Good behavior games change educational climate
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If we were asked to think about what the most wonderful school imaginable might look like—what would you see? Perhaps you see a school where students are calm, peaceful and productive and wanting to be a part of a greater learning experience. Maybe it’s seeing teachers smiling and confident that what they are doing is making a difference—they see it, feel it and trust that what they are doing is changing the way we think about education. PAX is here.
Dr. Embry was born in Great Bend, KS, and lived in 17 communities as a child. His talents as a scientist and entrepreneur were evident as a five-year old who took apart everything, sold paintings door-to-door to get attention and pocket change, while being labeled as “educationally mentally retarded” in the first grade while attending school in the Phoenix school system. He sold his first paintings at age 13 and landed his first grant from the National Science Foundation in the 8th grade. At age 16, while his parents spiraled into addiction and other tragedies, he was appointed a US Capital Page by Congressman Robert Dole. As college junior, he started a universal student evaluation of teachers at the University of Kansas, where he was elected student representative on the university promotion and tenure committee. Dr. Embry has resided in Tucson since 1987, where he remains active in civic affairs and often uses his own personal story to illustrate how children who are “written off” or inaccurately labeled can rise to do great things in the world.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, concerned citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” —Margaret Mead
Most of what modern society calls “mental illnesses” such as ADHD, oppositional defiance, conduct disorders, depression or anxiety among children and teens are, in fact triggered or amplified by toxic or coercive influences of other humans. (Prefaced in GBG Training Manual). Coercion or threats by adults in schools, homes and or in the community invariably train children’s brains in the four “A’s” of avoidance, anger, anxiety, and aggression.
There is a wave of excitement spreading across Montana and teachers are smiling, children are asking for GBG games and parents are raising their eyebrows with the dramatic and positive changes they are seeing in their children. It is easy to spot a child who has been exposed to the PAX Good Behavior Game. PAX is a Latin word meaning peace, health, well-being, safety, order, productivity and harmony. The GBG PAX games are changing school climates positively and dramatically from what many of us remember from our childhood learning experiences.
The Good Behavior Game was first used in 1967 in Baldwin, Kansas by Muriel Saunders, who was a new teacher in a fourth-grade classroom. Muriel Saunders was put in a classroom that would test every grain of wisdom, experience and patience she could muster. She became so stressed out, she wanted to quit—but thankfully for all of us, she didn’t. Harriet Barrish, professor and co-founder of applied-behavior analysis and the late Montrose Wolfe together, co-created the Good Behavior Game in 1969.
In 2009, The Institute of Medicine issued a report on prevention that singled out the Good Behavior Game as the most powerful strategy an individual teacher could do. Improved classroom management is only one of the benefits of the Good Behavior PAX games. PAX teachers have more time to teach as the children develop the ability to self-regulate and self-manage their own behaviors. As increasing numbers of children come to school with mental, emotional and behavioral disorders, they have difficulty with the most fundamental skill for any learning: the ability to “turn on” their own ability to focus and pay attention. Such self-regulation of attention for intention, and the ability to self-control their own behavior, is the single most predictive skill that predicts school success and standardized achievement test scores.
The PAX Good Behavior Game is more than just the Good Behavior Game. It includes the findings of the PeaceBuilders project, which was the largest youth violence prevention study in the United States in the 1990’s. It reduced violent injuries in school; it reduced all forms of aggression and increased positive, prosocial behavior. PAX GBG is different from the numerous other strategies because PAX makes children heroes of the change.
PAX Benefits
• Compatible with other prevention efforts.
• Major improvement in engaged learning.
• 60-90 minute more time to teach and learn each day.
• 75-125 fewer disruptions per hour in classes.
• 20 percent-30 percent less need for special education.
• Reductions in deviant and criminal behaviors.
• A 30 percent to 60 percent reduction in referrals, suspensions or expulsions.
• Significant reduction in life-time juvenile and adult criminal acts.
Increased mental health -
50 percent - 70 percent reduction in mental health difficulties (e.g., ADHD and conduct symptoms).
A 10 percent to 30 percent reduction injuries or stress related complaints.
Reduction in directly observable symptoms of ADHD such as inattention and fidgeting, even for children not on medication.
Reduction in observable symptoms of Oppositional Defiance and conduct disorders, whether or not the child is in therapy or the family is receiving interventions.
Reduction in the manifest symptoms of depression or PTSD.
Substance Use Prevention
25 percent to 50 percent reduction in use of tobacco or other drugs over a child’s lifetime (includes methamphetamine, GBH, marijuana and more)
Dixon was the first school on the Flathead Reservation to implement the GBG in 2012. Currently, Dixon is an all PAX school. Mark Faroni, Dixon School Principal and teacher Shannon Murphy see happier classes and more engaged learning. Prior to implementing the Good Behavior Games, Faroni spent a considerable amount of time on disciplinary actions. Within weeks after implementation of GBG he noticed a sharp decline which has dropped to nearly zero.
The team-based approach encourages positive behavior by using peer encouragement and rewarding student teams for abiding with the rules for appropriate behavior. Some of the targeted actions are working quietly, following directions, and/or being polite to each other. In turn it enables teachers to build strong academic skills with the students.
Currently, there are eight schools who have implemented the Good Behavior PAX Games in our community: Dixon, Cherry Valley, K William Harvey, Linderman, Arlee, Pablo, St. Ignatius and Dayton. A special thank you to the teachers and coaches who continue take the lead: Shannon O'Brien-Murphy (Dixon), Kathy Smith (Pablo Elem), Mona Friday (Linderman), Hilary Lozar (K. William Harvey), Jennifer Hout (St. Ignatius), Sara Devoe (Cherry Valley) and Sibley Malee-Ligas (Arlee). Fore more information, contact Roxana-Colman-Herak, CSKT GBG Program Manager at (406) 675-2700 ext 1361; (406) 210-7343. Email roxana.colman@cskt.org
