Classroom management- approaches, theories and models

The authoritarian classroom management

A management style that is restrictive and punitive with the focus mainly on keeping order in the classroom rather than on instructions and learning.

The authoritarian teacher is characterized by high control of students by low involvement with them. In this style of classroom management, a teacher outlines strict rules and punishments. The teacher is seen as a powerful figure who transfers his or her knowledge to the students seen as empty containers, who do not interrupt. This style is seen as traditional, and in such a classroom students maybe reluctant to initiate activities or progress.

Behaviour modification in the classroom

Behaviour modification assumes that observable and measurable behaviours are good targets for change. Behaviour can be changed when the teacher actually pays attention to the pupils. All behaviours follow a set of consistent rules. Methods can be developed for defining, observing, and measuring behaviours, as well as designing effective interventions. Behaviour modification techniques never fail. Rather, they are either applied inefficiently or inconsistently, which leads to less than desired change.

All behaviours are maintained, changed, or shaped by the consequences of that behaviour. Although there are certain limits, such as temperamental or emotional influences related to depression, all children function more effectively under the right set of consequences. Reinforces are consequences that strengthen behaviour. Punishments are consequences that weaken behaviour. Students’ behaviours are managed and changed by the consequences of classroom behaviour.

To manage behaviour through consequences, use this multi-step process:

1. The problem must be defined, usually by count or description. 2. Design a way to change the behaviour.3. Identify an effective reinforce.4. Apply the reinforce consistently to shape or change behaviour.

Focusing on correction and control of behaviour

Direct instruction, reinforcement techniques, including social praise, material reifnorcers, and tokens; punishment-oriented techniques, including verbal reprimand, response cost, and time out; group contingency techniques such as the Good behaviour game; behavioural contracting.

The instructional approach

Teachers who use the instructional approach to classroom management prevent most management problems by actively engaging students in high interest lessons geared to meet their interests, needs, and abilities. Thus, students are motivated to attend class, positively participate in activities, and manage their own behaviour. View that well-planned and well-implemented instruction will prevent classroom problems.

1. Identify some good approaches to communication for both students and teacher in developing positive relationship. Practical ideas

to help develop positive relationships with students:

- learn and use students names often. At the beginning of the year, make an effort to use students' names as much as possible as this will help to learn them. Use students names to acknowledge participation and appropriate behaviour in class discussions, lining up to enter the classroom or any time you get the opportunity. Students respond well and will appreciate you noticing them. Rogers, regarding the importance of remembering names states (2006, p. 58) "this may sound like a mundane point, but it is crucial."

- focus on learning more about your students - Students will appreciate if you show interest in them, their hobbies, interests and comment on things they have done out of school hours. Use this knowledge to make connections between lessons and topic of interest to the class. When the students can relate what they are learning to something they enjoy they will be more engaged.

- Give students responsibility - each week ask different students things to do for you, such as collecting the photocopying, giving a message to the office or distributing or collecting things in class. The student will feel noticed and special, even older students like the attention, and make sure you give them feedback on how well they did the required tasks.

- See things from the student's perspective

When you see a student excited about something, sad or angry, try and imagine how they feel from their perspective. If you can empathise with the student, even if you don't agree with their behaviour, you will have more chance of developing a positive relationship. Think about your own experiences as a school student, most of us will have had times when we felt frustrated, angry, or upset or felt really fantastic about something. I really believe being able to relate to the students feelings makes a huge difference to the teacher-student relationship. As Bill Rogers states (2006, p. 130) "One of the most powerful and influential aspects of a teacher's relationship with individuals and groups of students is the teacher's willingness to empathise".

- Be aware of different cultural communication styles

When you have students from various cultural backgrounds, including Australian indigenous students, it is very important to learn about different customs in communicating, that may affect how the students respond to you. For example, as Karlsson describes, (2004, p. 13) "for many Indigenous people sustained eye contact is considered rude and even disrespectful. This may particularly be the case if you are talking to someone of the opposite gender". In addition, in some areas (p. 14) "for many Indigenous people, kinship systems not only imply who is related to whom but also how they must act towards each other in particular circumstances." Some students may avoid sitting near each other for these reasons, or be unable to participate in group work together. Based on personal experiences working with indigenous people for ten years, and through participation in cross cultural communication courses, I would emphasise that if you are going to be working with indigenous students in particular, learning about their culture and communication styles is essential.

http://positivebehaviourmanagementplan.weebly.com/develop-positive-teacher---student-relationships.html

Safety and Security

Most students need a strong sense of comfort and safety from both physical and emotional abuse and criticism in their classrooms. Teachers need to have enough order that students do not intimidate, bully, insult, or overly criticize each other. You achieve this sense of positive order by teaching and developing positive social skills. Students do well when they believe that they can depend on the teacher and their classmates. This comfort is achieved by rules and regulations in the classroom that are sensible and consistently enforced. Teachers build a trusting relationship by helping and encouraging students and by stopping inappropriate behavior, such as racial and gender harassment.

At all ages, students are very sensitive to what they perceive as unequal treatment. When students believe that their teacher favors some students over others, conflict grows in the classroom, and their trust in the teacher declines.

In secondary schools, teachers have more students and therefore often know them less well. Secondary teachers place more emphasis on teaching subject matter, and some tend to place less emphasis on serving as coach, mentor, counselor, or cultural mediator. The lack of opportunity to develop personal relationships and the variety of teacher and student personalities create alienation. Students want to be listened to and respected as human beings with wants, desires, fears, and emotions (Valenzuela, 1999).

Over the years, students need to develop a strong sense of security, and they should have the opportunity to develop a trusting personal relationship with some teachers and students. For some students, the school’s teams, clubs, and student government projects contribute to this important sense of belonging. Each student should encounter at least one teacher or counselor who is interesting and motivating each day. If this does not occur, the school will

lose the student. Without positive personal relationships, schools become warehouses for students rather than learning centers.

Teachers and students without a sense of security develop symptoms of stress, anxiety, and alienation. They resist change to a multicultural paradigm. When schools are full of interethnic conflict, bullying, or sexual harassment, the violent environment prevents many students from learning. Human relations lessons and strategies, such as those found in the curriculum The Wonderful World of Difference (B’nai B’rith Antidefamation League, 1996), help to build classrooms where students feel safe and comfortable.

Self-Worth

When schools serve students well, students develop a sense of self-worth and competence and come to expect to succeed at classroom and social projects. The curriculum should be planned and presented so that all students succeed each day.

In the primary years, students should learn to read. If they are not successful readers, additional support in the form of increased teacher time, tutors, and special instruction along with a rich variety of reading strategies must be provided so that students learn to love reading and so that they do not fall behind (Slavin, 1998). Learning successful reading skills and acquiring joy and interest in reading contribute to a positive sense of self-worth in school.

A strong relationship exists between poverty (social class) and reading scores (Finn, 1999). Teachers of grades 4 through 8 need to help students to improve their reading. Lessons in history, science, and literature should systematically include high-interest literature, allow students choice, and emphasize skill development.

Upper elementary school students (grades 4–6) and middle school students (grades 6–8) also improve their sense of self-worth by learning to set immediate, accomplishable goals and establishing clear criteria for achieving them. With clear goals and lessons, students can recognize and improve their study and interpersonal skills. Quality literature and guest speakers can regularly present positive lifestyle choices to students.

Students who believe themselves competent become more willing to take risks. They generally feel successful at important tasks and school subjects. Such students are willing to share their ideas and opinions and to recognize the accomplishments of other students. Too often teachers use theories of motivation based on the competitive tendencies in the macroculture and poorly informed teacher folk knowledge about testing, measurement, and grading (Nichols & Berliner, 2007).

Students in supportive environments develop a positive sense of self. Violence, drug use, and alienation among teenagers indicate a struggle for a clear identity. Students bridging two or more cultures and identities may suffer increased stress and conflict as they develop their own identities (Foley, 2001). Literature and lessons about teen conflicts, challenges, and successes offer opportunities for support. Students need to find themselves and recognize their conflicts in the curriculum, and the literature used must include teens from the cultures represented in the classroom. As a consequence of political power, state content standards often are ethnocentric and impede inclusion of diverse literature and authors.

A process of supporting students through asset development has been devised developed by the Search Institute and others (Scales & Leffert, 1999). This approach focuses on building on the students’ strengths, such as energy and creativity. Focusing on strengths can help students develop resiliency to deal with serious problems, such as teen pregnancy, violence, and dropping out of school.

Sense of Belonging

Students at all ages have a strong need to belong to groups. The desire to fit in provides a major source of motivation and—at times—challenges to school rules. Students may feel conflicting desires to belong to an ethnic or cultural group, girls’ or boys’ athletic teams, or any one of a number of other groups. Learning to work positively within a social group is important to maturity.

Students strengthen their sense of self-worth when they receive recognition, approval, appreciation, and respect from their peers. Lessons should promote inclusion and acceptance of all students. You can promote these important feelings in the classroom by using cooperative and collaborative learning and classroom projects. Lessons should draw on the diversity of languages and skills students bring to school. Make every attempt to recognize leaders, authors, scientists, filmmakers, and teachers from all cultural groups.

Deliberately developing peer support groups and recognizing the diversity of talents—for language, music, math, social leadership, and so on—help students to develop a sense of belonging to one or more of the groups in school.

By adolescence, group affiliation can at times challenge school rules and norms. Teen culture, like African American, Latino, or teacher culture, must be respected. If schools set themselves against teen culture, the conflict will destroy many students. Only negative aspects of teen culture, such as drugs, violence, and theft, should be opposed (Garcia, 2001; Reveles, 2000). In the many classrooms and schools that seek to impose a Euro-centered culture and to defeat teen culture, student conflict and opposition can reach destructive levels. Defeated students withdraw from school and peers; they become isolated, alienated, lonely, and, at times, dangerous to themselves and to others.

Principals have turned to peer conflict resolution and gang and narcotics units of police departments to augment inadequate resources for gang intervention. Students need to be recruited and encouraged to support the positive aspects of school through clubs, team building, conflict resolution, and leadership development programs. The school must become a student-friendly, safe environment.

Self-Esteem

The theories of promotion of positive self-esteem derive primarily from a humanistic psychology that has taken too-limited notice of cultural differences. Behavior that would illustrate a positive self-concept in one culture, such as assertiveness, might be interpreted as a sign of poor education in another (Bruner, 1996). Separate from this debate, teachers have developed a series of classroom strategies to encourage students to conduct themselves appropriately.

A Sense of Direction

Although young students often accept the direction of their parents and the school, by adolescence many students are redefining their roles and their choices. Some students need repeated lessons on setting goals and establishing their own sense of responsibility and direction. Students can learn to make decisions and identify consequences. Experiential education programs and outdoor programs help students with goal setting and motivation. Through coaching and counseling, teachers can help students make preliminary career and college choices. Teachers serving as advisors to clubs—such as MECHA, MAYA, African American clubs, ski clubs, teams, and journalism clubs—often play important roles in helping students to define and to select their future.

A Sense of Purpose

Students succeed more when they have a sense of purpose to their school life. Essentially, success at school is their job. School needs to prove its worth to them. Students benefit from lessons on and experiences with decision making and cooperative problem solving.

Teachers encourage positive self-esteem when they recognize, validate, and respect students’ own cultures. Cooperative learning and other human relations strategies teach students how to achieve positive interdependence and how to create and maintain a cooperative working environment . Students learn the rewards of shared responsibility and cooperation.

Teachers make decisions to structure their classrooms in ways that encourage learning and cooperation or in ways that produce anxiety, frustration, competition, failure, and disruption. In particular, a highly competitive classroom environment discourages trust and cooperation. Some students always lose, and these students legitimately feel alienated and angry. Students must come to trust that the teacher has their own best interests at heart, even in difficult times. Teachers achieve this goal by demonstrating their respect for the fundamental dignity and worth of each student (Valenzuela, 1999).

