Authoritarian

The authoritarian teacher places firm limits and controls on the students. Students
will often have assigned seats for the entire term. The desks are usually in straight
rows and there are no deviations. Students must be in their seats at the beginning of
class and they frequently remain there throughout the period. This teacher rarely
gives hall passes or recognizes excused absences.
Often, it is quiet. Students know they should not interrupt the
teacher. Since verbal exchange and discussion are discouraged,
the authoritarian's students do not have the opportunity to learn
and/or practice communication skills.
This teacher prefers vigorous discipline and expects swift
obedience. Failure to obey the teacher usually results in detention or a trip to the
principal's office. In this classroom, students need to follow directions and not ask
why.
At the extreme, the authoritarian teacher gives no indication that he\she cares for the
students. Mr. Doe is a good example of an authoritarian teacher. His students
receive praise and encouragement infrequently, if at all. Also, he makes no effort to
organize activities such as field trips. He feels that these special events only distract
the students from learning. After all, Mr. Doe believes that students need only listen
to his lecture to gain the necessary knowledge.
Students in this class are likely to be reluctant to initiate activity, since they may feel
powerless. Mr. Doe tells the students what to do and when to do it. He makes all
classroom decisions. Therefore, his style does little to increase achievement
motivation or encourage the setting of personal goals.

Behavior modification is one of the five main types of child discipline. It's based on
an underlying principle that guides a lot of discipline strategies. Its based on B.F.
Skinners operant conditioning concept. Its a fairly straightforward process that uses
a behaviorist approach to explain the science behind behavior change. Although it
was based on research with lab rats, its definitely applicable to humans as well.
Operant conditioning shows the impact that what happens right before (antecedents)
and what happens right after (consequences) a behavior affects the likelihood of that
behavior happening again. When it comes to discipline, parents can apply this
principle by using reinforcement to encourage good behaviors to be repeated and
punishment to discourage negative behavior from being repeated.
Behavior modification consists of four main components; positive
reinforcement,negative reinforcement, positive punishment and negative
punishment. Its likely that most parents use some of these components as part of
their discipline strategy already.

Behavior modification is a great way to address a variety of behavior problems. It is

often used to shape behavior one step at a time. It can particularly effective when
disciplining kids with ADHD, autism or oppositional defiant disorder.

Positive Punishment
Punishment is used to stop negative behaviors. Although it sounds confusing to refer
to a punishment as positive, in operant conditioning, positive means adding a
consequence that will deter the child from repeating the behavior. Of course when it
comes to discipline, its important to distinguish that there is a difference between
consequences and punishment.
Positive punishments have a place in healthy discipline but they should not be relied
on too heavily. When kids receive positive punishment too often, it can cause them
to focus more on their anger toward their parents for the punishment rather than truly
learning from their mistake and focusing on how to do things differently.
One of the most common examples ofpositive punishment is spanking. There is a lot
of research that indicates that spanking can be detrimental to children and can
increase aggression and other behavior problems. There are certainly
many alternatives to spanking that dont involve physical discipline.
Specific examples of positive punishment include:

Parents give a child extra chores to do when he lies about cleaning his

bedroom.
A teenager is allowed to face natural consequences when his parents allow

him to go to school without his homework done and he receives a zero.

A child says a swear word and his parents tell him to write 100 sentences
saying he will not swear again.
Negative Punishment
Negative punishment involves taking something away from a child that the child
enjoys. Examples include taking away privileges or removing positive attention.
These can be very effective ways to help a child learn from mistakes.
Specific examples of negative punishment include:

A child is placed in time out for misbehavior which removes him from the
environment that he enjoys.

A parent uses active ignoring to withdraw all attention when a child exhibits
atemper tantrum.
A teenager loses her cell phone privileges when she comes home an hour
late for her curfew.

Positive Reinforcement
Positive reinforcement refers to giving a child something that will reinforce the behavior and
motivate the child to repeat the behavior. Discipline that relies mostly on positive
reinforcement is usually very effective. Examples of positive reinforcement include praise,
a reward system, or a token economy system and they can all be very effective positive
consequences.
Even much of our adult world relies on positive reinforcement. When adults go to work, they
usually receive a paycheck at regular intervals. This paycheck reinforces their work and
increases the likelihood theyll keep showing up to work.
When kids dont receive positive reinforcement, they are less likely to repeat a behavior. A
child who cleans his entire room without being asked might be very excited about his hard
work. Yet, if no one acknowledges his hard work, hes less likely to want to clean his room
again.
Sometimes misbehavior can be accidentally given positive reinforcement. A child who yells
and screams until his parents give him what he wants has just received reinforcement for
his temper tantrum.
Positive reinforcement works best when reinforcers are given at regular intervals. A young
child may benefit from a sticker chart where stickers are earned immediately after the
behavior is exhibited. A teenager can usually delay gratification longer and can wait until the
end of the week to receive allowance money.
Specific examples of positive reinforcement include:

A child puts his dishes in the sink when hes done eating and his mother says, Great
job putting your dish away before I even asked you to!

