ABSTRACT
The direct instruction models of teaching call for a classroom atmosphere that is 'warm' but 'firm and businesslike'. Writers such as Helen Cowie see narrative writing as a means of allowing pupils to become 'more socially aware, to develop greater sensitivity to the needs of others, to experiment with social roles and to explore events in the world of imagination'. Certainly, the idea that going into a new class for the first time is rather like going into battle has a long history. Teachers appear to find it difficult to describe ways in which they provide positive reinforcement for the kinds of behaviour that they wish to encourage in the classroom. A number of arguments are often advanced by teachers to justify the necessity of using power to control pupils. In attempting to change a pupil's behaviour the teacher first needs to confront the individual by sending a message indicating that the behaviour is unacceptable.