Stopping Demeaning Comments

Too often, particularly in grades 4 through 10, classrooms are the scene of bullying, intolerance, and demeaning comments among students. All students deserve a safe environment in which to learn. Teachers should prohibit demeaning and derogatory comments, particularly those that invite racial and gender conflict (see Chapter 8). Teachers need to work against this intolerance by presenting lessons and activities that promote tolerance and respect and lessons that oppose scapegoating.

You improve your classroom climate by modeling positive, supportive communications skills and by teaching these skills to students. The great majority of interactions in classrooms are among students. You can influence and encourage respect in these interactions by teaching positive skills. Lessons in listening actively, using “I” messages, and negotiating conflicts show students how to treat each other with respect.

Teaching democratic participation and decision making encourages positive self-esteem.

http://www.education.com/reference/article/building-positive-relationships-students/?page=5

Chapter 1. Developing Positive Teacher-Student Relations

We all want to feel cared for and valued by the significant people in our world. Students are no different. This knowledge is a powerful tool in the arsenal available to you as you form your classroom discipline plan. As a classroom teacher, you wield a great deal of power over your students simply due to the fact that you control their destiny for up to six and a half hours each day, five days a week. When students feel that you value and care for them as individuals, they are more willing to comply with your wishes.

Think about it for just a minute. Aren't you more apt to go out of your way to please a boss who you feel values you as an individual and treats you with dignity and respect, rather than a boss who communicates a lack of respect for you? When your boss asks about your family, gives you “slack” when there is a personal emergency, or praises you for work well done, don't you develop feelings of regard for this boss and want to do your best to please him or her? Students have the same feelings. So it makes sense that developing positive teacher-student relations is one of the most effective steps you can take to establish a

positive discipline climate in the classroom. It's critical to remember that when you treat students with respect, they tend to appreciate and like you. When they appreciate and like you, they are more willing to want to please you—which causes them to be more likely to behave appropriately. This is why it is so important to remember that, when it comes to student behavior, it's far more often the relationship students have with you than it is the rules themselves that encourages students to follow those rules.

A review of the research shows that authors have a lot to say about positive relationships with students. Thompson (1998) says, “The most powerful weapon available to secondary teachers who want to foster a favorable learning climate is a positive relationship with our students” (p. 6). Canter and Canter (1997) make the statement that we all can recall classes in which we did not try very hard because we didn't like our teachers. This should remind us how important it is to have strong, positive relationships with our students. Kohn (1996) goes a step further, saying, “Children are more likely to be respectful when important adults in their lives respect them. They are more likely to care about others if they know they are cared about” (p. 111). Marzano (2003) states that students will resist rules and procedures along with the consequent disciplinary actions if the foundation of a good relationship is lacking. He goes on to assert that relationships are perhaps more important at the elementary and junior high levels than at the high school level. And according to Zehm and Kottler (1993), students will never trust us or open themselves up to hear what we have to say unless they sense that we value and respect them.

As we showed in Figure S1, strategies to develop positive teacher-student relations should be the largest portion of your discipline plan. What are some strategies that you can implement to develop strong and powerful relationships with your students? Let's look at some techniques that are easy to integrate into your everyday interactions with students: communicating positive expectations, correcting students in a constructive way, developing positive classroom pride, demonstrating caring, and preventing and reducing your own frustration and stress.

Communicating Positive Expectations

Research on teacher expectations and student achievement has shown that expectations have a dramatic impact on student academic performance (Kerman, Kimball, & Martin, 1980). Student behavioral performance is also dependent to a large degree on the expectations of significant adults in students' lives. Numerous studies indicate that the expectations teachers have for students tend to become self-fulfilling prophesies. It is therefore critically important for educators to monitor their interactions with the goal of communicating appropriately high behavioral and academic expectations to all students, not just to high achievers.

There are several techniques that can be used to achieve this goal. Monitor the way you call on students. Make sure that you give all students chances to participate in class. Try to increase the amount of time you wait between asking a student a question and moving on by either answering the question yourself or calling on another student. Give students hints and clues to help them succeed in class. Tell students directly that you believe that they have the ability to do well. Your belief in them will inspire their success.

Let's look at some of these techniques for communicating high expectations in more detail and discuss ways to implement these techniques in your classroom.

Call on All Students Equitably

When you call on students, there are several things to keep in mind. First of all, you must monitor the equitability of response opportunities. Often, teachers who keep track discover that they call on a small number of students frequently and allow few, if any, chances for students for whom they have low expectations to answer. When you fail to recognize particular students, you can communicate a low level of confidence in their abilities. Individual students may “tune out” and believe that you don't expect they will be able to answer your questions. This message is compounded when these students see others being called on regularly.

Think about what it would communicate to you if your boss always asked other teachers to participate in committee work or special projects instead of you. And how would you feel if the boss continually came to you for help on curriculum projects or input on difficult students? Just as we do, students develop feelings of self-confidence in their abilities when their teacher goes to them for the right answer. In addition, calling on all the students in your class—rather than a select few—will help keep students on task and decrease the number of behavior problems.

It is important that you monitor yourself to be certain that you are providing all of your students with response opportunities. Putting a check by the name of each student you call on during class discussions is an excellent way to quickly determine whether you are being equitable. Also, you should monitor yourself to make certain you are not calling exclusively on your high-achieving students but also on students who have a pattern of not performing well.

Keeping a simple checklist on a clipboard during classroom discussions is a great strategy you can easily implement. Figure 1.1 is an example of such a checklist. In this example, you can see that Donna and Sam are getting the majority of the response opportunities. This could be because the teacher has confidence in these students, knows that calling on them will keep the discussion moving, and wants the other students to hear the correct answers. However, it also could lead the other students to think that the teacher doesn't have confidence in them and doesn't expect them to participate, and it increases the likelihood that they will get off task. If you were the teacher, you would want to be sure that before the end of the discussion you called on all your students so as to make the discussion more equitable.

Figure 1.1. Sample Checklist for Monitoring Equitable Response Opportunities

Paul Brown:

Charlie Cash:

Donna Dawson:

Frank Freeze:

Mary Jones:

Sam Smith:

Try to make an effort to call on students who have typically been off task or who have been achieving at a low level, allowing them to respond and participate in class, and watch what happens. Over time, you will notice that these students will remain on task more often and improve academically! This change does not occur immediately, but it definitely does occur and is extremely gratifying to see.

Increase Latency Periods When Questioning Students

Increasing latency (Kerman et al., 1980) is another technique you can use to communicate that you have positive expectations for a student. Latency is the amount of time that elapses between the moment you give a student a response opportunity and the moment you terminate the response opportunity. Kerman and colleagues (1980) explain that the amount of time we give to students to answer questions is directly related to the level of expectation we have for them. We give more time to students when we have confidence in their ability to answer a question. Conversely, we give less time to students in whom we have little confidence. When you quickly give up on a student who is struggling with a response, it is clear to everyone in the classroom that you don't expect him or her to come up with the right answer. In addition, when you give up on a student who initially struggles with a response, the student realizes that all he or she needs to do to “get off the hook” is respond to your question with a confused expression or blank stare. What you will find when you make a conscious effort to extend the length of latency you allow for low-achieving students is that these students will begin to pay more attention, become more actively involved in discussions, and minimize their behavior issues. One thing you can do is ask a teaching peer to observe your instruction and chart the length of the latency periods you are giving each student from the time you ask the question until you move on to another student. It is especially interesting to find out which students get longer latency periods from you. Figure 1.2 shows an example of a latency chart.

Figure 1.2. Latency Chart in Seconds

Paul Brown: 1, 3

Charlie Cash:

Donna Dawson: 5, 6, 8

Frank Freeze: 1, 1

Mary Jones: 8, 10, 8

Sam Smith:

In analyzing the chart, it is easy to see that Donna and Mary are consistently given more latency and, therefore, more chances to give a correct response than are the other students. If this were your classroom, you could try to make sure that in future discussions and question-and-answer periods you give longer latency periods to other students as well before moving on.

Give Hints and Clues to Help Students Answer Questions

You also communicate positive expectations by giving hints and clues to your students. In their work on teacher expectations, Kerman and colleagues (1980) point out that teachers usually do more “delving and rephrasing” for students for whom they have high expectations and less for students for whom they have low expectations. It is important that we communicate to all our students that we have high expectations for their success, and one way to do this is by giving more hints and clues to all students, especially the low-performing students.

Think about a reading lesson in which a student struggles to sound out a word. After waiting for an appropriate latency period, the teacher might prompt, “It sounds like ‘cat.’” In a secondary classroom, a teacher could ask, “What were the three causes of the War of 1812?” After the latency period, the teacher might say, “Think about what we learned regarding the British treatment of U.S. sailors.”

There are things to be cautious about when using this technique. If you provide too many hints and clues, you may actually give the student the answer. Also, after a number of hints, it may be that the only student who doesn't know the answer is the one being called on, which ends up being an embarrassing experience. The important point, however, is to use hints and clues with all students to communicate that you have high expectations for the entire class. This helps build positive teacher-student relations.

Tell Students They Have the Ability to Do Well

Another way to communicate positive expectations to students is by directly telling them they have the ability to do well. When you tell your students you have confidence that they can handle a difficult assignment or improve their behavior, you impart a very powerful message. Students often will work hard and behave appropriately to prove that your confidence in them is justified. Every child needs to have at least one significant adult in his or her life who believes that he or she can do well. Ideally, children would hear this from their parents, but the sad truth is that is not always the case. Teachers have the unique opportunity and privilege to communicate daily to a number of students that they believe in them. What a gift to be able to be that significant adult in even one student's life.

Using this strategy might lead a teacher to say this to a student: “Emma, I know you'll do your best on this math test. You've been working very hard on remembering to write down your thinking as you solve math problems, and I know you can transfer that skill to this test. I'll check back with you later.” This approach can be modified for any grade level or subject area. Once again, this is a positive relations strategy as well as an instructional strategy.

You can also let students know that you have positive expectations for them by referring to past successes (Kerman et al., 1980). When you tell a student that you know he will behave appropriately at recess because he was successful yesterday, you help build confidence in the student and increase his chance for success. And after a student demonstrates good behavior or academic achievement in a specific situation, telling her you knew she would be successful (Kerman et al., 1980) also instills confidence and a culture of positive expectations. Students need to know that their teachers respect them and have confidence in them. Using these different strategies to consistently communicate your positive expectations will work wonders. We challenge you to begin using one or two of these strategies today to build high expectations and positive teacher-student relations.

Correcting Students in a Constructive Way

Correcting and disciplining students for inappropriate behaviors is a necessary and important part of every teacher's job. However, it doesn't have to be a negative part of your job. In fact, you can actually build positive relationships when you correct students. If you don't believe this, think for just a minute about students you have had in the past who came back to school to visit you. Often it is the students who were the most challenging and with whom you had to spend the most time who continue to visit you over the years. This is due to the positive relationships you developed with them.

The goal in correcting students should be to have them reflect on what they did, be sorry that they disappointed you, and make a better choice in the future. It should not be that they go away thinking, “I hate my teacher. I'm going to be sure I don't get caught next time.” The difference in students' reactions to being disciplined is often related to the manner in which you correct them. If you allow students to keep their dignity, you increase the chance that they will reflect on their behavior and choose their behaviors more wisely in the future. The correction process will be counterproductive if students are corrected in a manner that communicates bitterness, sarcasm, low expectations, or disgust. The goal is to provide a quick, fair, and meaningful consequence while at the same time communicating that you care for and respect the student.

Figure 1.3 outlines steps to be taken when correcting or disciplining a student.

Figure 1.3. Steps to Use When Correcting Students

Review what happened

Identify and accept the student's feelings

Review alternative actions

Explain the building policy as it applies to the situation

Let the student know that all students are treated the same

Invoke an immediate and meaningful consequence

Let the student know you are disappointed that you have to invoke a consequence to his or her action

Communicate an expectation that the student will do better in the future

Imagine that Johnny hit Sam because Sam called his mother a name. This is how you could put these disciplinary steps in place:

Review what happened. Discuss the incident with Johnny. Begin with fact finding to be sure that you are appropriately correcting the student. The worst way to affect teacher-student relationships is to unfairly discipline a student.