A child earns time on his video games for completing his homework without arguing.

A teenager receives an A on his report card which encourages him to keep studying.
Negative Reinforcement

Negative reinforcement is when a child is motivated to change his behavior because it will
take away something unpleasant. A child who stops a behavior because his parent is yelling
at him is trying to get rid of the negative reinforcer (the yelling). Negative reinforcement
should be used sparingly with kids as it is less likely to be as effective as positive
reinforcement.
Specific examples of negative reinforcement include:

A mother nags her son to do his chores every night so one night he decides to do his
chores right when he gets home from school to avoid hearing her nag.

A child has been getting into arguments with peers at the bus stop so his mother
decides to go to the bus stop with him every day. He begins behaving at the bus stop so
his mother wont wait for the bus with him.

A teenager complains about not wanting to go to school the entire ride to school
every morning. His father turns on talk radio loudly to drown him out. The next day the
teenager stops complaining so his father wont turn on talk radio.

GROUP PROCESS

Classrooms are social settings; teaching and learning occur through social
interaction between teachers and students. As teaching and learning take place, they
are complicated processes and are affected by peer-group relationships. The
interactions and relationships between teachers and students, and among students,
as they work side by side, constitute the group processes of the classroom.
Group processes are especially significant in twenty-first century schools. Group
projects and cooperative teamwork are the foundations of effective teaching, creative
curriculum, and positive classroom climate. Interpersonal skills, group work, and
empathy are important ingredients of modern business, where employees must
communicate well for their business to be productive and profitable. Group
processes are also significant in modern global communities, where citizens must
work together for a safe and secure world. Thus, along with teaching academic
curriculum, teachers are expected to help students develop the attitudes, skills, and
procedures of democratic community.
Classroom as Group

A group is a collection of interdependent, interacting individuals with reciprocal

influence over one another. Interdependent means the participants mutually depend
on one another to get work done; the teacher's part is to teach as the students strive
to learn. Reciprocal influence refers to mutual effects exchanged and felt by the
same people. In classrooms as few as two people can form groups, as long as the

paired individuals have reciprocal influence through communication and mental

contact. When the teacher engages the whole class in a learning activity common to
all, then everyone forms into a single group, or as Herbert A. Thelen wrote, a
"miniature society." Although the teacher and students of one class can be a whole
group or from time to time many subgroups, groups are not simply people in
proximity, such as a host of screaming students at a concert, or categories of
individuals with something in common, such as the blondes and redheads of a
school.
A group is also defined by its goals and structures. Goals are jointly held outcomes
toward which group members work; structures are group roles taken regularly by
members as they carry out the work. Groups seek to accomplish task or work goals
and social-emotional or morale goals. Classroom groups become more successful
as they pursue both task and social-emotional goals.
In most classrooms learning academic subject matter is a valued task goal, while
developing a positive climate is a valued social-emotional goal. The class that
accomplishes both is stronger than the class that reaches only one. In a parallel way
group structures are made up of formal or official roles and informal or unofficial
roles. Many classrooms have the formal roles of teacher, aide, student,
administrative supporter, and parent helper along with the informal roles of leader,
follower, friend, isolate, and rejectee. Classes with clear and understandable formal
roles and nurturing and supportive informal roles are stronger than classes with just
one or the other.

A Social-Psychological View
Social-psychological research helps one form an understanding of the
place of group processes in the classroom. The students of a class form a
miniature society with peers, teacher, and aides in which they experience
interdependence, interaction, common striving for goals, and structure.
Many subgroups in the class affect how the larger classroom society works
and how individuals relate to one another. Students interact, formally and
informally, with teachers, aides, and one another. The informal
interactions usually are not discussed even though they can be very
important to everyone. Students work on the curriculum in the physical
presence of one another to grow intellectually, behaviorally, and
emotionally. Their informal roles of friendship, leadership, prestige, and
respect affect how they carry out formal aspects of the student role. The
informal relationships among students can be charged with emotion; an
interpersonal underworld of peer group affect is virtually inevitable for all
students.
While the class develops, informal relationships with peers increase
in power and poignancy; the students' definitions and evaluations of
themselves become more vulnerable to peer-group influence. Each
student's self-concept is susceptible to change within the classroom
society, where informal peer interactions can be either threatening or
supportive. In particular, the social motives of affiliation, achievement,

