Pastoral care

a person-centred, holistic approach to care that complements the care offered by other helping disciplines while paying particular attention to spiritual care. The focus of pastoral care is upon the healing, guiding, supporting, reconciling, nurturing, liberating, and empowering of people in whatever situation they find themselves.

Aims of Pastoral Care

To enable each pupil to fulfill their own potential both academically and socially. To ensure that each pupil has access to personal, vocational and academic guidance and support where necessary. To provide opportunities for and encourage pupils to exercise individual and social responsibility. To promote in pupils the self-awareness and selfconfidence that they need to face the challenges, both academic and personal, that are placed on them.

Effectiveness of Pastoral care

Effective pastoral care is achieved through promoting positive school environments that support the physical, social, intellectual and emotional development of every student.

Behavior Modification Techniques

Behavior modification refers to establishing appropriate behavior in individuals and discourage those that are undesirable. Research over the years has led to the formulation of certain techniques that are used for behavior modification.

 The modification techniques are largely based on the principles of operant conditioning developed by B. F. Skinner, an American behaviorist. These techniques are used in behavior modification therapy that aim to correct and instill appropriate behavior in children.

The techniques:
Positive reinforcement Negative reinforcement Punishment Extinction

Positive reinforcement:
If a behavior meets with favorable consequences, it is strengthened and is likely to be repeated. Positive reinforcement results from the application of a positive consequence following a desirable behavior. For examples: rewards and praises

Negative Reinforcement
Negative reinforcement behavioral strategies are based on the removal of a negative consequence or a behavior because the desired behavior was performed. For example, letting a child not help in washing dishes because he behaved well at a family gathering is a form of negative reinforcement.

Punishment
Used to decrease the undesired behavior. Punishment is causing an unpleasant condition in an attempt to eliminate an undesirable behavior. It may be used in 2 ways:
1) Punish a person is through the application of a negative consequences. 2) punish a person is through the withholding or withdrawal of a positive consequence punishment

Extinction
Extinction is eliminating any reinforcement that maintaining a behavior. When behavior is not reinforced, it tends to be gradually extinguished.