Identify and accept the student's feelings. Tell Johnny that you understand why it upset him to hear somebody call his mother a name and that you, too, would be upset if someone maligned your mother. It's important to understand that this step communicates that you respect and understand his feelings but that you are not accepting his actions.

Review alternative actions. Go over with Johnny the different actions he could have taken, such as ignoring the remark or reporting it to a teacher.

Explain the building policy as it applies to the situation. Remind Johnny of the building policy of not fighting and that the rule is if anyone hits another student, he or she will be sent to the office and possibly be suspended from school.

Let the student know that all students are treated the same. Make sure that Johnny understands that all students must adhere to the policy and that any student who disregards the rule will suffer the consequences.

Invoke an immediate and meaningful consequence. Communicate with the office about what happened and send Johnny to the office.

Let the student know you are disappointed that you have to invoke a consequence to his or her action. Tell Johnny that you are disappointed that his actions have led to this situation.

Communicate an expectation that the student will do better in the future. Remind Johnny that, although you do not approve of his actions and do not like to send him or any student to the office, you like him and know that he will make a better choice next time. Also tell him that you are there to support him and work through these issues with him in the future.

In addition to your following these steps when correcting a student, it is important to keep some key philosophical precepts in mind. First of all, remember to correct the student in a private location. Although it is not always possible to remove a student from the classroom, do your best to prevent visual access by other students as you discipline. Public correction can foster feelings of anger, embarrassment, and bitterness; it can also become a sideshow for the other students. Also, when invoking a consequence, you should ask yourself, “How would I want my own children disciplined in a similar situation?” Answering this question will help you treat the student with care and respect. Finally, remember to stay calm and avoid frustration. The worst thing you can do is to invoke a consequence when you are angry or

upset, as this can lead to regrettable actions on your part. If necessary, give yourself a “cooling-off period” before intervening with the student. Figure 1.4 reviews the key philosophical considerations for correcting students.

Figure 1.4. Key Philosophical Precepts When Correcting Students

Correct in a private location

Treat students as you want your own children treated

Stay calm

Avoid frustration

It is also important to follow certain steps after disciplining a student. These steps are shown in Figure 1.5.

Figure 1.5. Steps to Follow After Disciplining a Student

Touch base with the student

Acknowledge postdisciplinary successes

Don't give up too quickly

Let's go back to the example of Johnny, in which he earned an office referral because he hit Sam. Here are some actions you could take:

Touch base with the student. Follow up with Johnny after the consequence, checking to see how he's doing and simply making contact with him.

Acknowledge postdisciplinary successes. The next time Johnny has difficulty with a student and handles the situation more appropriately, such as by verbalizing his displeasure rather than using his fists, be sure to acknowledge his behavior and praise him for making the right choice.

Don't give up too quickly. Finally, don't forget that some students respond negatively to positive attention. In such cases, it may appear that the student doesn't want the positive attention. What may actually be happening is a gradual change in the student's self-concept. When students are used to getting into trouble and having negative attention, it takes a while to break this cycle. Often it is just a matter of time before the student starts to show the positive effects of this attention, so don't give up!

Tip Box

Remember: Students will recall how you made them feel long after they have forgotten the consequence they earned as a result of their actions.

Developing Positive Classroom Pride

If applied effectively, pride can be an extremely powerful force in developing positive teacher-student relationships (Kerman et al., 1980). In many classrooms, students are proud of the fact that they are behaving and achieving at a high level. In other classrooms, a different type of pride develops when students see themselves as being the worst they can be. The pride students develop helps shape identities that in turn drive their behaviors. When you recognize student successes, there is a decreased likelihood of fostering negative pride and an increased likelihood of developing positive pride. As a classroom teacher, your goal should be to help students take pride in their accomplishments and positive behaviors rather than in their negative behaviors. Figure 1.6 lists some strategies that will help you attain this important goal.

Figure 1.6. Strategies to Develop Positive Classroom Pride

Display student work

Positively reinforce students verbally

Show off the class's achievements

Speak to the accomplishments of all your students

Be sincere in your pride in your students

Look for opportunities for students to be proud in all areas

Develop parental pride in student accomplishments

Develop pride in improvement in addition to pride in excellence

Displaying student work is a good way to let students know that you value the work they do and that you take pride in their work products. The displayed work does not have to be perfect and should show a significant cross section of the students you have in your class. Putting the work of students who have a history of low achievement up on a bulletin board often helps to build their self-esteem and pride and encourages them to do better work in the future. Exhibiting the work throughout the building in hallways, in the office, and in other

public areas can do a great deal to develop positive levels of student pride. The impact becomes even more powerful when you let the class know that you want others to see the great work they are doing. An example of this would be to display all your students' science projects in the library and telling your class, “You all did a great job on your science projects, including stating your problem and hypothesis, clearly writing out the steps you took, and then drawing conclusions. I am so proud of all of you that I wanted the whole school to see your exemplary work. That's why I put all the projects on display in the library.”

Positively reinforce students verbally on a regular basis. Tell your students when you are pleased by their behavior. Let them know that you're not surprised when they grasp a difficult concept. This is a powerful way of developing positive pride.

Publicly asking other staff members to enter the classroom so that they can see a specific accomplishment of your class, such as the way they respond to your instructions, is an example of showing off the class's achievements. However, be careful to speak to the accomplishments of all the students when you use this strategy rather than to the accomplishments of just the top students, or the strategy could backfire on you.

There are numerous opportunities to develop pride in all areas, such as by publicly recognizing high test scores, acts of kindness, positive citizenship, and athletic accomplishments. You can also extend the pride taken in the class by developing parental pride in student accomplishments. Provide opportunities for parents to review student work in newsletters, during back-to-school events, and at parent conferences. Let parents know about high attendance rates, high test scores, and the percentage of homework or assignments completed. In this way, you are enlisting parents to be your partners in fostering this powerful positive relationship tool.

Remember that pride does not always have to involve only excellence. Pride in improvement is an important type of pride to nurture. Test scores and daily assignments that go from a D to a C and homework that starts coming in on time are examples of great opportunities for you to recognize student success and build pride.

When Kelley, a new teacher, took over a 6th grade class at a large elementary school in January, he used a combination of these approaches to build pride in the students. The class had already “gotten rid of” two other teachers, and they were proud of being the “baddest” class in the school. Besides teaching clearly defined parameters for appropriate behaviors and strong consequences for negative behaviors, Kelley gradually worked at building positive pride with the class. While practicing walking in the hallways and transitioning between activities appropriately with the class, he would invite the principal or other teachers in and say, “I just wanted you to see what a great job my class is doing and how proud I am of the respectful and quiet way they are walking in the halls.” After working with the students on how he wanted them to respond when he gave his signal, he would again invite other staff into the room and say, “Look at how quickly and quietly my class responds to my signal. They have really improved. Aren't they great?” In addition, he would tell the students on a regular basis that he couldn't wait to get to school each day because it was so much fun working with them and because he was so proud of their improved behaviors and academics. This continued focus on building positive classroom pride gradually changed the pride the class had in their negative behaviors to pride in their new culture of positive behaviors.

These are just some of the ways you can work to develop student pride individually and collectively. This in turn will help you build positive relationships with your students. A key element of Kelley's success was that he was sincere in his proclamations of pride in his students. Children are intuitive regarding sincerity, and insincere comments will quickly backfire.

One caution for secondary teachers concerning pride involves a distinction between the manner in which you foster pride for different grade levels of students. What works for elementary and middle school students is not necessarily appropriate at the high school level. Sprick (1985) points out that it's more effective to use calm, quiet statements with secondary students than emotional praise, as they get embarrassed and don't like to be singled out from their peers. We believe you can and should instill positive pride with secondary students, but a more private method may be more effective.

Demonstrating Caring

Demonstrating caring is one of the most powerful ways to build positive relationships with your students (Kerman et al., 1980). When your actions and words communicate that you sincerely care for your students, they are more likely to want to perform well for you and enjoy coming to school. Caring also fosters a preventive approach to discipline, as students who feel cared for are more likely to want to please you by complying with your wishes and policies. It is a tragedy when a student mistakenly believes that his teacher does not care for or like him. In most cases, teachers do care but fail to do the things that directly communicate this valuable message. Figure 1.7 lists some strategies to communicate to your students that you care about them.

Figure 1.7. Strategies to Show You Care

Show an interest in your students' personal lives

Greet the students by the front door as they enter the classroom

Watch for and touch base with students who display strong emotion

Sincerely listen to students

Empathize with students

Inquiring about aspects of students' personal lives is a powerful way to communicate that the students are important and cared for. You can do this by asking about a recent trip, a hobby, or a sports activity. Some teachers make it a point to watch sporting events that their students are involved in, which is a wonderful way to show students you care about them beyond the classroom walls. The caution with this approach is to be as equitable as possible so that there is not a perception that you have “favorites.” A proactive way to do this is to

have students write a journal at the beginning of the year in which they list what they did during their vacation, what pets they have, what sports they enjoy, and what hobbies they have. With this information, you can look for opportunities to ask questions or make comments to individual students using these facts. You might say to one student, “Susie, I read that you have a cocker spaniel. I have one, too. Does your dog know any tricks?”

Standing by the door and welcoming students as they enter the classroom is a quick and easy way to show students they are important and that you are glad to see them. This procedure also helps you start the day with personal contact with each and every student. This is a procedure Wong and Wong (1998) advocate as a way to begin the day and the school year on a positive note.

When you see students display strong emotions (e.g., when they are happy, excited, or angry), you have an opportunity to build positive relationships by asking how they are doing and what is going on with them. Statements such as, “Are you all right?” and “Can I help with anything?” let students know they are cared for, valued, and noticed.

Listening intently and sincerely to students is a powerful way to communicate how much you care. Maintaining eye contact and paraphrasing helps students realize that you have heard them.

In addition, when you empathize with students, they understand that they are recognized and valued. This does not mean that you have to agree with all their actions, but that you let them know that you recognize the emotions behind their actions. You can communicate empathy by telling students that even though it's wrong to hit someone, for instance, you understand the emotions behind an incident.

These are just a few ways that you can demonstrate to your students that you care about them. As indicated earlier, you must never forget the power of caring. The bottom line is that caring helps build strong positive relationships that in turn help prevent discipline problems in the future.

Preventing and Reducing Frustration and Stress

Frustration and stress, which are inevitable in the teaching profession, are the great enemies of our best intentions. Zehm and Kottler (1993) list some external causes of stress for teachers as difficult students, irate parents, and collegial backbiting. Frustration can have a devastating effect on teacher-student relationships, as it tends to cause educators to make irrational decisions. Usually you know when you are becoming frustrated and can quickly identify the signs and symptoms. As an educator, the question is not if you will become frustrated or stressed but when you will and howyou will deal with it.

Signs of frustration or stress can include nervousness, anxiety, shortness of breath, and a tendency to make irrational decisions. First, you should be able to recognize your own personal signs that frustration or stress is building so that you can de-escalate them. You should then have a plan that will help you prevent or reduce frustration when it occurs. Your frustration prevention or reduction techniques will be unique and personal to you; what works for one teacher might not necessarily be effective for you. Figure 1.8 shows some typical frustration and stress prevention or reduction techniques that you can implement.

Figure 1.8. Frustration and Stress Prevention/Reduction Techniques

Play soft, relaxing music

Display posters of peaceful destinations

Modify your lesson plans

Take your students for a walk

Ask a neighboring teacher to take a difficult student for a period of time

Assign your students independent reading time

Clear off your desk

Find a validating colleague

Share staff duties

Share frustration strategies

Playing soft, relaxing music when feelings of frustration are approaching can have a beneficial effect for both you and your students. Some teachers proactively play soft music during independent study time.

