Witness to the Good

To create a positive environment for learning, teachers need to reinforce constructive and correct destructive student behavior when they see it.

If teachers inconsistently correct and reinforce behavior, students will not know what learning is acceptable or encouraged, and that may lead to off-task student behavior and a psychologically unsafe classroom environment.

Teacher attention is a significant motivator for students, and if teachers direct their attention only to inappropriate behavior by correcting students, they may unintentionally reinforce the behavior they are trying to stop.

CORRECTION STRATEGY (Randy Sprick)

• Identify the behaviors that always must be corrected.

• Identify how the behavior will be corrected, the first, second, third, and fourth time it is observed.

• Video record lessons to see whether or not you correct behavior when you see it.

• Work on one behavior at a time until all correctable behavior is consistently seen and corrected.

MAKE A LIST

• Make a list of behaviors you especially want to see

• Reinforce students when students demonstrate them

• Strive for a 5:1 ration of reinforcing attention (verbal & nonverbal) vs. correcting attention

OTHER STRATEGIES

• Commit to saying hello to every student as they enter the classroom, putting special emphasis on students you may have had a recent negative interaction

• Seek out positive interactions that are not contingent on behavior

• Find the little things that interest kids and talk about them with them

• Catch the good behavior by drawing attention to it (thanking students, etc.)

• Focus praise or attention on effect rather than attributes

• Post reminders to yourself to praise

• Double up on praise by naming all students who are doing something appropriate

• Vary your methods of praise

• Call or email parents of children who are doing well

• Display student work in the classroom

• Ignore minor misbehavior if the behavior is attention seeking