1. Classroom behavioral expectations are posted, taught, reviewed and known by every student. Students become clear on what desired behaviors are, and pre-correction prevents occurrences of problems

2. Transitions are taught and managed well. Problem behaviors occur in unstructured and lengthy transitions. When transitions are structured and short, problems are avoided.

3. Independent seatwork is limited for skill fluency practice and managed effectively when used. High rates of meaningless, boring and lengthy independent worksheet format skill practice produces an environment where protests are common.

4. Organizing a productive classroom (minimal effort to pay attention, easy flow in/out of room, optimal seating arrangement, limit distractions, etc.). Environmental structure has long been associated with greater ontask behavior.

5. Teacher mobility and proximity control is used (teacher does not stand in one spot. Keeps students alert by tracking the teacher and teacher uses proximity control as a method to redirect problem behavior). Students act out less when adults are more visibly monitoring their behavior.

6. A motivation system to reward desirable behavior is in place. Students come with a range of intrinsic motivation for a range of subject areas and activities. Reinforcement increases motivation to engage in less desired activities

7. Goal setting and performance feedback is routine. Students are more motivated to stay on task and complete work skillfully if they have collaboratively set goals and received feedback.

8. Cuing systems to release and regain student attention and foster high student engagement are used when the teacher uses routines and gestures to gain and release attention, the students respond rapidly, decreasing lost instruction time.

9. Visual schedule of classroom activities is used. Knowing the schedule helps students understand what can be expected and helps with deficits in delaying gratification. For students with emotional issues, structures and routines help anxiety bind.

10.Teaching, modeling, and reinforcing desired prosocial classroom skills (following directions the first time, actively listening, waiting patiently, sharing with others, accepting feedback, etc.) Social skills instruction helps all students understand what produces payoff and thus alters problem behavior that occurs when the student tries to get payoff through maladaptive methods. For students with emotional issues, their self referencing, internal orientation can interfere with learning expectations, so specific instruction for the skill deficit is warranted.

11. Strategic establishment of positive relationships with all students in the class (teacher intentionally reaches out to each and every student to get to know them and learn about them) Students with emotional issues attribute teacher dislike, even when it is not true, and respond with either internalizing or externalizing behaviors. When a student is known by the teacher, that student is less likely to be impacted by negative peer affiliations, and individual behavioral compliance is easier to achieve.

12. Positive greetings at the door to pre-correct and establish positive climate occurs as with 11. Above, relationship building prevents problems and counters maladaptive faulty meaning-making about the teacher’s approval of the student.

13. Competent communication with all students is observed (reprimands/corrective statements are delivered in a non-threatening way and reinforcement is specific and genuine) Behavior problems escalate when unskillful correction occurs, and reinforcement has little effect when not genuine and specific. Students with emotional problems over respond to correction, and under respond to reinforcement when not competently delivered.

14. Providing students with numerous opportunities to respond to teacher questions (choral responding, random asking of students, etc.) and interact with classmates over learning content (pair-share). High student engagement results in less opportunity for behavior problems. High student engagement (behavior activation) for students with emotional issues prevents rumination and negative meaning-making and is a key for addressing anxious and depressed youth.

15. Five positive comments, gestures, and interactions to every one correction, reprimand, or negative interaction (5 to 1 ratio). This ratio has been extensively researched and proven to result in “behavior contrast” for rapid learning of expectations. Negative intention to neutral stimuli is a thinking component for emotionally driven problems; negative intention is harder to form in the face of unremitting unconditional positive regard.

16. Smiling and being nice Researchers have demonstrated that when someone smiles, “mirror neurons” are activated in the observer. Anger, fear and other emotions have difficulty when confronted with neuronal pathways from smiling. Rather than frowning back at problem behavior, adopting a more positive facial affect results in greater change than responding negatively. Negative behaviors are harder to maintain under the onslaught of positives!