Displaying posters throughout the classroom of attractive destinations can help keep you calm. You might put up pictures of beautiful beaches, snowy mountains, green valleys, ski resorts, or tropical islands to give yourself—and your students—opportunities for mini mental vacations.

Most teachers have certain lessons they truly enjoy teaching. When feelings of frustration or stress are approaching, try modifying your lesson plans and teaching a lesson that not only meets the student learning goals but also brings you pleasure.

Sometimes just taking a short walk around the school can be relaxing and can head off feelings of stress or frustration. This can also help students relieve pent-up energy. For instance, there may even be a way to integrate the walk into your current curriculum by turning it into a nature walk or a service project (e.g., picking up litter).

Difficult students can be a major cause of frustration. Allow yourself to ask for help by asking a neighboring teacher to take a difficult student for a short time. This strategy is one that you should set up ahead of time, making certain that your colleague is agreeable to this arrangement. Offering to do the same for the other teacher is a good way to begin using this strategy.

Strategically assigning independent reading time to students is another way to calm the classroom down and provide you with a break when frustration raises its ugly head.

For some teachers, one source of stress or frustration is a messy desk, submerged in various unfinished tasks. If you are one of these teachers, an easy way to decrease frustration is to clear off your desk and take time to organize your work area.

Frustration and stress often disappear when a supervisor or peer lets you know they value and appreciate your work. Knowing which colleagues you should visit to help validate your work is another technique to use in lowering levels of frustration and stress. Sharing staff duties can help too, as frustration and stress often occur when a teacher feels overwhelmed and behind. You should let your colleagues know you are willing to cover some of their duties and also let them do the same for you. Also, sharing other ideas with teachers on frustration- and stress-reducing techniques is a way to increase your repertoire of strategies.

Zehm and Kottler (1993) mention additional stress- and frustration-reduction strategies, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle with good sleeping patterns, free of alcohol and drugs. They also advocate continued training and professional growth tasks, such as varying teaching assignments, taking a sabbatical, having a faculty exchange, engaging in team teaching, supervising a student teacher, going back to school, conducting field trips, leading research projects, writing grants, and instigating technology projects. In addition, they suggest keeping a journal as a reflective strategy to help deal with stress and frustration.

In summary, there are many ways you can develop positive relationships with students in your daily interactions with them. Not only does this contribute to a positive classroom environment, but it also improves the quality of school life for both you and your students.

While building positive relationships is the foundation to a strong discipline system, relationships alone are not enough. It is also critical to clearly define parameters of expected behaviors, to monitor those behaviors, and to implement consequences when necessary.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/105124/chapters/developing_positive_teacher-student_relations.aspx

Building Student Rapport

Building a rapport with students can make the difference when teaching, especially in a second language. Developing rapport- including building trust, using humour and getting to know the students outside of the classroom- can not only help to better understand the background of students but can also help with classroom management and instruction. In the case studies many of our teacher friends mention the fact that getting to know the students is important. At the same time however, some of these teachers also express some challenges in building rapport, especially when using the target language. In this section we will discuss the importance of building rapport with students and some strategies that can be used to do so in the language classroom.

back to

Erinn's case study

Jin's case study

Marguerite's case study

What is Student Rapport?

Building student rapport is the development of a positive relation between the teacher and the students. There are several techniques a teacher can use to develop this rapport; some techniques are geared towards the beginning of the course, where others are techniques that can be used on a day to day basis.

How can the Student-Teacher Relationship Aspect of Rapport be defined?

In their article Rapport-Building: Creating Positive Emotional Contexts for Enhancing Teaching and Learning William Buskist and Bryan K. Saville define the student teacher relationship as:

the extent to which students accept or "buy into" the goals the teacher has spelled out to the class

the student's ability to work toward these goals

the teacher's ability to care genuinely for students and to nurture their learning

the student and teacher "connecting" emotionally and students' motivation to participate actively in their education.

back to top

How can student rapport be developed?

How can student rapport be developed? Watch the video and note what this language teacher does in order to develop positive relationships with her students. (1:43)

After viewing the video of Miss Stephen were you able to brainstorm some ideas of how to build student rapport in the TL? Here are just a few strategies that can be used in order to help build rapport with students.

Get to know the students both inside and outside of the classroom

Learn student names as quickly as possible

Consider non-verbal factors such as body language

Develop a relationship built on trust

Have a sense of humour and have fun with students!

What are some activities and strategies I can use to develop rapport?

Ice Breaker Activities

Used at the beginning of the course to create a positive atmosphere in the class and between students and teacher.

Can also be used to facilitate students (and teacher) getting to know each other.

For ice breaker activities click here.

Activities to help learn student names

Learning student names is an important part of building student rapport. Why do you think this is so? What are some strategies that you have experienced or used for learning student names?

Passport – students are given time to create a passport about themselves, including relevant information and at least one piece of memorable information that will stick in the minds of others.

Student teams - putting the students in teams creates a pattern in your mind of where they sit. It is similar to a seating plan but letting the student compete with their groups makes it seem more like an activity.

Unforgettable Neighbour – have the students work in pairs or with partners and share a memorable fact about each other. They can then share these facts with the class so there is an additional fact to help make each student’s name easier to remember.

Adjective Name Game – similar to the unforgettable neighbor activity, students work in pairs but have to come up with an interesting adjective that starts with the same letter as their first name, ie: Meticulous Miranda, Artsy Anna.

Seating Chart – creating a seating chart allows the teacher to quiz himself about which student sits where and forces the teacher to make the mental connection.

Body Language Factors of which to be Aware

Smile! Show the students you are happy to be there and to see them.

Move around the classroom – as students get used to your presence, they will feel less intimidated by you and will be more likely to interact with you voluntarily

Make eye contact – this shows a sense openness, honesty and caring

Gestures – using lively and animated gestures demonstrates friendliness and that the teacher is involved in the material. It also helps keep the students alert and shows that the teacher isn’t afraid to make fun of his or herself from time to time.

Be aware of student discomfort – certain students will feel really uncomfortable with teacher proximity or excessive eye contact. Get to know who these students are so they can be given the space they require in order to feel safe and respected.

Developing Trust

Discuss trust with your students, its limits and its benefits. Having this discussion shows that the students are valued and respected enough to make their own decisions.

Laugh at your own mistakes! This shows that students can do the same, that you trust they will keep this within reason; this then allows for further amusing situations to happen later on, that students don’t feel so self-conscious that no fun can be had.

Give the students responsibility. This shows you trust them and value them as young, responsible adults.

Talk about your own interests, showing the students that you are a person and want to share who you are with them.

Discuss with the students why they are receiving certain assignments. Let them be part of their educational direction and show them that all assignments have a purpose; they can then learn to trust you as a teacher, that you aren’t assigning information randomly

Using humour in the classroom

Jokes and amusing behaviours are great as long as they are within reason. Keep in mind what tone of voice is used so as not to give a mixed message to the students.

Use of sarcasm should depend on the classroom and what relationship the teacher has with the class; the teacher should know whether the students are going to understand it or whether it will cause resentments and problems later on down the line.

back to top

2. Formulate some effective approaches that teacher can use to reward appropriate behaviour.

Schoolwide Classroom/Mgmt

The Good Behavior Game is an approach to the management of classrooms behaviors that rewards children for displaying appropriate on-task behaviors during instructional times. The class is divided into two teams and a point is given to a team for any inappropriate behavior displayed by one of its members. The team with the fewest number of points at the Game's conclusion each day wins a group reward. If both teams keep their points below a preset level, then both teams share in the reward. The program was first tested in 1969; several research articles have confirmed that the Game is an effective means of increasing the rate of on-task behaviors while reducing disruptions in the classroom (Barrish, Saunders, & Wolf, 1969; Harris & Sherman, 1973; Medland & Stachnik, 1972).

The process of introducing the Good Behavior Game into a classroom is a relatively simple procedure. There are five steps involved in putting the Game into practice.

Steps in Implementing This Intervention:

Step 1: Decide when to schedule the Game. The teacher first decides during what period(s) of the school day the Game will be played. As a rule of thumb, instructors should pick those times when the entire class is expected to show appropriate academic behaviors. Blocks of time devoted to reading, math, content instruction, and independent seatwork would be most appropriate for putting the Game into effect./p>

Step 2: Clearly define the negative behaviors that will be scored during the Game. Teachers who have used the Good behavior Game typically define three types of negative behavior that will be scored whenever they appear during the Game. Those behaviors are:/p>

leaving one's seat,

talking out, and

engaging in disruptive behavior.

Out-of-seat behavior is defined as any incident in which a student leaves his or her seat without first getting permission from the teacher. Related behaviors, such as "scootching"

one's seat toward another desk are usually scored as out-of-seat. Instructors often build in certain exceptions to this rule. For example, in some classrooms, children can take a pass to the bathroom, approach the teacher's desk for additional help, or move from one work site to another in the room without permission as long as these movements are conducted quietly and are a part of the accepted classroom routine. Children who leave their seats intending to complete an allowed activity but find that they cannot (e.g., walking toward the teacher's desk and then noticing that another student is already there) are not scored as being out of their seat if they quickly and quietly return to their desk.

Talking-out behavior is defined as any incident of talking out loud without the permission of the instructor. Permission is gained by raising one's hand and first being recognized by the teacher before speaking. Any type of unauthorized vocalization within the hearing of the instructor is scored as talking out, including shouts, nonsense noises (e.g., growling, howling, whistling), whispers, and talking while one's hand is raised.

Disruptive behavior consists of any movement or act that is judged by the teacher to be disruptive of classroom instruction. For example, knocking on a table, looking around the room, tearing up paper, passing notes, or playing with toys at one's desk would all be scored as disruptive behaviors. A good rule of thumb would be to regard as disruptive behavior any action that does not fall under another category but is perceived by the teacher as annoying or distracting.

Step 3: Decide upon suitable daily and (perhaps) weekly rewards for teams winning the Game.

Teachers will need to choose rewards that they feel will effectively motivate students to take part in the Game. Most often, instructors use free time as a daily reward, since children often find it motivating. To cite a single example, one teacher's reward system included giving her daily 4th-grade Game winners the privilege of wearing a "victory tag," putting a star next to their names on a "Winner's Chart," lining up first for lunch, and getting 30 minutes of time at the end of the day to work on fun, educationally related topics.

When choosing rewards, instructors are advised to consider using reinforcers that fit naturally into the context and mission of a classroom. For example, allowing winners to play quietly together at the end of the school day may help to promote social skills, but dispensing material rewards (e.g., comic books) to winners would probably be less likely to contribute directly to educational and social goals. Of course, if both teams win on a given day or a given week, the members of those teams all receive the same rewards.

Step 4: Introduce the Game to the class

Once behaviors have been selected and clearly defined by the teacher, the next step is to introduce the Game to the class. Ideally, time should be set aside for an initial group discussion. The teacher mentions that the class will be playing a game and presents a schedule clearly setting forth the instructional times during which the game will be in effect.

The teacher next divides the classroom into two teams. For ease of recording, it is usually recommended that the instructor divide the class down the center of the room into roughly equal halves. Some teachers have used three teams successfully as well. To build a sense of team spirit, students may be encouraged to name their groups.

The children are informed that certain types of behavior (i.e., leaving one's seat or talking without permission, and engaging in disruptive behaviors) will earn points for the team to which they belong. Students are also told that both teams can win if they earn no more than a certain number of points (e.g., 4 points maximum per day). If both teams happen to exceed 4 points, then the team with the lowest total at the end of the day is the winner. In case of a tie, both teams earn the reward. The instructor is the final judge of whether a behavior is to be scored. (As an option, students can also be told that the team with the fewest number of points at the end of the week will win an additional reward.)

