ABSTRACT
This chapter contains ideas that are little extras to help teachers. A beginning teacher trying to get the class focused on the lesson often has the tendency to talk to the ones who are not yet “with her.” This approach focuses on the use of positive reinforcement to increase learning, and includes methods that encourage learning positively rather than punitively or negatively. Positive reinforcement affects many aspects of the classroom: discipline, classroom management, structuring lessons, questioning skills, and a host of other issues about teaching. The basis of this approach is to focus on the children who are doing something correctly. Keys come in such an extensive variety of shapes, sizes, and functions. In the time of knights and castles surrounded by moats, keys were heavy, large, and made of hand-forged iron. Beginning teachers have to find the keys that work for them. The importance of eye contact with the children cannot be overstated.
