One of the tenets of SCM is to give only worthy praise. What is worthy? Here at SCM we define it as work or performance greater than an individual student has done before. In this way, you ensure that it provides the student helpful … Read more
What could possibly be wrong with praising students for being kind? After all, altruism is something you want to encourage, right? You want to create a classroom where doing for others is common practice. It makes everything easier and more pleasant. So when you … Read more
I’ve been writing about praise since 2009, but there is still a lot of confusion over its use. Typically, praise is given far too frequently. Most classrooms are a constant stream of way-to-gos and good-jobs, regardless of accomplishment—or lack thereof. Also known as false … Read more
Last week’s article struck a nerve with some readers. I’m not surprised. Whenever I criticize a strategy that teachers hold dear, I brace for the reaction. Reading some of the comments and emails, however, it occurred to me that much of the ire came … Read more
Here at SCM, we’ve talked a lot about the importance of making your praise worthy. That is, praise that is based on true accomplishment. —Which can be defined as achievement, excellence, or effort beyond what is commonly expected. In this way, we support the … Read more
If you’re a regular reader of SCM, then you know how I feel about rewarding students in exchange for good (i.e. expected) behavior. A do-this-and-get-that approach to classroom management is damaging to kids. It snuffs out intrinsic motivation and turns the student-teacher relationship into … Read more
Recently, I had a chance to visit a classroom management training for new teachers. The trainer was an expert in a program that has gained popularity in recent years. I won’t mention the program by name, but at its core, it’s a token economy, … Read more
A teacher walks wordlessly with one of her most challenging students. They’re on the playground and it’s recess time. Some distance away the rest of the class laughs and plays and loses themselves in games of tetherball and foursquare. From a distance you might … Read more