and power have to be partly satisfied for each student to feel comfortable
and secure. The negative conditions of loneliness and rejection,
incompetence and stupidity, powerlessness, and alienation arise when
these three motives are frustrated. The more supportive peer relations are
in satisfying these motives, the more likely students' learning and
behavior will be enhanced. Having students work interdependently toward
jointly established goals in supportive, cooperative learning groups can
increase their compassion for one another, self-esteem, positive attitudes
toward school, and academic learning.

Classroom Climate
Classroom climate refers to the emotional tones associated with students'
interactions, their attitudinal reactions to the class, as well as to students' selfconcept and their motivational satisfactions and frustrations. Climate is
measured by observing physical movements, bodily gestures, seating patterns,
and instances of verbal interaction. Do students stand close or far away from the
teacher? Are students at ease or tense? How frequently is affective support
communicated by smiles, winks, or pats on the back? Do students move quietly
with measured steps to their desks, or do they stroll freely and easily, showing
the class feels safe? Are students reluctant to ask the teacher questions? How do
students relate to one another? Are they quiet, distant, and formal, or do they
walk easily and laugh spontaneously? How often do students put a peer down or
say something nice to one another? Do students harass or bully other students?
How often does fighting erupt? How often does peacemaking occur? Are sessions
run primarily by the teacher or do students also take the lead? Do seating
patterns shift from time to time, or do they remain the same, regardless of the
learning activity? Are students working together cooperatively?
A positive climate exists when the following are present: (1) leadership
occurs as power-with rather than power-over; (2) communication is honest, open
and transactional; (3) high levels of friendship are present among classmates; (4)
expectations are high for the performance of others and oneself; (5) norms
support getting academic work done well and for maximizing individuals'
strengths; and (6) conflict is dealt with constructively and peacefully. Although
each of these six properties of climate can be important by itself, positive
climate is an ensemble of all of them. Climate describes how each property is
integrated with the others. It summarizes group processes that a teacher
develops when interacting with students and how the students themselves relate
with one another. Climate is what the behavioral actions are in working toward
curriculum goals; it is how curriculum materials are used through human
exchange; and it is styles of relating among members of the classroom group. In
classrooms with positive climates we find students and teachers collaborating to
accomplish common goals along with feelings of positive self-esteem, security,
and warmth. We also find students influencing the teacher and their peers, high
involvement in academic learning, and strong attraction for one's classmates,
curriculum, and school.

Teaching Strategies

Ronald Lippitt and Ralph White, with guidance from Kurt Lewin, observed
effects on youth of three leadership styles: autocratic, democratic, and laissez
faire. Autocratic leaders made all decisions about group goals and work
procedures. Democratic leaders specified group goals, but urged group members
to decide among alternative ways of working. Laissez-faire leaders abdicated
authority, permitting youth to work as they pleased. Groups with democratic
leaders performed best with high quality work output and high morale.
Autocratically lead groups had high quality work output, but low morale. Groups
with laissez-faire leaders performed worst overall. Classroom research has shown
that although autocratic teachers can get students to accomplish high amounts
of academic work, they also create conformity, competition, dependency, and
resentment. Students of democratic teachers accomplish both a great deal of
excellent academic work, and establish positive social climates.
Effective communication is key in understanding differences between autocratic
and democratic teachers. Autocratic teachers use one-way communication in
persuading students to accept learning goals and procedures as well as rules for
classroom behavior; such unilateral direction giving is often an ineffective way of
transmitting information. Democratic teachers use two-way communication often
to encourage students to participate in making decisions for themselves and in
establishing group agreements for classroom procedures. By using transactional
communication whereby students and teachers reciprocate in trying to
understand one another, democratic teachers help build a climate that is
participatory, relaxed, personal, and supportive. Attributes of democratic
teachers who are effective transactional communicators are receptiveness to
students' ideas, an egalitarian attitude, openness, warmth, respect for students'
feelings, sensitivity to outcasts, a sense of humour, and a caring attitude.
Such participatory teachers understand that friendships in the classroom
peer group cannot be separated from teaching and learning; friendly feelings are
integral to instructional transactions between teachers and students and among
students. Students who view themselves as disliked or ignored by their peers
often have difficulty in performing up to their academic potential. They
experience anxiety and reduced self-esteem, both of which interfere with their
academic performance. As outcasts they might seek revenge, searching for ways
to be aggressive toward teachers and peers. By watching their teacher interact
with the class, students learn who gets left out and who gets encouragement and
praise. Teachers can help rejected students obtain peer support by giving them
an extra amount of encouragement and praise in front of their peers, and by
assigning them to work cooperatively with popular classmates. Teachers with
friendly classes see to it that they talk and attend to every student rather than
focusing on a few, and often reward students with specific statements for helpful
and successful behavior; they seek to control behavioral disturbances with
general, group-oriented statements.
Also central to positive climate are the expectations that teacher and
student hold for one another. Teachers' expectations for how each student might
behave are particularly important because they affect how teachers behave
toward that student. Thus, teachers should engage in introspection and reflection
to diagnose their expectations, and obtain feedback from colleagues about how
they are behaving toward particular students. Teachers should also use diverse
information sources to understand what makes their students behave as they do.