It is a good idea when introducing the Game to students to clearly review examples of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. After all, it is important that all children know the rules before the Game begins. To more effectively illustrate those rules, children may be recruited to demonstrate acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, or the teacher may describe a number of behaviors and ask the class to decide with a show of hands whether such behaviors are to be scored or not.

Step 5: Put the Game into effect.

The instructor is now ready to start the Game. During those times that the game is in effect in the classroom, the teacher continues to carry out his or her usual instructional practices. The only alteration in the routine is that the instructor is also noting and publicly recording any negative points incurred by either team. Instructors might want to post scores on the blackboard or on a large piece of paper visible to everyone in the room. If working with children in a small group, the instructor can record negative behaviors on a small note pad and later transfer them to the blackboard. Teachers can also choose to publicly announce when another point has been earned as a reminder to the class about acceptable behavior. It is helpful to keep a weekly tally of points for each team, especially if teams are competing for weekly as well as daily rewards.

Care should be taken to be as consistent as possible in scoring negative behaviors. Winning teams should be praised as well as rewarded for their efforts, with that praise tied when possible to specifically observed behaviors. Instructors may want to alter the Game somewhat as necessary (e.g., changing rewards or more carefully defining acceptable and unacceptable behaviors with students). Obviously, any alteration of the Game, no matter how small, should be shared with the classroom before being put into effect.

Troubleshooting: How to Deal With Common Problems in Using the 'Good Behavior Game'

Q: What should I do if a small number of students try to sabotage the game for other children by deliberately acting out and earning penalty points for their team?

If a small number of students are earning a large number of points during the Game, consider forming them into a separate team. While not the norm, occasionally a single student or small group of children may be tempted to undermine the Game by deliberately incurring a large number of penalty points for their teams. (Such children may find the resulting negative social attention of other members of their team to be its own reward!) A simple remedy for this problem is to modify the Game by making those disruptive students

into a separate team. The Game will continue unchanged, except that your room will now have three teams rather than two competing for rewards.

Q: I have used the Good Behavior Game for a while and have found it to be effective. But lately it doesn't seem to have the same impact on my students. What do you recommend?

If the Good Behavior Game appears to be losing effectiveness over time, be sure that you are consistently noting and assigning team points for inappropriate behaviors and that you are avoiding verbal arguments with students. It is very important that points be assigned consistently when you witness inappropriate behavior; otherwise, the Game may not bring about the expected behavioral improvement among your students. Teachers using the Game sometimes find it helpful to have another adult familiar with the Good Behavior Game observe them and offer feedback about their consistency in assigning points and success in avoiding negative verbal exchanges with students.

THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON BEHAVIOUR

Whether we choose to adopt a behaviourist, cognitive-behaviourist, systemic, humanistic or psychodynamic perspective on behaviour will have an impact on the specific intervention put in place to support a pupil identified as having BESDs. Consequently, adopting one style of intervention to support pupils with BESDs, whether in the classroom or externally, may be insufficient.

A more desirable approach is to develop breadth in provision that involves varied approaches to address pupils’ specific needs. There is a range of different psychological perspectives on behaviour.

Here is a brief overview of the theory and implications for practice for some of the dominant perspectives on behaviour used in schools today:

Behavioural

Theory: Focuses on the idea that behaviour is the result of learning from the environment rather than cognitive processes. That which is reinforced will gain in strength while that which is not reinforced will disappear.

Practice: Rewards and sanctions imposed consistently and dispassionately by adult.

Cognitive – Behavioural

Theory: Focuses on beliefs, attitudes, expectations and attributions when accounting for behaviour. Problem behaviour is seen as a product of maladaptive thinking related to processes of self-attribution and perceived self-efficacy.

Practice: Involve pupils in setting and monitoring their own behaviour targets.

Humanistic

Theory: Focuses on nurturing emotional needs, communicating rather than punishing and establishing good relationships. An explanation for behaviour is offered emphasising the uniqueness of the individual and the importance of the self-concept. Empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence are the key qualities required of someone adopting a humanistic approach.

Practice: Listening to the views of pupils; taking opportunities to establish person to person relationships between staff and pupils; supporting peer-to-peer relationships; referral to a humanistic school counsellor.

Psychodynamic

Theory: Problem behaviour occurs as a result of unconscious conflicts in early childhood. Attachment patterns developed in infancy continue to have an impact throughout the child’s later life and can impact on learning in school.

Practice: Metaphor in artwork, drama, play or stories is used to help process unconscious conflicts and these interventions are usually implemented by a specially trained therapist. An adult may be identified as a substitute attachment figure for a pupil with attachment anxiety in school.

Biological

Theory: Behaviour is a result of biological and biochemical processes.

Practice: Consultation with health professionals and medication may be prescribed.

Ecological

Theory: Focuses on the physical-spatial and social environments and their influence on behaviour.

Practice: Creation of attractive buildings and learning environments. Consideration of the impact of the layout of furniture and seating in the classroom.

Systemic

Theory: The child is seen as being an intrinsic part of a wider social system both in and outside of school, and the nature of these overarching systems are seen as influencing the behaviour of the individual.

Practice: Consider how the whole school ethos impacts on the behaviour of individual children. Encourage the involvement of parents and carers in interventions to support behaviour. Be aware of the wider community and cultural impact on the individual child.

Social learning

Theory: Behaviour is influenced by observing the actions of others.

Practice: Pupils with behavioural difficulties have the opportunity to be in contact with other pupils who have good social skills – this is particularly helpful when pupils are working in small groups. Ensure that the behaviour of staff sets a good example to pupils.

ACTIONS

This is a complex area and much has been written on how to support pupils with BESDs but here are a few key actions related to the specific theoretical perspectives covered above.

BEHAVIOURAL

Set up an individual positive behaviour programme with targets clearly understood by the pupil

Be consistent: it is the certainty of a response and the follow-up that matters, not the severity

Involve parents in rewarding good behaviour – particularly effective with younger children.

COGNITIVE-BEHAVIOURAL

Involve pupils in reflecting on their own behaviour and in setting and monitoring targets

Provide strategies for the pupil to self-regulate/self-soothe when feeling anxious eg visualisation, NLP anchoring

Explore how pupils attribute meaning to events and consider ways in which to reframe situations and experiences.

HUMANISTIC

Focus on the quality of relationships with the pupil

Use active listening to show the pupil that they have been really heard

Build self-esteem eg blame the behaviour but not the child; address the pupil by name; accept the child though not the behaviour; remember to ‘catch them getting it right’.

PSYCHODYNAMIC

Be aware that pupils who have not received good enough care in the early years may have attachment anxiety and consider what unconscious pattern of behaviour the child may be bringing in to the classroom

Use interventions that help the child to process unresolved unconscious emotions in a safe way eg play therapy, drama therapy, therapeutic storywriting

Refer the pupil to a psychodynamic counsellor, possibly through Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

BIOLOGICAL

Research basic information about the pupil’s specific condition

Make sure medication is kept safe and administered at the correct times

Be aware of times when medication such as Ritalin may be wearing off.

ECOLOGICAL

Consider the implications of classroom layout and decor

Think about how seating arrangements may affect certain pupils’ behaviour

Consider how playgrounds might affect pupils' behaviour eg are there any quiet places? Play equipment?

SYSTEMIC

Consider the impact of the whole school ethos on behaviour

Liaise with parents about any issues at home

Form links eg through project work with the local community.

SOCIAL LEARNING

Ensure that small groups include some pupils who can model good social skills

Praise pupils who are doing ordinary things well

Model coping skills eg verbalise your own internal process when managing an anxiety-provoking situation.

Praise and Rewards

The most novel aspect of these systems for Scottish teachers is recognising good behaviour. We seem to be much more accustomed to noticing and reacting to bad behaviour that to acknowledging good behaviour. Research on teachers' classroom talk has shown that teachers use praise very infrequently. Most of their talk concerns giving instructions, explaining something or organising work. Even where individual teachers use praise and encourage their pupils there is very seldom a formal system for recognising pupils` efforts. In contrast there is a formal system for recognising bad behaviour.

Praise and reward systems involve the formal and public recognition of good behaviour. Recognition is the reward. Again, the particular systems in use vary according to the individual circumstances of each school. They typically involve a praise card or homework diary in which the teacher stamps a mark or places a sticker to indicate good behaviour or effort. Each stamp is worth a number of points and the accumulation of these leads to a bronze, silver or gold award, presented at a year group or school assembly for the most prestigious award. Schools design their own awards or certificates and year groups in secondary schools or individual classes in primary schools can have their own particular designs.

Parents are informed about the awards to their children and can be present at the award giving ceremony. At a lower level there can be a positive referral to a senior member of staff for good behaviour and effort. This makes quite a change for these staff who are accustomed to seeing pupils for indiscipline rather than for good behaviour.

Schools using these systems report a general improvement in atmosphere, although they are by no means a panacea for all discipline problems.

Instructions

1

Set clear boundaries for your child and let him know ahead of time what is expected of him.

2

Stay calm, firm and consistent when disciplining and setting boundaries.

3

Remember that each child has different temperaments and developmental styles. Some children respond well to verbal praise while others respond better to rewards like stickers or extra time on the computer.

4

Locate factors that may prevent good behavior like jealousy, stress or learning and behavioral disorders. Try to remove what causes these factors or seek professional help to cope with them.

5

Praise good behavior by providing positive reinforcement. Most children want to receive praise. If they know you will praise their good behavior, then they are more likely to follow the boundaries set for them.

6

Offer rewards or incentives when you see your child exhibiting good behavior.

7

Teach your child about the natural and logical consequences of her actions. Natural consequences are like cause and effect such as if you play rough with a toy it will break. Logical consequences are based on wrong choices such as when you take away her toys because she wouldn't put them away.

IS REWARDING GOOD FOR STUDENTS OR NOT?

Should teachers give rewards to students for good behavior? Some people say that rewards play an important role in students achievements. Meanwhile, others reject this idea. Carmen Y. Reyes stays in the middle in this argument. According to her, rewarding is not the only way to motivate students and if a teacher does not use it effectively, its effects will be short-term. Rewarding will be destructive unless it supports teaching a student self-rewards and self-reinforcement. Arguments about this question do not seem to wind down because rewarding is a debatable subject and educators’ implementations can vary according to their educational backgrounds. In this article I am going to define what rewards are and when they are used. Then I am going to explain why I agree with Carmen Y. Reyes.

The definition of reward, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, is a fair return for good behavior. There are many rewarding types, such as giving candies, making student leader of a game, giving A, etc. Teachers use them in certain circumstances. For example; when a student hands in his/her homework on time, teachers give rewards as a reinforcement. Another example is that if a student says thank you after being permitted to answer a question, the teacher can reward the student. All of these rewards are reinforcements for students and teachers use these reinforcements because they think that rewarding makes students do their tasks better.

“Rewarding students for good behavior is a popular classroom discipline procedure” (Carmen, 2011) It means that teachers tend to reward students in order to manage the classroom. According to the psycho-educational approach, while students develop self-discipline, rewarding behavior extrinsically is just an encouraging tool, so teachers can use rewarding as a supportive implement. Furthermore, giving reward can reinforce the need for students to complete their tasks and create competition between them. For example; if the teacher says you are doing pretty well and gives A while a student is doing his/her homework, this will encourage other students to accomplish their tasks. Also, the rest of the class will want their teacher to have an eye for what they are doing when the teacher praises a student who has produced desired behaviors.

Moreover, Alfie Kohn declares that “there are at least 70 studies showing that extrinsic motivators—including A's, sometimes praise, and other rewards—are not merely ineffective over the long haul but counterproductive with respect to the things that concern us most: desire to learn, commitment to good values, and so on.”(Ron, 1995) Long term goals are much more important than short term goals, so in order to promote long term goals, students are rewarded several times because this is considered as a solution. However, the problem is that rewarded students can be influenced by outside factors, since giving rewards has a brief effect on students. This means that rewards are used for long time goals with short time effects so rewarding leads to failure of both short and long term goals.

