Facilitator’s Guide for Tier Discussions

Purpose: Guide small-group conversation to define PBIS pillars, clarify MTSS tiers, and highlight Tier 2 supports.

1. Set the Stage (1 minute)

Teacher Script:
"Okay team, now that we’ve warmed up, we’re going to dive deeper into two big ideas: PBIS and MTSS. By the end of our chat, you’ll see how these work together to support everyone in our school. Ready?"

Follow-Up Prompts:
• "What parts of PBIS do you remember from our icebreaker?"

Sample Student Response:
• "Respect, Responsibility, Safety!"

2. Define PBIS Pillars (2 minutes)

Teacher Script:
"PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. It’s built on three pillars: Respect, Responsibility, and Safety. Let’s name each pillar and share a quick example."

Teacher Questions:
• "Who can tell me what Respect looks like in our school?"
• "Great—what about Responsibility? What does that look like here?"
• "And finally, how do we show Safety in our hallways and classrooms?"

Follow-Up Prompts:
• "Can someone give a real story or moment when they saw that pillar in action?"

Sample Student Responses:
• "Respect is listening when someone else is talking."
• "Responsibility is turning in my work on time."
• "Safety is walking, not running, in the hall."

3. Introduce MTSS & the Three Tiers (2 minutes)

Teacher Script:
"MTSS stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports. It helps us give different levels of help to students based on their needs. There are three tiers. Let’s label them:"

Teacher Questions:
• "What do you think Tier 1 is?"
• "How about Tier 2?"
• "And what might Tier 3 be focused on?"

Follow-Up Prompts:
• "Tier 1 is for everyone—universal supports. What might that look like?"
• "Tier 2 is small-group help for students who need extra practice. Any ideas what that could be?"

Sample Student Responses:
• "Tier 1 is whole-class lessons on behavior."
• "Tier 2 is like a small social-skills group if someone needs more help."
• "Tier 3 is one-on-one support if someone needs a lot of help."

4. Focus on Tier 2 Supports (3 minutes)

Teacher Script:
"We’re going to zoom in on Tier 2, because that’s the focus of our group. Tier 2 provides targeted support to students who are doing okay but could use extra skill-building. Here’s how it connects to each PBIS pillar:"

• Respect → Small-group social-skills workshops on communication and empathy.
• Responsibility → Study-skills groups for organization and time management.
• Safety → Check-in/Check-out groups to track and encourage safe choices.

Teacher Questions:
• "Which of these Tier 2 supports sounds the most helpful? Why?"
• "Can you think of a time when you might have joined one of these groups?"

Follow-Up Prompts:
• "What would you hope to learn in a social-skills workshop?"
• "How could a study-skills group help you manage your assignments?"

Sample Student Responses:
• "I’d like the check-in/check-out group because I sometimes forget to be safe at recess."
• "A study-skills group would help me plan my homework better."

5. Connect & Transition (2 minutes)

Teacher Script:
"Excellent thoughts! Remember, PBIS pillars give us the behaviors to aim for, and MTSS Tier 2 gives a small-group boost to practice those behaviors. Next, we’ll see these ideas in action with our slide deck and a fun matching game. Ready to move on?"

Follow-Up Prompts:
• "How do you feel about our next activity, where you’ll match behaviors to pillars and Tier 2 supports?"
• "Any last questions about Tier 2 before we begin?"

Sample Student Responses:
• "I’m excited to play the game!"
• "I understand Tier 2 better now—thanks!"

End of Tier Discussion

Now proceed to the Building Blocks of PBIS Slide Deck.

PBIS Pillar Match-Up Game

Grade Level: 7th Grade
Time: 8 minutes
Group Size: Teams of 3–4 students

Overview

Students race to match three sets of cards: PBIS pillars, behavior examples, and MTSS Tier 2 supports. The first team to correctly align all matches wins and shares one example with the class.

Materials Needed

• For each team: a deck of 12 laminated cards (see Card Sets below)
• Timer or stopwatch
• Table or flat surface for sorting

Setup

1. Shuffle each team’s cards and place them face down in three piles (Pillars, Behaviors, Supports).
   2. Designate a sorting area for each team.
   3. Explain that each behavior card must connect to one pillar and one Tier 2 support.

Instructions

1. On “Go,” teams flip over one card from each pile and look for matches:
   • Pillar Card (Respect, Responsibility, Safety)
   • Behavior Card (e.g., “Walking, not running in hallways”)
   • Tier 2 Support Card (e.g., “Check-in/Check-out small group”)
2. Teams discuss and place the three cards together if they form a valid set.
3. If the three flipped cards don’t match, teams flip them back face down and try again with new cards.
4. Continue until one team has correctly matched all their cards.
5. Winning team reads one matched set aloud and explains the connection.

Card Sets

Each team deck contains 12 cards:

Pillar Cards (3)

• Respect
• Responsibility
• Safety

Behavior Cards (6)

1. Listening when classmates share ideas (Respect)
2. Using polite language in halls and classrooms (Respect)
3. Completing assignments by their due dates (Responsibility)
4. Following classroom routines without reminders (Responsibility)
5. Walking, not running, in hallways (Safety)
6. Reporting hazards or concerns to an adult (Safety)

Tier 2 Support Cards (3)

• Small-group social-skills workshops on empathy and communication (Respect)
• Study-skills groups to build organization and time management (Responsibility)
• Check-in/Check-out small group for students needing extra structure (Safety)

Get ready… set… match!

Tier Identification Challenge

Directions: Read each scenario below and determine whether it represents a Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3 support in an MTSS framework. Write your answer on the line provided. Then briefly explain your reasoning.

1. At the start of every day, the teacher reviews classroom expectations with all students and hands out praise tickets to anyone who demonstrates positive behavior.

Answer (Tier ___): ____________________________




Reasoning:

2. A small group of students meets twice a week to learn and practice study-skills strategies such as using planners and breaking assignments into steps.

Answer (Tier ___): ____________________________




Reasoning:

3. One student who struggles with anxiety checks in with a staff mentor each morning and afternoon to set goals and review progress.

Answer (Tier ___): ____________________________




Reasoning:

4. The school posts posters in every hallway reminding everyone to walk safely and not run indoors.

Answer (Tier ___): ____________________________




Reasoning:

5. A counselor provides a daily one-on-one check-in with a student who needs intensive emotional and behavioral support.

Answer (Tier ___): ____________________________




Reasoning:

6. Selected students participate in a weekly social-skills workshop to improve communication and empathy with peers.

Answer (Tier ___): ____________________________




Reasoning:

Reflection: Which of these supports do you think would be most helpful in our school, and why?

Group Value Reflection Cool-Down

As we wrap up today’s session, reflect on your learning and set a goal for positive action.

1. Which PBIS pillar resonates most with you, and how could a Tier 2 support enhance that pillar?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. What is one specific action you will take this week to strengthen that pillar in our school community?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. How can you support a classmate in using the same PBIS pillar and Tier 2 strategy?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Thank you for sharing! Your commitment helps build a safer, more respectful, and responsible school climate.