5 Examples of PBIS in the Classroom

When a student misbehaves, the knee-jerk reaction is to punish them for it. The idea behind this strategy is to deter the student and their peers from repeating the negative conduct. That, however, can often backfire. Overreliance on punitive tactics can, in some cases, alienate students and impact their sense of self worth.

One of the alternatives is Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is a schoolwide framework that focuses on rewarding and reinforcing positive behavior while preventing misbehavior before it starts. PBIS in the classroom encourages a more supportive environment where expectations are clear and success is celebrated. 

Instead of making a student feel self-conscious in front of their peers about their conduct, PBIS builds a school culture of positivity that focuses on improvement and attainable learning milestones. But what is PBIS in the classroom, and how can schools incorporate it?

What Is PBIS?

PBIS is an evidence-based and tiered framework that can help students with their emotional, academic, social, and behavioral well-being. It’s a proactive approach that strives to prevent problematic behavior while recognizing that students can only meet expectations if they clearly understand what the rules are. 

PBIS is divided into three tiers. 

• Tier 1 refers to the universal and schoolwide system. The practices in this tier impact everyone across all school settings. They teach students basic expectations around respect and kindness. This tier shows teachers and staff how to encourage expected behavior and how to collaborate with parents.

• Tier 2 offers extra support to struggling students. Some children and teens have more trouble than others when it comes to meeting expectations, so Tier 2 provides targeted interventions.

• Tier 3 offers intensive support to a few students. It’s most appropriate for those who have ongoing behavioral concerns and require individualized services.

PBIS in the classroom offers benefits for everyone, from students to staff members. It helps to improve overall school culture by creating clear expectations of what appropriate behavior is. A safer and more welcoming school environment can help boost academic performance, leading to higher satisfaction levels among students and teachers. Additionally, PBIS allows for structured and instructional consequences when needed, not simply avoiding discipline, but approaching it in ways that preserve student dignity and teach better decision-making.

There can be fewer interruptions during class time to address problematic behaviors, which helps with learning and reduces the negative interactions that students may have with authority figures. Additionally, PBIS provides a personalized approach, which can mean struggling students feel less alone with their unique challenges. 

Examples of PBIS Strategies in the Classroom 

A closer look at PBIS examples can help you find the strategies that could work best in your institution. 

1. Establishing Clear Expectations

One of the most important steps in PBIS is to set clear expectations in the classroom. A student who doesn’t quite understand what is expected of them in class could struggle to thrive. 

Something important to remember is that classroom expectations should not be vague, and they should be stated in a positive manner. For example, students should fully understand that touching others is not acceptable, but a good way of stating that expectation would be for them to keep their hands and feet to themselves. 

Teachers and students should work on establishing these expectations together, and once defined, they should be displayed in the classroom. It’s necessary for teachers to speak about these expectations and reinforce them often to remind students of the right behaviors. 

2. Positive Reinforcement & Rewards

Offering praise and other positive reinforcements encourages the behaviors teachers want in the classroom. Make sure to link the positive behavior to the displayed expectations. When offering praise, it must be specific, sincere, and timely, and it should incorporate the kind of statements that work with each individual student. 

Teachers can set up classroom rewards, which allow all students to work together toward achieving a goal. PBIS examples for this could be offering to let students sit wherever they like on Friday if everyone is on time and in their seats during the week. 

There could also be individual rewards, such as stickers or other tokens, to reward appropriate behavior. 

3. Restorative Practices & Conflict Resolution

While restorative practices are not a required component of PBIS, many schools and classrooms integrate them because they align well with PBIS values.

Addressing conflicts in a constructive manner is another vital part of PBIS in the classroom. Teachers must demonstrate how to resolve issues via communication and help students learn restorative practices to rebuild relationships and discuss issues that impact the entire class. 

Part of PBIS involves helping students take stock of their behavior and learn to recognize problematic patterns. Making amends would be the next step. A teacher can help this process by addressing the problem behavior calmly and briefly while explaining what would have been a better behavior option. 

Doing this reinforces what is expected of students but doesn’t chastise them in a way that could impact their self-esteem. 

4. Behavior Tracking & Data-Driven Interventions 

PBIS can include tracking tools to monitor behaviors and spot trends. If you have a point reward system in place, tools can make the process easier and more transparent for students. 

With this data, it’s possible for teachers to make targeted adjustments and see which students might need additional assistance. For those who need Tier 2 interventions, PBIS examples like check-in check-out (CICO) programs can be helpful. 

These interventions involve offering regular feedback and positive reinforcements. CICO requires students to meet up with teachers throughout the day to track behavior goals. It’s a strategy that can increase adherence to school-wide behavior expectations while reducing the rate of disruptive conduct. 

5. Encouraging Peer Support & Student Leadership

Effective PBIS strategies also include mentoring programs that involve older and younger students. Peer mentoring is helpful for all participants, with the older students understanding they have a responsibility toward the younger ones and the latter learning behavior expectations from the older ones. 

Assigning student roles in PBIS programs is also helpful. It provides a chance for children and teens to feel that this program is a collaborative one in which they have some say. These roles can be seen as positive incentives.

To help foster the kind of school environment that everyone can benefit from, encouraging classroom kindness with challenges can help. These interventions can reward empathy and the offering of assistance in any form to classmates. By starting in the classroom, these positive changes can quickly lead to schoolwide improvements. 

PBIS Support with Rachels Challenge

At Rachel’s Challenge, we believe that a kind, connected school culture isn’t just a “nice to have,” it’s a necessity for student safety, engagement, and academic success. Our programs align powerfully with PBIS by helping schools build positive relationships, reinforce prosocial behaviors, and support students at every tier.

Whether you’re working to strengthen Tier 1 systems, implement Tier 2 interventions like Chain Reaction, or create a more inclusive and connected school environment, Rachel’s Challenge can help.

Let’s work together to create schools where every student feels seen, supported, and inspired to make positive choices.