Alfie Kohn also says that “we all want to be appreciated, encouraged, and loved. The question is whether that need must take the form of what often looks like a patronizing pat on the head and saying "Good boy," to which I believe the most logical response is, "Woof!" (Ron, 1995) Also, John Dewey states that “educators have to emerge organically from the real-life interests and concerns of the kids. "Which is bigger, 5/7 or 9/11?" The correct answer is, "Who cares?" But kids care very much about how fast they are growing.” (Ron, 1995) What children deserve is an engaging curriculum and a caring atmosphere so that they can take action in the light of their natural wishes to find out about things. Instead of creating an environment in which students are cared for, teachers just give reward. Assuming students are like machines and not interested in their social life make them feel

uneasy. That is because, they think they have no value for their teacher if they are not cared for.

Furthermore, unlike our everyday experience, giving reward to students may cause lower academic achievement. According to Ron, when a teacher introduces competition into the classroom, students feel that It's now a contest to see who the nicest, quietest child is. If there is no competition, students will not do anything since there is not any reward for their efforts because they just want to be the best one. Such students become utterly dependent on the reward to do something. This signifies that students have no interests in academic acquisitions. Moreover, “No research supports the idea that praising children for inching up the adult-constructed ladder helps them develop a sense of competence. Indeed, praise for success at relatively easy tasks sends a message that this child must not be very bright.” (Ron , 1995) For example; Teachers are guides and have authority in the classroom so students may think that if they follow their teachers’ advice and instructions, there is no need to study. That’s because, while teachers show the ways of doing a task, they may complete everything in place of their students. Consequently, this reduces academic success.

In conclusion, rewarding is used as an encouraging tool for developing the self-discipline of student. In other words, rewarding helps promoting self-reward and self-reinforcement. However, rewards cause desired behaviors to tail off. When a teacher appreciates a particular student, this will reduce other students interests in their lesson and this will lead to misbehaving, too. It also prevents long term goals from being attained because it becomes an obstacle to long lasting goals. What is more, opposed to our daily experiences, rewards hinder higher educational triumph. All in all, what Reyes suggests in her article turns out to be correct, so Reyes and I are on the same page.

Read more: How to Encourage Good Behavior in Children | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2038239_encourage-good-behavior-children.html#ixzz2IH6UeKbv

Behaviour ladder

Draw a big ladder onto a big piece of paper with the children's names on little cards.

Every time a child achieves something in any area, they move up a step on the ladder, and everytime they do something negative they move down one step.

The incentive is to get to the top to win a secret prize!!!!All children respond to attention and, therefore, a focus on positive behaviour will reinforce positive behaviour. Many teacher make a point of trying to catch children being good and praise or reward them for this, placing the focus of attention in theclassroom on the majority of children who behave appropriately. In many classrooms,

teachers have adopted a formalised approach to rewards and praise, where children earn tokens, points or stickers for positive behaviour.Gordon (1996) gives the following advice for the use of rewards:l reward appropriate behaviour as soon as possible;l make the pay-offs small, and attainable;l make the rewards cumulative;l make the pay-offs cooperative (ie. encouraging the class to work together for areward);l never take back a reward; andl use the element of surprise (eg, by giving a double reward unexpectedly).

Many disruptive behaviours occur at transition times, for example when children are moving from one activity to another. It is, therefore, essential to plan for routines and transitions. Transitions can be flagged by the teacher eg, “In five minutes, we will finish this activity and eat our lunch.” A child with a specific learning difficulty may, for example, find organising books and equipment a particular challenge. A verbal or visual clue about what will happen next can, therefore, help with management of classroom life. Giving clear instructions to children about what is required of them is part of everyday life in the classroom. Teachers give an enormous number of commands during the school day with some research indicating an average number in a half-hour of thirty-five. This has been shown to rise to sixty where children have more behaviour problems (Webster-Stratton, 1999). Webster-Stratton describes children as being caught in a “command storm”. In order to make teachers’ instructions more effective she suggests that commands should be:l delivered after the teacher has sought and gained attention;l short, clear and specific;l expressed in positive terms;l followed by time for children to comply;

6 Guidelines for Teachersl followed up by positive reinforcement of children who have followed the commands; and l reinforced by giving further signals to non-compliant children such as by standing close, using eye-contact and calling their name.The introduction of the social personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum hasafforded teachers discrete time and a structure within which to address the teaching of social skills. Many teachers use approaches such as talk and discussion (including circle time), drama and co-operative games to achieve the objectives of the SPHE curriculum.

The Primary Curriculum (1999) states that SPHE “fosters the personal development, health and well being of the child, and helps him/ her to create and maintain supportive relationships and to become an active and responsible citizen in society”. Many of the skills fostered by the SPHE programme, such as decision-making, conflict resolution, communication and self-awareness are central to the promotion of

positive behaviour in the classroom. Children must be aware that misbehaviour has clear, consistent consequences, and that failure to keep rules or to behave well will incur consequences. These can be presented to a child as a choice, where a teacher might say, “I have asked you twice to work quietly. If you continue to talk, you will have to work at a separate table.” This is a way of holding children accountable for their behaviour. Consequences should be consistent, promptly applied, reasonable and related to the behaviour concerned.

A Whole-School ApproachMany of the strategies above have been adopted by schools as part of a whole-school approach to the promotion of positive behaviour. Schools in general report that such an approach to the promotion of positive behaviour has been more effective. Several areas have been highlighted as benefiting from a whole school approach. A shared ethos for the school which emphasises care, respect and responsibility can be both a starting point and a result of an emphasis on positive behaviour. Practical manifestations of such an ethos include school assemblies where success is celebrated, a welcoming attitude to parents, buddying of younger children or children with special education needs, a sharing of responsibility with students and the use of children’s first names. The cornerstone of such an approach is that it is shared by the whole school community, including staff, children, parents and the board of management. The approach taken by the school must also be appropriate to the context in which the school operates, including factors related to the broader community. The role of parents in an approach to positive behaviour is extremely important. The Education Welfare Act (2000) requires schools to provide parents with a copy of the Code of Behaviour and states that schools may require parents to confirm that it is acceptable to them. Teachers have also found that parental involvement in acknowledging positive behaviour, through the use of a note in the homework journal, or in making reports to parents is very useful. Research has shown that children regard a positive note home as the best reward, while a negative note home was seen as the worst sanction. A whole school approach to the promotion of positive behaviour also enables staff to support each other. Collaboration involves staff in discussions about behaviour without the danger that individuals may feel that their classroom management skills are being questioned. Staff support has also been identified as one of the major factors in coping effectively with incidents relating to challenging behaviour. In schools where there are particular problems, staff may have a system of calling another member of staff to assist by removing a pupil, or the class group, where necessary, to calm a difficult situation. Finally, a sense of common purpose in the promotion of positive behaviour is very effective in dealing with behaviour in public areas, such as corridors, assembly areasand the yard. A shared understanding of what constitutes acceptable behaviour in these spaces, a willingness by all staff to deal with all children, and facilitating other members of staff to become involved in situations leads to a cohesive approach to behaviour which is more easily accepted by children. Children will test the limits of every system, and so it is particularly important that a school’s induction policy

should ensure that new or substitute teachers are given a clear understanding of procedures related to behaviour. Some schools have adopted or adapted particular systems of positive behaviour such as ‘Discipline for Learning’. A description of one school’s experience of implementing ‘Discipline for Learning’ is included in the INTO publication Discipline in the Primary School (2002), the key to success of any system is that the procedures are fully discussed, understood and agreed by all staff.http://www.into.ie/ROI/Publications/ManagingChallengingBehaviour.pdf

Reward Systems That Work:What to Give and When to Give It!

Read about four teachers' ways of rewarding students' good behavior and motivation. Learn what to give and when and how you can encourage students to improve. Included: 35 reasonable rewards!

"The rewards help students remember the classroom rules and commonsense manners," teacher Shelley Giesbrecht told Education World. "I use them for behavior modification, and I use them only when I need to. I pick up toys at garage sales, dollar stores, and Wal-Mart, and buy stickers and pencils often as well."

35 Reasonable Rewards

1. Be the line leader

2. Pick a game at recess

3. Sit with a friend

4. Sit with the teacher at lunch

5. Sit next to the teacher during story time

6. Teach the class a favorite game

7. Take a homework pass

8. Have lunch with the teacher

9. Sit at the teacher's desk for the day or a set amount of time

10. Have the teacher make a positive phone call home

11. Enjoy a positive visit with the principal

12. Eat with a friend in the classroom (with the teacher)

13. Choose the game during gym

14. Be first in the lunch line

15. Be the teacher's helper for the day

16. Choose a book for read aloud

17. Read a book to the class

18. Have a free serving of milk

19. Draw on the chalkboard

20. Chew sugar-free gum

21. Choose any class job for the week

22. Choose music for the class to hear

23. Use colored chalk

24. Get a drink

25. Make a bulletin board

26. Help in a classroom of younger children

27. Assist the custodian

28. Use the teacher's chair

29. Work in the lunchroom

30. Take home a class game for a night

31. Keep a stuffed animal at desk

32. Operate a film projector or other equipment

33. Be the leader of a class game

34. Do half of an assignment

35. Take extra computer tim

Giesbrecht, a teacher at Blue Clay School in Arnaud, Manitoba (Canada), put out a call for suggestions of inexpensive motivating rewards for students. She then created a list of free or inexpensive ways to reward children.

One teacher suggested keeping a small gumball machine in the classroom and occasionally distributing pennies so that students may get a serving of small candies from it. Another recommended distributing free bookmarks and posters that come from book clubs or giving free books obtained with book club points. Still another educator suggested asking parents for donations of small wrapped candies, stickers, and fun pencils.

BIRDIE BUCKS MEAN BIG BUSINESS FOR KIDS

Jen McCalley of Ainsworth Elementary in Portland, Oregon, has a terrific way to help the children in her class earn rewards. A self-proclaimed "parrot-raising bird fanatic," she has created "Birdie Bucks" for her fourth and fifth graders to collect and spend in her classroom store.

"Students receive a $1 Birdie Buck for each day they turn in homework on time and complete," she explained. "Students also receive a Birdie Buck if they have no warnings or timeouts during the day. On Fridays, students are able to buy things from a 'Birdie Store' that I have. There are three plastic containers: a cheap box (items in this box will cost the students $5 and under in Birdie Bucks), a medium box ($6-$20), and an expensive box ($20-$100). Students may save and buy more expensive items. It is up to them."

The Birdie Buck system rewards students who do not typically have behavior problems, and at the same time it is an easy incentive program with instant rewards and high student interest.

"Students know they can earn rewards in two areas, homework and behavior, so they are not 'out of it' if they goof up one area," said McCalley. Class members receive one buck each day for following directions, having no time-outs, and trying their hardest. They receive another for doing the day's homework. "Students find a treasure they want in the store and actively work on earning bucks for it. They love it! Each year my new class asks me when we will start! I have to change the color of the Birdie Bucks each year so siblings and friends don't pass them on!"

'SETTLE-MART' HELPS STUDENTS BECOME SETTLED AND SMART

"With the store, the children get a sense that they are at school to do a job, not just to play. Most of them have someone in their family who goes to work and earns a paycheck. I do my best to let them earn their salary. They take pride in earning their salary," said Becky Settlemoir, a first-grade teacher at Fuller Elementary in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Settlemoir's store has six plastic containers about the size of a shoe box. Each box is labeled with a different coin value.

The 5-cent box has candy such as Jolly Ranchers and peppermints.The 10-cent box contains cool pencils, balloons, and erasers.

