ABSTRACT
Most individuals respond better to positive reinforcement than negative reinforcement. When developing a set of rules for your classroom, focus on the positive. Display “do’s” rather than a list of “don’ts.” For example, instead of the rule “No yelling,” use the phrase “Use inside voices in the classroom.” When a misbehavior occurs, encourage behavior change by referring to students who exhibit the behavior you expect: “I really like the way Sean’s group is working together on their assigned poster.” This approach compliments appropriate behavior and sends a message to other students that they need to do that as well.
