Behavior Bias: Unpacking the Beliefs we hold about Behavior
Understanding and Overcoming Behavior Bias in Education
In the field of education, traditionally a lot of focus is often placed on external strategies for behavior management, or as I prefer to call it, behavior change practices. In my opinion, it’s time we officially move away from trying to manage behavior, and instead honor behavior for what it is. Behavior is a series of actions we take to have our needs met. By trying to manage behavior, we miss the mark on identifying those needs, including our own, as the teachers in the rooms. When we focus on external strategies, we frequently discuss modifying the environment, redesigning lesson plans, adjusting schedules, creating reset stations, increasing student check-ins, and fostering parent partnerships, which are all essential practices to consider. But if we solely focus on external practices, we miss an integral piece to the behavior change puzzle. While these external strategies are valuable and needed, they bring us to a crucial question: what about our internal perspectives?
The distinction between behavior management and behavior change practices lies in understanding how internal perspectives underpin behavior change, both in ourselves and our environments. A key internal perspective often overlooked is our understanding of behavior bias, or our own beliefs about behavior. How we define behavior is a key distinction in whether or not we feel confident to help change the behaviors we are seeing. The beliefs we hold about anything, directly lead to the thoughts we have, the feelings we experience, and the subsequent actions that we then take. Which brings up a key question to consider: What do you believe to be true about behavior?
Defining Behavior Bias
Behavior bias can be defined as the judgments we hold about a specific response or action an individual exhibits in relation to a situation or experience in their environment. Simply put, behavior bias is the judgment we make based on actions taken by an individual. And it’s important to note that sometimes this judgment is at a subconscious level. As we are taking in millions of bits of information per second, we can’t possibly be present to all of it. Which is why at times, we react to behavior, instead of responding. What can help us to respond though, in moments of stress or challenge, is having foundational truths related to behavior that remind us of what behavior is and why it is a part of any classroom experience. In classrooms, behavior beliefs can significantly affect our ability to remain present and effectively employ behavior change practices with our students.
Observation vs. Judgment
When training educators, I emphasize the importance of distinguishing between observations and judgments. This practice can be more challenging than it seems. For the purpose of the activity, I define judgment as involving the addition of meaning or creating a story around what we see, often based on our experiences. In contrast, observation involves noting what is happening without attaching a story or assumption. For example, showing a picture of a student looking out the window typically elicits responses such as, “withdrawn” or “staring out window”. While "staring out the window" is an observation, "withdrawn" is judgment based on our past experiences with this behavior.
The tendency to create stories extends to behaviors in the classroom, and it’s not wrong that we do this! We are human beings, and this is the way we process information. We interpret behaviors through the lens of our experiences, but one important note to remember is that this can potentially lead to misunderstandings. By focusing on observation and remaining present, we can respond more effectively to the actual context rather than our interpretation of it.
Reflecting on Our Beliefs
Personal reflection is one way we can practice reframing beliefs we hold about behavior in the classroom. Here are some questions to guide this process:
What do I believe to be true about behavior?
What is my current definition of behavior?
Do I view behavior as good, bad, right, or wrong? What preconceived ideas influence my perceptions?
Do I defend behavior? In what situations and for whom?
Are there specific behaviors that trigger immediate reactions from me?
This reflective process should be approached with an open mind, aiming for growth and self-awareness rather than judgment or shame. And as a reminder - behavior refers to action, any action, not just unsafe or disruptive ones.
Reframing Our Beliefs
Once we've identified our beliefs about behavior, it's time to reframe the narrative. This doesn't mean excusing inappropriate behavior; instead, it means understanding the behavior to foster growth, accountability, and awareness. Here's a five-step process to reframe beliefs:
Identify the belief: Clearly define the belief you hold about behavior.
Question the belief: Is this belief absolutely true?
Consider universality: Does everyone believe this to be true?
Evaluate the impact: Is this belief serving my highest good?
Rewrite the belief: Formulate a new, more flexible narrative.
Let’s Look at an Example…
Original Belief: "Behavior is stressful and makes my days difficult."
Step 2: Not all behavior is stressful, nor does it make every day difficult.
Step 3: This belief is not universally held.
Step 4: This belief is not serving me.
New Narrative: "It’s okay that behavior can feel overwhelming at times”
To this new narrative, I would also then recommend attaching an anchor statement that reminds YOU of the power you hold in being you in the classroom. An example might be, “It’s okay that behavior can feel overwhelming at times. I trust in my ability to ask for help or use tools to help me better understand what is happening when the behavior occurs”. Of course, there are thousands of anchor statements that can be used, it’s key to find one that aligns to YOU!
The revised narrative acknowledges the complexity of behavior without falling into the all-or-nothing trap. Behavior is difficult, but not in an all or nothing way. And our ability to stay present to behavior is compounded with other variables. Remember, there is no one practice that eliminates behavior, nor should there be. Behaviors are actions we take. The goal through this process of breaking down our beliefs to behavior, is to help us better understand what foundational understandings we may be bringing into the classroom that may be limiting the perspective we can take when it comes to behaviors we observe in the classroom.
As a reminder…
Behavior change is a daily practice that begins with examining the thoughts and meanings we attach to behavior. By breaking down our beliefs and observing behavior objectively, we can remain present and apply effective behavior change practices. This approach allows us to support our students with compassion and regulation, while allowing us to be present and be reflective in our interactions and connections with our students, and most importantly with ourselves.