The 20-cent container offers larger candy in single-serving sizes, plastic rings, and necklaces.The 30-cent box has party favors.The 40-cent box has toy cars and prizes from kids' meals.The most valuable of all the store's containers, the 50-cent box, has boxes of crayons, markers, other school supplies, modeling clay, stickers, and bead kits."My students have to earn a salary to be able to buy items from my store," Settlemoir stated. "I keep a running tab of their points on a sheet such as a page from my grade book. Each student starts with 100 points. The students lose points when they misbehave. I take 10 points for fighting, hitting, doing anyone physical harm, or cheating; 5 points for rudeness, disrespect, loud noises, and anything along those lines; and 1 point for minor things. At the end of two weeks, I give them their salaries." The amounts given are

100 points = 25 cents,99-90 points = 20 cents,89-80 = 10 cents,79-70 = 5 cents, and69-0 = 0 cents.Settlemoir uses paper money from the students' math books for the store. Although most of the students spend their money right away, some do save their salaries for larger items. When that happens, others often choose to save their "funds" as well. Most of the money Settlemoir invests in the store is spent on the constant supply of candy.

During this school year, Settlemoir has also instituted a "compliment system." The class earns a point when a member of the staff, a visitor, or even another student gives it a compliment. The group's total is kept on the board. When the class has received ten compliments, the students get a surprise. The surprises have included a class pet (an albino African-clawed frog named Clawdine), a window bird feeder, two players for portable listening centers, and some animal crackers!

Tips for 'Storekeepers' from Betty SettlemoirGive out class points. They are especially helpful for students who lose individual points often for behavior problems.Award class points for compliments given by other teachers and administrators.Make other staff members aware of your class's reward system so they can remind students to be on their best behavior.Keep parents informed, and give them an opportunity to contribute items for rewards.Seek community support. Some organizations and businesses will donate pencils, pens, and other promotional items.Watch for post-holiday sales, and stock your "store" for the next year!Photo shops and stores that develop film will often save film canisters for classes. Students may decorate and put their names on the canisters and use them to hold their money.Be consistent. Explain the reward system completely and enforce it. If the teacher believes in the program, so will the students!KIDS PUT THEIR PAWS ON BIG REWARDS

In honor of their mascot, the greyhound, students at Greyhound Intermediate School in Eaton Rapids, Michigan, receive PAWS cards. The cards, created by the school's Promoting

Productive Behavior Committee, reward students for good behavior -- and they seem to be working!

Sixth-grade teacher Denise Kane explained the system. "Basically, the goal of the PAWS program is to promote productive behavior in the school and to give all school employees a way to interact positively with students. Our school is fifth and sixth grade and has about 480 students. We operate in some ways like an elementary school in that students rotate by homerooms. So, when the students go to gym, for example, everyone in the homeroom goes. Therefore, if a whole class is in the hall, they are all together. Kids are rewarded individually or as a class for good hallway behavior. That is how a class can get points."

All school employees -- including teachers, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, custodial workers, administrators, and office personnel -- possess PAWS cards. They are laminated business cards that have the names of the school's personnel on the back. Any staff member can give a PAWS card to a student or a class that he or he observes displaying good behavior. There are established guidelines; staff may

give one PAWS card per hallway trip,give one card per situation,not give cards to his or her own team,give cards to whole classes or individuals for proper behavior,give cards for improved behavior,give cards for good behavior (not necessarily exceptional behavior) and raise the standards as the students' behavior improves,not give cards when students ask for them.Once a student gets a card, he or she gives it to the homeroom teacher, who tallies it and then returns it to the giver's mailbox. The school estimates that if all classes earned all rewards, the school would spend $1,000. Whole classes earn rewards at various benchmarks:

Number ofCards Reward25 PAWS pencil50 Cool pencil-top eraser75 Free time with the principal100 Free time in the computer lab150 Free time in the gym200 Tootsie Roll Pops250 Cafeteria treat300 Fast-food coupons350 Free time400 PTO-donated treat450 Movie, popcorn, soft drinks500 Pizza party"There are some common things that we get cards for," said Kane. "The custodian often gives us a card for having all the junk picked up off the floor so she can sweep, some kids help pick up trash in the cafeteria or outside during lunch, and some kids routinely will stay

and help exploratory teachers with a chore. Our kids are very well behaved in the hallways and often get [cards] for that."

Kane observed that her sixth-grade students who were new to the system were not fond of it at first. Now that she teaches children who were a part of the program in fifth grade, she has found that they do enjoy it. She feels that one way to improve the system would be to lower the number of points required to win some of the bigger rewards. With only 180 school days in the year, her students find it nearly impossible to earn hundreds of PAWS cards.When it comes to rewarding grades and behavior there is a fine line that all parents need to walk. You do not want to find yourself slipping into the chasm of bribery, but you do want your child to know when you are proud of them and that there are unexpected benefits to working hard at doing well.

Positive reinforcement is a very important part of learning and development, after all. If your child receives nothing but negative feedback, then their self-esteem may be damaged and they might learn to seek out and respond solely to the negative attention that you are giving them. It is important to reward your child when they make the correct choices, but the key to doing so and successfully sending the message you choose is to do so correctly.

Shifting the Focus from Rewards to CelebrationsMore and more studies are being done that suggest that the time-honored tradition of paying children to achieve good grades is actually harming rather than helping. Though many parents believe that motivating children to perform well with 'wages' will have a positive effect on their grades or behavior, recent findings have suggested otherwise.

These findings state that a child is more likely to lose interest in a task or goal that they are being paid to accomplish than one who attempts the same task or goal simply to accomplish it. Experts suggest that instead of teaching their child to expect payment, which can escalate as the child learns to use the system against the parent, parents instead help them celebrate their hard work and accomplishments.

Keep Praise and Reward ReasonableIt is normal to want to praise and reward your child for doing well, but in order to help your child continue achieving, try to restrict yourself to certain rules and behaviors. Let your child know how happy and proud you are as well as how happy and proud they should be about their accomplishments. Share these positive feelings with other friends and family members.

Your child will remember the good feelings and associate them with their success. Don't think that you cannot do something nice for your child when they achieve either. Just try to make it a spontaneous shared experience rather than a wad of cash. Go out to dinner to celebrate. Remember also to make sure that you do not reward every achievement, you do not want to teach your child to expect a reward, just to appreciate one.

Sending the Right Message with RewardsMost importantly of all when it comes to rewarding your child's good grades and behavior, is sending the right message. Do not praise your child's intelligence when they succeed, instead focus on their effort. Praise good habits, the ones that lead to good grades and

behaviors, rather than the grades and behaviors themselves. Take care to teach your child that you respect their work rather than an arbitrary number or letter.

If you do not, you could find that your child will try to hold on to your praise by restricting themselves from activities and challenges for fear of failing and losing their rewards.

3. Describe the characteristics of authoritative teachers.Authoritative Classroom-Management Style

By Bryant Harland, eHow Contributor

Print this article

Classroom-management styles are categorized according to two major factors: the control the teacher exercises over students and how much the students are involved in the classroom.There are four major types of classroom-management styles, including authoritative, indulgent, authoritarian and permissive. Authoritative management stands out from the rest of the management styles by having both a high level of student involvement and a high level of classroom control by the teacher.

Other People Are Reading

How to Appear More Authoritative Classroom Management Skills

Differences From Other Styles

Both authoritative and authoritarian classroom styles are characterized by high levels of control; however, authoritarian control is attained by having stringent rules and regulations with little to no explanation or feedback from the students. The indulgent (also known as laissez-faire) management style has a high level of student involvement but involves little to no rules, where the teacher supports any move the students make. An authoritative teacher compromises with students on some things to actively involve them, but still enforces consequences for inappropriate behavior. The permissive style lacks both involvement and control, and is characterized by a low level of teacher support and little to no rules or regulations to control behavior.

Characteristics

Authoritative classroom management has several characteristics that help promote student involvement and regulate behavior without being authoritarian. Authoritative teachers communicate their expectations clearly, and they have high expectations for the students, but they will explain why they have the rules and expectations. The authoritative style encourages classroom discussion and questions that are relevant to what the teacher is

covering. Even when students are acting inappropriately, authoritative teachers maintain a respectful, firm tone and provide students with a warning before giving a punishment.

Behavior Management

Although authoritative style takes measures to reduce behavioral problems, they will still crop up. The way that a teacher reacts to inappropriate behavior is also part of his classroom-management style. An authoritative teacher that makes his expectations and rules clear from the beginning will also make sure that students know there are consequences for choosing not to follow the rules. Rules should be enforced both promptly and consistently, and punishment should be fair according to the behavior, so that students see it more as a natural consequence of their own choices than as the result of the teacher getting angry.

Advantages

The high level of student involvement that comes with authoritative management often fosters a high level of student self-motivation. Encouraging discussions helps to build social competence. The mixture of lecturing and class discussions makes it easy for the teacher to put variety into the class period, which increases attentiveness.

Teaching Style and Classroom Management

Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, ParentMagic Newsletter, Special Teachers' Edition, July 2005

For more articles like this visit http://www.parentmagic.com/.

The process of maintaining a calm and productive classroom environment starts with the teacher. The action and attitudes of a teacher toward a student who is misbehaving can make the situation better or worse. Have you ever noticed that on a day that you are not feeling well, the students are more poorly behaved? Students look to the teacher for consistency and safety in the classroom. Some kids will become anxious and withdraw if it appears that a teacher cannot handle behavior problems. Other students, however, will retaliate if they feel a teacher is overreacting to a situation in a hostile and unnecessary way.

Effective Teachers are Both Warm and Demanding

Teachers manifest different personalities and teaching styles in the classroom and it is helpful to categorize these approaches in terms of some basic dimensions. It has been said that good teachers are both warm and demanding. Being warm means caring and emotional support for students. Being demanding—in the good sense—means expecting something from your kids, both in terms of academic work and behavior. Depending on whether the warm and demanding switches are in the “OFF” or “ON” positions, we can describe four fundamental teaching styles.

Authoritarian: Demanding ON, Warm OFF

Teachers in this category are quick to “jump” on every behavior that is not acceptable in the classroom. Support and positive reinforcement, however, are rare. The authoritarian teacher may use a loud voice to get the attention of her students. She may act shocked and angry when students don’t follow her directives. The “benefit” of this style is that the teacher frequently gets the immediate compliance from her students. The cost of the authoritarian style includes student anxiety and minimal long-term positive effects. No student enjoys a teacher’s yelling. Although kids may comply out of fear, this teaching technique rarely produces behavioral changes that last over time.

Permissive: Demanding OFF, Warm ON

Teachers in this category are often “too nice.” They want students to like them and they want to be helpful, so they are warm and supportive but not very good at setting limits. Permissive teachers may focus on effort while de-emphasizing the quality of students’ productions. Disruptive behavior may be ignored or handled with weak, soft-spoken “reprimands” or pleading. While warmth and support are good qualities, students still appreciate discipline even if they don’t show it. The cost of the permissive style is a classroom that is out of control. Constructive learning does not flow well. While students may describe a permissive teacher as “nice and easy”, when push comes to shove they do not feel that they can trust her to take care of problem situations.

Detached: Demanding OFF, Warm OFF

The detached teacher tends to be neither warm nor demanding. She may sit at her desk when students are working or grade papers when “supervising” the playground. Students who need extra emotional support do not get it from her, and students who need firm behavioral limits do not get that either. The detached teacher may miss important “warning signs” from students who are having trouble, academically or behaviorally. Other students may withdraw and feel unimportant. And still other kids may increase acting-out behavior.

Authoritative: Demanding ON, Warm ON

The authoritative teacher is the ideal, though this approach is easier said than done! This teacher has a positive, kind and supportive relationship with her students, but they know

when she “means business.” Because she has an effective discipline plan and her classroom is orderly, the students trust her and respect her. There is more time for academics. This teacher feels empowered and energized because she sees positive growth and development in her students. Her students feel safe as well as capable.

I instructions

1 Develop relationships with your students. Good teachers are able to influence their students in a positive way. They get to know each child individually, show interest in each child and focus on that child's personal strengths. Authoritative teachers set high standards for their students and set expectations. Having good, solid relationships with each student will make it easier for the teacher to be authoritative when it comes time to enforce the rules, hand out unwanted homework or solve problems in the classroom.