In particular, teachers should reflect on their expectations and attributions

toward blacks and whites, girls and boys, students of different social classes and
ethnic groups, and at-risk or students with disabilities. Teachers should
deliberately seek new information about student strengths in order to free
themselves of stereotypes.
Classroom norms form when most students hold the same expectations
and attitudes about appropriate classroom behaviors. Although norms guide
students' and the teacher's behavior, they are not the same as rules. Rules are
regulations created by administrators or teachers to govern students' behavior;
they might or might not become group norms. Student norms frequently are in
opposition to teachers' goals, and can become counterproductive to individual
student development. Teachers should strive to help students create formal
group agreements to transform preferred rules into student norms. In particular,
cooperative peer-group norms enhance student self-concept and academic
learning more than do norms in support of competition.
Conflict, natural and inevitable in all groups, exists when one activity
blocks, interferes, or keeps another activity from occurring. Conflicts arise in
classrooms over incompatible procedures, goals, concepts, or interpersonal
relationships. The norms of cooperation and competition affect the management
of conflict differently. With cooperative norms students believe they will obtain
their self-interest when other students also achieve theirs. Teachers should
strive, therefore, to build a spirit of teamwork and cooperation in their classes, so
that students will feel that it is in their self-interest to cooperate with their peers.
When a competitive spirit exists, particularly when students are pitted against
each other to obtain scarce rewards, a student succeeds only when others lose.
In the competitive classroom, interpersonal conflict will arise frequently between
students.
For teachers to build and maintain successful classrooms with high
student achievement and positive social climate, they should attend to their
leadership style, communication skills, friendliness and warmth, expectations
and stereotypes of students, tactics for establishing student group agreements,
and their skills in managing conflict.

Week 4

Assertive Discipline Theory

Lee and Marlene Canter developed the Assertive Discipline model after
observing that effective teachers acted assertively; these teachers expressed their
expectations to their students and were prepared to act if those expectations werent
met. (Baron 1992) The Canters believed that teachers were in charge of the
classroom and had the right to teach without interruptions, and they offered the
following value statements as they relate to the classroom teacher:

You have the right and the responsibility to establish rules and directions that
clearly define the limits of acceptable and unacceptable student behavior.
You have the right and responsibility to be supportive of those students who
are not disruptive.
You have the right and responsibility to teach students to consistently follow
these rules and directions throughout the school day and school year.
You have the right and the responsibility to ask for assistance from parents
and administrators. (Wolfgang 2005, p. 82)

The Canters developed the Assertive Discipline model based on the premise that
students choose to behave as they do, and therefore the school environment should
be structured in such a way that students choose to behave in an acceptable
manner. (Charles 2008) In addition, administrators and parents are expected to
support the teacher in enforcing the pre-set rules.
The Assertive Discipline plan has three steps:

1. Establish rules that students must follow at all times. These rules must be
observable and enforceable. They must be clearly conveyed to the students ahead
of time.
2. Develop supportive feedback that students will consistently receive for following
the rules. Feedback can be given in various forms such as praise, positive notes and
phone calls home, awards, rewards, and special privileges. The emphasis is on
reinforcing the positive behavior of students rather than giving attention to the
misbehaving student.
3. Define corrective actions that the teacher will consistently use when a student
chooses not to follow a rule. The corrective actions must be clearly stated to the
student so that the student understands that he or she chose the actions by breaking
the rules. Actions begin fairly mild and increase in severity. For instance, from a
warning for a first infraction to staying in class after the bell has rung to a call to
parents to a trip to the principals office for several infractions. (Wolfgang 2005;
Baron 1992)

