that it takes an average of six to eight weeks for something like this to become ingrained. I saw him thinking: of course, that applies to me too.”

Bar charts

“With the younger children, we often use bar charts. This allows us to vote on which group activity we will choose when the entire tube is full and we have earned a class reward. This way, we also immediately link it to a maths activity. This time, the children chose to bring a cuddly toy to school.”

Tips from Nadine and Marjolein

  • Visit a school that works with PBS and experience how it works.
  • Watch example videos of PBS on the internet.
  • Emphasize positive behavior and try to give little attention to negative behavior.

About Marjolein

Who: Marjolein Jonker

What: Grade 5 teacher and PBS expert

Where: De Helix, Heerhugowaard

Mission: “Giving children a solid foundation in positive behavior—that makes everyone feel positive, doesn’t it?”