2

Set boundaries. The authoritative teacher sets limits in the classroom. A good teacher will explain why rules are in place or why certain decisions have been made. An authoritative teacher handles disruptions with immediate, firm consequences but does not yell or berate the child. An authoritative teacher should feel comfortable and confident when disciplining students. Children need to know who is in charge but should not feel that the teacher is there to please them, nor are they there to harm them.

3

Be open. An authoritative teacher is open to feedback, interaction and debates. When a problem arises, it is important for the student to explore their choices and use their own judgment. The student can express his thoughts and feelings openly without fear that he will not be heard. Students should be made to feel comfortable asking questions or making comments. An authoritative classroom gives students the chance to develop good communication skills.

4

Be a positive role model. Students look up to their teachers, and it is important for the authoritative teacher to display positive behavior and to have a positive attitude toward the students. A good authoritative teacher will offer positive comments or rewards to her students when they have done well on homework assignments or exhibited positive behaviors in class. She will also encourage and motivate students who might be struggling. The authoritative teacher encourages independence, cooperation and respect.

Read more: How to Be an Authoritative Teacher | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8537384_authoritative-teacher.html#ixzz2IFpcZZRr

The authoritative teacher places limits and controls on the students but simultaneously encourages independence. This teacher often explains the reasons behind the rules and decisions. If a student is disruptive, the teacher offers a polite, but firm, reprimand. This teacher sometimes metes out discipline, but only after careful consideration of the circumstances. The authoritative teacher is also open to considerable verbal interaction, including critical debates. The students know that they can interrupt the teacher if they have a relevant question or comment. This environment offers the students the opportunity to learn and practice communication skills. Ms. Smith exemplifies the authoritative teaching style. She exhibits a warm and nurturing attitude toward the students and expresses genuine interest and affection. Her classroom abounds with praise and encouragement. She often writes comments on homework and offers positive remarks to students. This authoritative teacher encourages self-reliant and socially competent behavior and fosters higher achievement motivation. Often, she will guide the students through a project, rather than lead them.

A student reacts to this style: I like this teacher. She is fair and understands that students can't be perfect. She is the kind of teacher you can talk to without being put down or feeling embarrassed.

The following characteristics best describe the teacher that I want to be. The authoritative teacher gives students options, is understanding of their feelings, thoughts and needs and gives students praise for what they do in and out of school. These are some traits that I value and will use in my classroom. I think that it is very important for students in your classroom feel special and loved. Only the atmosphere that you provide can make that happen. The authoritative teacher also encourages students to do/be their best no matter what academic level they are at, as well as sets the guidelines for the classroom. All of these distinctive traits are ones that I already have, or ones that I will learn how to use in my classroom. When it comes to behavior I want my students to know what is expected of them and what consequences they will be faced with when a classroom rules is broken. Rules need to be clearly stated and posted at the beginning of each school year. I also think that it is important to ask your students for their input on classroom rules and expectations so they can hold each other accountable for their actions.

I believe that my needs as a teacher are those of an authoritative style teacher. After reviewing the other three styles, I realized that there is a little bit of me in each one. I want my students to know they are important and their opinions matter to me. My classroom will be full of positive reinforcement and respect. As long as students try in my classroom, they will succeed!

Enhancing Students' Socialization: Key Elements. ERIC Digest.

by Brophy, Jere

Coping with students who display problems in personal and social adjustment can be frustrating. Success in teaching problem students often requires extra time, energy, and

patience. Recent research reviewed by Jones (1996) indicates that teachers rank individual students who have serious or persistent behavior problems as their chief cause of stress. However, teachers can take direct actions toward minimizing classroom conflicts by socializing students into a classroom environment conducive to learning.

Key elements of successful student socialization include modeling and instruction of prosocial behavior; communicating positive expectations, attributes, and social labels; and reinforcing desired behavior (Dix, 1993; Good & Brophy, 1994, 1995). Successful socialization further depends on a teacher's ability to adopt an authoritative teaching style for classroom management, and to employ effective counseling skills when seeking to develop positive relationships with individual students.

MODELING

Modeling prosocial behavior is the most basic element for enhancing student socialization, because teachers are unlikely to be successful socializers unless they practice what they preach. Modeling, accompanied by verbalization of the self-talk that guides prosocial behavior, can become a very influential method of student socialization because it conveys the thinking and decision making involved in acting for the common good. In situations in which prosocial behavior is difficult for students to learn, modeling may have to be supplemented with instruction (including practice exercises) in desirable social skills and coping strategies. Such instruction should convey not only PROPOSITIONAL KNOWLEDGE (description of the skill and an explanation of why it is desirable), but also PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE (how to implement the skill) and CONDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE (when and why to implement it).

PROJECTING POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS

Consistent projection of positive expectations, attributes, and social labels to students may have a significant impact on fostering self-esteem and increasing motivation toward exhibiting prosocial behaviors. Students who are consistently treated as if they are well-intentioned individuals who respect themselves and others and who desire to act responsibly, morally, and prosocially are more likely to develop these qualities than students who are treated as if they had the opposite inclinations especially if their positive qualities and behaviors are reinforced through expressions of appreciation. When delivered effectively, such reinforcement is likely to increase students' tendencies to attribute their desirable behavior to their own personal traits and to reinforce themselves for possessing and acting on the basis of those traits.

AUTHORITATIVE TEACHING

Teachers, as the authority figure in the classroom, need to be authoritative rather than either authoritarian or laissez-faire. Teachers have the right and the responsibility to exert leadership and to exercise control, but they increase their chances of success if they are understanding and supportive of students and if they make sure that students understand the reasons behind their demands. Focusing on desired behavior (stressing what to do rather than what not to do) and following up with cues and reminders is also effective. Teachers should be prepared to supply objectively good reasons for their behavior demands.

When situations calling for disciplinary interventions arise, it is important for teachers to handle them effectively. General principles for doing so can be identified: minimize power struggles and face-saving gestures by discussing the incident with the student in private rather than in front of the class; question the student to determine his or her awareness of the behavior and explanation for it; make sure that the student understands why the behavior is inappropriate and cannot be tolerated; seek to get the student to accept responsibility for the behavior and to make a commitment to change; provide any needed modeling or instruction in better ways of coping; work with the student to develop a mutually agreeable plan for solving the problem; concentrate on developing self-regulation capacities through positive socialization and instruction rather than on controlling behavior through the assertion of power. Teachers who employ effective student socialization strategies can develop genuine solutions to students' chronic personal and behavioral problems rather than merely inhibiting the frequency of misconduct by applying sanctions.

COUNSELING SKILLS

Basic socialization and counseling skills may be needed for working with individual students, especially those who display chronic problems in personal development or adjustment. These basic skills include developing personal relationships with problem students and reassuring them of your continued concern about their welfare despite their provocative behavior; monitoring them closely and, if necessary, intervening frequently but briefly and nondisruptively to keep them engaged in academic activities during class; dealing with their problems in more sustained ways outside of class time; handling conflicts calmly without becoming engaged in power struggles; questioning them in ways that are likely to motivate them to talk freely and supply the needed information; using active listening, reflection, interpretation, and related techniques for drawing them out and helping them to develop better insights into themselves and their behavior; insisting that the students accept responsibility for controlling their own behavior while at the same time supportively helping them to do so; and developing productive relationships with their parents.

ATTRIBUTES OF SUCCESSFUL TEACHERS

Good and Brophy (1995) have identified some general attributes of teachers that contribute to their success in socializing students. These attributes include:

*SOCIAL ATTRACTIVENESS, based on a cheerful disposition, friendliness, emotional maturity, sincerity, and other qualities that indicate good mental health and personal adjustment;

*EGO STRENGTH, exhibited in self-confidence that allows teachers to be calm in a crisis, listen actively without being defensive, avoid win-lose conflicts, and maintain a problem-solving orientation;

*REALISTIC PERCEPTIONS OF SELF AND STUDENTS, without letting perceptions become clouded by romanticism, guilt, hostility, or anxiety;

*ENJOYMENT OF STUDENTS, while maintaining their identity as an adult, a teacher, and an authority figure; being friendly but not overly familiar; and being comfortable with the group without becoming a group member;

*CLARITY ABOUT TEACHER ROLES and comfort in playing them, which enables teachers to explain coherently to students what they expect;

*PATIENCE AND DETERMINATION in working with students who persist in testing limits;

*ACCEPTANCE OF THE INDIVIDUAL, though not necessarily of all of his or her behavior, and making this attitude clear to students; and

*THE ABILITY TO STATE AND ACT ON FIRM BUT FLEXIBLE LIMITS

based on clear expectations, keeping rules to a minimum and liberalizing them as students become more independent and responsible over time.

Developing these personal qualities and using research-based principles for managing the classroom will set the stage for student socialization and will go a long way toward minimizing the need for disciplinary interventions.

CONCLUSION

Teachers are asked to take responsibility for an increasingly diverse population of students in situations where individual differences are to be expected and accepted. An attitude of caring and an orientation to students is crucial to success in socializing students into a classroom culture that fosters learning. Interacting with students for several hours each day in various situations puts teachers in a position to take direct action in helping students cope with their problems.

Research shows that teachers' feelings of self-efficacy or confidence are correlated with their effectiveness ratings. Developing the skills for enhancing student socialization represents an expansion of the teacher's role beyond that of instructor or classroom manager. Teachers who believe that they possess, or at least are developing, good management and student socialization skills will be able to remain patient and focused on seeking solutions when confronted with difficult problems. In contrast, teachers who view management and socialization skills as talents in which they are lacking may tend to become frustrated and give up easily. Through developing their role as facilitators of students' socialization into the learning environment, teachers can create the potential for having a significant impact on the lives of problem students.

Authoritative teaching and teacher‐pupil relationships

The concept of authoritarian teaching is adapted from Baumrinds’ (1967, 1978, 1991) parenting styles. Authoritarian teachers work to build relationships of warmth, acceptance, and openness on the one hand and to control, establish high standards, and have high expectations of socially responsible behaviour on the other. Such a combination aims at preventing problems, and also has the dual purpose of managing behaviour in the short term and developing responsibility among pupils in the long term (Hughes, 2002; Pellerin, 2005). In short the authoritative style, in line with Baumrinds’ typology, centre around the combination of the two dimensions warmth and control. Walker (2009) argue that both dimensions are needed in order to handle the complex processes in the classroom. The warmth dimension deals with teachers’ interest in their pupils, building positive relationships, while the control dimension focus on establishing routines for different situations as well as monitoring their behaviour. This teacher style seems to be beneficial especially for pupils who are at risk for poor academic achievement (Hughes, 2002) and aggressive pupils (Meehan, Hughes & Cavell, 2003). However, as Baker et al. (2009) argues, authoritative teaching may be beneficial for all pupils and suggest this type of teacher style to be universal.

Although a growing body of research focus on the concept of the authoritative teacher, there are still relatively few studies. However, the concept of the warm demander is not new (e.g.

Kleinfeld, 1975; Morrison, 1975; Walker, 2008). Also, research focusing on similar concepts e.g. the relation between teacher and pupil, describes positive results for pupils’ social adjustment and achievement when the relation was characterised by warmth and control. Considerable evidence supports the beneficial effect of a close teacher‐ pupil relationship on children’s academic and behavioural outcomes (Ertesvåg, 2009 for overview). The relationship between teacher and pupils is important for developing a good learning environment, as pupils’ relationships with their teachers have been shown to be important predictors of academic and social adjustment (e.g. Hamre & Pianta, 2005; Henricsson & Rydell, 2006; Hughes, 2002; Roland & Galloway, 2002). Further, teachers’ ability to manage and control their pupils’ learning and behaviour in the classroom also predicts pupil achievement (Good & Brophy, 2007). Control reflects consistent enforcement of rules and provision of structure to children’s activities. The concepts of authoritative teaching and teacher – pupil relationship are discussed in more detail in previous studies (Ertesvåg, 2009, 2011).