Morgan Frye, M.Ed.

Master of Science in Education


Managing Impulsivity



Table of Contents



Introduction
What is this Habit of Mind and why is it important?
What does this Habit look like in the classroom?
Explicitly Teaching this Habit of Mind
Reinforcement Activity
Student Reflections
Conclusion




Introduction





Managing Impulsivity



The second Habit of Mind that I explicitly taught, practiced, and reinforced in the classroom was Managing Impulsivity. I encouraged students to examine what it meant to be impulsive, what some impulsive behaviors were and how to identify them, and some alternatives to help manage their impulses.


This Habit of Mind is one that students found to be most helpful and have been most responsive to in the classroom. Managing Impulsivity is a Habit of Mind that students will continue to work through throughout the lives, but giving students the right tools to recognize impulsive behaviors and alternatives for them will help them with personal and academic growth.


One of the best ways that students learned about this Habit of Mind was through classroom modeling from teachers and staff. Students were able to learn about managing impulses, understand the expectations of the classroom, and look to their teachers for guidance and support. My colleagues and I worked hard to ensure that we set an example of these values for our students when responding and communicating with each other and students so students could have a clear vision and expectation of their behavior. Apart from modeling, students internalized these behaviors and were given praise when demonstrating impulse control and choosing alternatives.



Above students learn about the second Habit of Mind that was explicitly taught in the classroom: Managing Impulsivity.



Above students discuss the different ways that they can manage their impulsivity inside and outside of the classroom.




What is this Habit of Mind and why is it important?





What does it mean to manage impulsivity?



This Habit of Mind is important for students to understand because it helps students recognize the control they have over their bodies and actions- and provides them with skills and solutions to help regulate some of their impulsive behaviors. Whether it be impulsive decisions or impulsive body movements, students benefit from explicit instruction in the Habit of Mind to ensure that they develop a deeper understanding of the fact that they are in control of their bodies and the decisions they make.


Below is another webpage from ASCD (n.d.) that shows different ways to encourage students to interact with this Habit of Mind. This website puts the Habit of Managing Impulsivity into different terms and quotes for students to think about when working through their own impulsive behaviors in response to problems in their every day lives. Please click on the link below to access the full article.



Above students explicitly discuss the different ways that they show impulsive behaviors and what they can do about them inside and outside the classroom.



Above students prepare to join in the lesson. Students used an activity to ensure that they knew the actions and consequences of impulsive behaviors.




What does this Habit of Mind look like in the classroom?





How are students demonstrating this Habit?



When students practice managing their impulsivity in the classroom, they can do so in a variety of ways. Students generally understand impulsivity when it comes to controlling their bodies, as many students still have impulsive behaviors that lead to negative consequences when it comes to doing things and not thinking about how they will impact others. These include flailing their arms in line (and hitting someone accidentally), kicking feet under the desk (and accidentally kicking someone in the shin), hitting someone when they are bumped into (accidentally), or balling up papers in frustration (loss of graded work). When students are reminded to control their impulses and control their bodies, they are reminded to be aware of others around them and think about how their bodies in that space could affect other bodies in the same space.


When students practice managing their impulsivity with their decisions, they are reminded that they need to think about the consequences of their actions before they make a decision. For example, students are often reminded that if they don't turn in their homework, they will have to work in it at the beginning of recess, and to think about the consequence before they decide to leave their homework on their desk and not take it home.


Teachers model this Habit of Mind by working hard to manage our own impulses when faced with issues in the classroom. I also make an attempt to narrate some of my thought processes for students when facing a problem, so that I can show how I am working through an issue without "making an impulsive decision." Students are able to then internalize these values from teacher guidance through modeling and reinforcement to promote their continued learning in this Habit.


In our reinforcement activity (shown below), students demonstrated their knowledge of this Habit of Mind by playing the "managing impulsivity" game, where they had to match the impulsive behavior with the consequence. These included behaviors like not completing homework, lying to a friend, or eating too much candy.



Above students play the managing impulsivity game, where each student receives a card and students have to identify the impulsive behavior and the following consequence.



Above students continue to play the activity where they have to think about the actions and the following consequences. Most of the actions were things that students do now, like stay up too late (with the consequence of being sleepy in the morning).




Explicitly teaching this Habit of Mind





How were students taught to manage impulsivity?



