B.F. Skinner talked about how giving students positive reinforcement will help reduce the chances of students misbehaving and bad behaviors. In the readings, it states that, “Teachers grew tired of hoping that by ignoring misbehavior they could get students to behave properly… Teachers also found that it is simply easier to teach students how to behave desirably and show them how they should not behave” (Charles, 2008, p.58). It's important for the teacher to model how to do something, but also how not to do something so that the students see the correct/incorrect behavior and know what to do/what not to do. 

Rudolph Dreikurs believes that instead of using praise, teachers should reward students with encouragement. “Praise, by its nature, is directed at the character of the student. Encouragement, by its nature, is directed at what the student does or can do” (Charles, 2008, p. 64) Wily in the classroom, Dreikurs also talks about how teachers should recognize the effort and progress of a student, as it encourages motivation and builds confidence (Calloway, Dreikurs, Fall 2025).

Ham Ginott believed that the key to building a community is to “treat students as social equals, form opinions of students on their own without outside opinions, and lay out expectations with clear/open communication” (Smolick, Ginott, Fall 2025). In order to have a classroom community, teachers must be able to communicate with students, as it will foster positive relationships between the teacher and student. 

Rudolf Dreikurs believed that teachers need to allow students to have a sense of belonging in the classroom because without it, misbehaviors tend to arise. He focused on this idea of a “democratic classroom where students feel respected and valued, as well as having the teacher guide the class instead of controlling it” (Calloway, Dreikurs, Fall 2025). The base of starting a community comes from having students feel that sense of belonging, that they feel safe and comfortable there. That feeling makes them feel significant to the classroom community, meaning the democratic classroom is critical to have. 

Jacob Kounin believed that teachers needed to be accountable and responsible for providing their students with a strong education. “He found that teachers whose class were best behaved displayed this teacher awareness, which he called withiness… He called the act of attending two or more classroom events simultaneously overlapping and considered it one of the most valuable capabilities teachers can possess” (Charles, 2008, p. 58-59). The way I see it, it's kind of like the teacher can be in two places at once. Being aware of and being able to see everything that's going on in the classroom is what makes the teacher accountable.

Lee and Marlene Canter believed that ‘take charge’ teachers are able to correct misbehavior efficiently. These kinds of teachers, “Allow nothing to violate students' best interests” (Charles, 2008, p. 65). They also backed Assertive discipline, and described it as, “ An approach to help teachers take charge in the classroom by interacting with students in a calm, insistent and consistent manner” (Charles, 2008, p. 65). Teachers have the right to teach without disruptions, and the students have the right to learn in a calm, orderly classroom (Williams, Canters, Fall 2025).