Assertive Discipline
Assertive discipline is a structured, systematic approach designed to assist
educators in running an organized, teacher-in-charge classroom environment. To no
one's surprise, Lee and Marlene Canter, when consulting for school systems, found
that many teachers were unable to manage the undesirable behavior that occurred
in their classrooms. The Cantors, rightfully so, attributed this finding to a lack of
training in the area of behavior management. Based on their investigation and the
foundations of assertiveness training and applied behavior analysis, they developed
a common sense, easy-to-learn approach to help teachers become the captains of
their classrooms and positively influence their students' behavior. Today, it is the
most widely used "canned" (prepared/packaged) behavior management program in
the world. Assertive discipline has evolved since the mid 70's from a
rather authoritarian approach to one that is now more democratic and cooperative.
The Cantors believe that you, as the teacher, have the right to determine what is
best for your students, and to expect compliance. No pupil should prevent you from
teaching, or keep another student from learning. Student compliance is imperative in
creating and maintaining an effective and efficient learning environment. To
accomplish this goal, teachers must react assertively, as opposed to aggressively or
non assertively.
Assertive teachers react confidently and quickly in situations that require the
management of student behavior. They are supported by a few clearly stated
classroom rules that have been explained, practiced, and enforced consistently.
They give firm, clear, concise directions to students who are in need of outside
guidance to help them behave appropriately. Students who comply are reinforced,
whereas those who disobey rules and directions receive negative consequences.
Assertive teachers do not view students as adversaries, nor do they use an abrasive,

sarcastic, hostile style (as with "hostile" teachers).

Neither do they
react in a passive, inconsistent, timid, non-directive manner (as with "non-assertive"

teachers).
Assertive teachers believe that a firm, teacher-in-charge classroom is in the best
interests of students. They believe that the students wish to have the personal and
psychological safety experienced when their teacher is highly competent in directing
behavior. The Canters state that society demands appropriate behavior if one is to
be accepted and successful. Therefore, no one benefits when a student is allowed
to misbehave. The Canters say that teachers show their concern for today's youth
when they demand and promote appropriate classroom behavior. Additionally,
educators have the right to request and expect assistance from parents and
administrators in their efforts. Assertive discipline provides strategies for gaining
this support. For example, to gain the support of administration, write your rules,
positive consequences, and a list of penalties. The list of negative consequences
moves from official warning/cease-and-desist order, to removal from the classroom.
In between are sequentially more punitive outcomes for failure to comply with the
teacher direction. (You can find out more about setting up your classroom
management plant inside the "Free podcasts & videos" button on the home page of
BehaviorAdvisor.com Scroll down to "Setting up your classroom management
system)
Once you have your written document, schedule an appointment with the person in
charge of discipline (Dean of Students, Assistant Principal). Present your plan. If it
receives a positive review, say "Thank you", and mention that the step that follows
the last one on your list is a visit to "the office". If the administrator backs off from the
support for your plan, ask what needs to be done to gain his/her backup to your plan.
Work together to create a system in which you do your best to address misbehaviour
in your classroom, but can be assured of admininistrative support if the youngster is
non-responsive to your in-class attempts to help him/her display appropriate
behavior.
More than being a director, assertive teachers build positive, trusting relationships
with their students and teach appropriate classroom behavior (via direct
instruction...describing, modeling, practicing, reviewing, encouraging, and
rewarding) to those who don't show it at present. They are demanding, yet warm in
interaction; supportive of the youngsters; and respectful in tone and mannerisms
when addressing misbehaviour. Assertive teachers listen carefully to what their

students have to say, speak politely to them, and treat everyone fairly (not
necessarily equally).