When students were explicitly taught this Habit of Mind, the main focus was to ensure that students could identify different kinds of impulsive behaviors. I also wanted to ensure students would stop and think about the consequences of those actions before they exhibited the impulsive behavior. When I taught students this, I gave them examples that were familiar so that they could establish a connection to the behavior and see the consequences. Teachers modeled the impulsive behavior as well, and my co-teacher and I took turns demonstrating the consequence for students.


Students were also given different examples of things they could do instead of the behavior to ensure that the impulsive behavior could be managed. Calling out in the classroom, or talking over someone who was talking, was an example that was used. Students were told that we would start to use wait time as a way to give students time to think and to discourage the behavior of calling out or talking over others.


Students internalized this behavior and instead of specifically stating that wait time would be given, students started counting seconds on their own before raising their hands to answer questions. In doing so, students were already internalizing the Habit of Mind and demonstrating social-emotional growth throughout the course of practicing the Habits of Mind.



ASCD. (2017, October 6). Habits of Mind Animations: Managing Impulsivity. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/CBPchn0hvsI



Above, students enjoy reading their behavior cards and seeing which person has the card that matched theirs with the consequence of the behavior.



Above students continue to play the managing impulsivity activity that requires them to think through actions and consequences to move throughout the game.




Reinforcement Activity





How was this Habit reinforced?



To reinforce learning this Habit of Mind, students played a game that allowed for them to ask and answer questions about specific times they had been impulsive inside or outside the classroom. Students were able to role the die and move spaces based on their answers and whether or not they could identify the impulsive behavior and the consequence. Students enjoyed playing this game and being allowed to move forward on the game board after thinking about managing their impulses, the decisions they make, and the consequences they follow.


Students will continue to be reminded of this important Habit throughout the school year to reinforce the lesson taught. Teachers will continue to encourage students to make decisions that support managing their impulses through reminding language and anchor charts, as well as modeling and praise.



Above students engage in the managing impulsivity game. Students enjoyed playing the game and sharing some of their decisions, actions, and consequences of those actions.



Above students continue to play the game and share their ideas on how to manage their impulses.




Student Reflections





How did students internalize this Habit?



The following day, students worked on a reflection sheet that helped them internalize the lesson and helped to reinforce the decisions they make and the consequences that would follow. Students could write, draw, or use a combination of both to show what it looked like to manage their impulses in various settings. Students seemed eager to discuss this Habit of Mind, as every teacher has tried to explain self-control, but students found it more meaningful when it was attached to a lesson that explicitly taught and explained why managing impulses was important.


The student reflections showed that students had a strong understanding of what it looked like to manage their impulses, especially when other people could be affected by decisions or behaviors. The lesson provided students with strategies to help control those impulses in various settings.


Please click on the play button below to listen to Student 1's reflection on managing impulsivity.








Below, listen to Student 2 reflect on their experience with managing impulsivity. Please click the play button below to listen to the reflection.








Below, listen to Student 3 reflect on their experience with managing impulsivity. Please click the play button below to listen to the reflection.






Above a student works to fill out the reflection sheet for the Managing Impulsivity lesson. Students were eager to show what they knew from the lesson.



Above a students works to fill out the reflection sheet for the Managing Impulsivity lesson. Students used a combination fo words and pictures to show what they knew.



Above is an example from the Managing Impulsivity worksheet. This student listed the actions for managing their impulses in various places.



Above is another student example. This student chose to use pictures to represent how they manage impulses in various places.




Conclusion





How can students continue to show this Habit in the classroom?



Students will be reminded of this Habit fo Mind throughout the school year to ensure that they are continuously thinking about the different ways that they can manage their impulses in controlling their bodies and in decision making. As teachers, it is our job to ensure that students have proper support in developing this Habit of Mind through modeling and reinforcing language.


Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, we are not able to document all of the ways that students are able to show their progress in managing their impulses at home. With reminder language and modeling from teacher's through distance learning, we can still support our students and give students praise when they share their reflections on managing an impulse at home or demonstrating the Habit of Mind during distance learning.




References





ASCD. (2017, October 6). Habits of Mind Animations: Managing Impulsivity. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/CBPchn0hvsI


ASCD. (n.d.). MANAGING IMPULSIVITY. Retrieved from https://www.habitsofmindinstitute.org/resources/quotes/hom-quotes/2-managing-impulsivity/