How to Use Assertive Discipline

1. Dismiss the thought that there is any acceptable reason for
misbehavior (Biologically based misbehavior may be an exception).
2. Decide which rules you wish to implement in your classroom. Devise four or five
rules that are specific and easily understood by your students. (For more on making
rules, see the home page link on "How to create your own behavior management
system" or the video podcast on this topic)
3. Determine negative consequences for noncompliance (You will be providing a
consequence EVERY TIME a student misbehaves). Choose three to six negative
consequences (a "discipline hierarchy"), each of which is more punitive or restrictive
than the previous one. These will be administered if the student continues to
misbehave. The Canters recommend that you NOT continue punishing if talking with
the youngster will help to defuse the situation. (For more on making and
implementing consequences, see the home page link on "How to create your own
behavior management system")
4. Determine positive consequences for appropriate behavior. For example, along
with verbal praise, you might also include raffle tickets that are given to students for
proper behavior. Students write their names on the cut up pieces of paper and drop
them into a container for a daily prize drawing. Even if a student is having a bad day,
there is a reason to improve...s/he might get a ticket and have a chance at winning
the raffle prize. Others might receive notes of praise to be shown to their parents.
Group rewards are also used. A marble might be dropped into a jar for each
predetermined interval that the class as a whole has been attentive and respectful.
When the jar is full, a special event is held. Some assertive teachers write a letter of
the alphabet on the board for each period/activity of good group behavior. When the
letters spell "Popcorn Party" (or some other activity), that event is held.
5. Conduct a meeting to inform the students of the program. Explain why rules are
needed. List the rules on the board along with the positive and negative
consequences. Check for understanding. Review periodically throughout the
year (especially soon after implementation of the program) in order to reiterate
important points and consolidate the program.
6. Have the students write the rules and take them home to be signed by the
parents/guardians and returned (optional depending on age of students, chances of
forms being reviewed and returned, etc.). Attach a message explaining the program
and requesting their help.
7. Implement the program immediately.
8. Become skilled in the use of other assertive discipline techniques:
a. Communicate your displeasure with a student's misbehavior, but then be sure to

tell the student what s/he should be doing. For example, consider: "Bill, please
put the pencil down on the desk and pass your paper forward." Notice that the
teacher told the student what to do. Often students contine to display inappropriate
behavior when they have been told to discontinue it because they do not know what
they should be doing. Now that you have given a direction, you can reinforce the
student for compliance or punish him or her for noncompliance. Be sure to add
emphasis to your directions by using eye contact, hand gestures, and the student's
name.
b. Recognize and quickly respond to appropriate behavior. This quick action will
encourage the students to display the desired behavior more often. Be aware that
some students may need to be reinforced quietly or non-verbally to prevent
embarrassment in front of peers.
c. Learn to use the "broken record" technique. Continue to repeat your command (a
maximum of three times) until the student follows your directions. If directions are
not followed at that point, the sequential list of penalties is implemented. Do not be
sidetracked by the student's excuses. Consider this example of the procedure:
Teacher: "Vince, you have work to do. Get away from that window and sit in your
seat."
Student: "But I want to see the cop give that guy a ticket." (Now you have to make
a choice: Is this incident a "teachable moment", in which everyone could go to the
window and we could teach about law enforcement, greivances in court, insurance
rates, etc.; Or is it important at this time for everyone to be working on something
else more essential?)
Teacher: "I understand, but I want you to sit down now."
Student: "'Just one minute, OK?"
Teacher: "'No, Vince, I want you to sit down now."
Student: "Aw, OK."
Nice kid. If the command is not followed, you might issue a choice to the student.
This can be done after the first, second, or third request. Give the student a choice
between following the command or facing a consequence for disobedience. For
example: "Vince, you have a choice. You can sit down now or you'll sit with me after
school (or during recess)." If you find it necessary to implement the consequence,
make it clear to the student that s/he made the decision as to which option would
occur. The consequence should be administered quickly and in a calm, matter-offact manner. In the above situation, you would move through your list of negative
consequences until the student complies.
d. Learn to use the "positive repetitions" technique. This is a disguised way of
repeating your rules so that all students know what to do (This procedure appears to
be a restatement of Jacob Kounin's "ripple effect" strategy). Repeat the directions as
positive statements to students who are complying with your commands (e.g. "Jason
raised his hand to be recognized. So did Harold and Cynthia. Thanks you.").
e. Use "proximity praise" (also appears to have been borrowed from Jacob
Kounin). Instead of just focusing on the misbehaving students, praise youngsters
near them who are doing the correct thing. It is hoped that the misbehaving students
will then model that appropriate behavior (Kounin's "ripple effect"). The comments
can be made specific and obvious for younger students. More subtle recognition is
required for adolescents.

f. Make use of proximity control; moving toward misbehaving students (indicated

moreso for younger kids). Invite (pre)adolescents into the hallway to "talk" to avoid
embarrassment in front of peers (and the negative behavior that will most likely result
if you engage in public chastisement).
g. If kids don't presently possess desired classroom behaviors, teach them! This
instruction involves more than just giving commands. Teach and roleplay actions in
order to promote responsible behavior (see the page on this site titled "Teaching
social skills to kids who don't have them")