Promoting a Positive

Learning Environment
EDUC 4502 Student Teacher Interaction

Contents

Name

: Jocelyn Wuici CHAI

Student ID

: 1601146

Word length

: 2646 words

Introduction

Guide to Symbols

Theorists

o Abraham Maslow

o Bill Rogers

o Jacob Kounin

o Rudolf Dreikurs

o William Glasser

o Levin & Nolan

Preventative Actions

o Abraham Maslow

o Bill Rogers

10

o Jacob Kounin

10

o Others

11

Supportive Actions

12

o Jacob Kounin

12

o Rudolf Dreikurs

12

o Levin & Nolan

13

o Others

13

Corrective Actions

15

o Bill Rogers

15

o Rudolf Dreikurs

15

o William Glasser

16

o Levin & Nolan

17

o Others

17

Conclusion

18

Bibliography

19

Introduction
A positive learning environment is an environment that will motivate students and create
conditions in which learners can achieve to their full potential (Killen 2007, p.23). It is important
for students to be in a safe and comfortable environment because if they were in an
environment where they do not feel accepted or respected, it distracts them from learning.
This handbook highlights a substantial number of classroom strategies that can be
used to promote and maintain positive learning environments. According to Charles (2002, p.
236), there are three groups of interventions teachers use in discipline:
1. Those that prevent misbehaviour
2. Those that support students who are wavering
3. Those that correct misbehaviour and rechannel it in a positive direction.
In saying that, this handbook will concentrate on preventative, supportive and corrective
actions that can be used in the classroom.

Guide to Symbols

P Preventative strategies
S Supportive strategies
T

Corrective strategies

Links to theoretical perspective (with critiques and/or insight)

VRelevant moments in Teachers TV video clips

E Example of application of strategy

Theorists
P Abraham Maslow
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs is a motivational theory that focuses on five motivational needs.
The unfulfillment of the first four levels (physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem) causes a
deficiency that in return motivates people to meet these needs. Basically, all human behaviours
are driven by these needs. At the highest level (self-actualization), behaviour in this case is
not driven or motivated by deficiencies but rather ones desire for personal growth and the
need to become all things that a person is capable of becoming (Maslow 1970). However,
lower level needs must be first satisfied before proceeding to meet higher level needs.

The fulfilment of these needs will prevent student misbehaviour since their behaviour is driven
by these needs in the first place. Therefore, it is our job as teachers to aid students in moving
up Maslows Hierarchy so that they are able to reach self-actualisation and are able to realise
their full potential for learning.

Bill Rogers

C
5

Bill Rogers focuses on four main elements to his approach of behaviour management:

Positive Correction: the basic premise that teachers and schools should adopt a nonconfrontational approach to discipline, based on positive teacher-student relationships,
respect for the dignity and rights of individuals, choices about consequences of behaviour
and encouragement for student self-discipline.

Prevention: planning for good behaviour; teaching the routines and the rules.

Consequences: have a clear structure that students understand and use to inform the
choices they make.

Repair & Rebuild: the imperative to work hard to build and repair the damage that is
done when things dont work out.
(Sherrington 2013)

P Jacob Kounin
Jacob Kounins key ideas for classroom management includes:

Ripple effect: The correction of an individual students behaviour will have a positive
influence on the behaviour of students nearby.

With-it-ness: Teachers need to always be aware of the things that are going on in all parts
of the classroom.

Overlapping: Teachers ability to effectively handle two or more classroom events at the
same time.

Momentum: Momentum refers to the force and flow of a lesson. Effective teachers move
through the lessons at a brisk pace and appear to have very few slowdowns in the flow of
activities.

Smoothness: Smoothness is maintaining direction in the lesson and not being diverted by
irrelevant incidents. The teachers ability to manage smooth transitions between learning
activities.

Group focus: Engaging the attention of the whole class while individuals are responding. A
technique to keep the entire class involved in the learning process so that the students are,
potentially, active participants at all times.

(eLearn Portal 2013)

6

S Rudolf Dreikurs
C

Dreikurs identified four types of goals that motivate childrens misbehaviours: (The Four Goals
of Misbehaviour)

Attention Seeking: The student feels part of the class only when getting attention from
the teacher or other students. (Eg. Constantly demands attention, desires to be teachers
pet, shows off, becomes the class clown.)

Power seeking: The student feels part of the class when controlling the teacher or other
students. (eg. Contradicts, lies, has temper tantrum, questions teachers authority or
knowledge)

Revenge seeking: The student feels left out of the social structure so strikes out at
classmates or teacher. (eg. Aggressive towards teacher or classmates, becomes a bully,
threatens teachers or classmates)

Failure avoiding: The student feels incapable of achieving socially or academically and
no longer tries. (eg. Sleeps or daydreams through class, attempts to be invisible)

(Hardin 2008, p. 88)

William Glasser
Glassers Reality Theory is the idea that we are able to opt for more appropriate behaviours
that will help us in satisfying our needs in the future regardless of what has happened in our
lives in the past. He states that teachers should use the following 5 steps of discipline when a
student misbehaves.
1. Help students identify their inappropriate behaviour.
2. Have students identify various consequences if his inappropriate behaviour
continues.
3. Have students make value judgements about their behaviour and its consequences.
4. Help students create plans to eliminate inappropriate behaviour.
5. Help students stick to their plans or suffer the consequences if they fail to do so.
(Willamette University 2008, p. 202)

Levin & Nolan

S
C

Figure 1 Hierarchy of Management Intervention

Source: Levin & Nolan, 2003, p.43

Preventative Actions
You can prevent most misbehaviour if you treat students sensitively, provide an interesting
curriculum, and use a helpful teaching style (Charles 2002, p. 236).

Abraham Maslow
Classroom strategies:
P1

Have a structured classroom and lessons with clearly established routines, procedures and
practices.
T

Safety needs: By gaining knowledge of the expected dynamics of the classroom, the
student gains more control of their environment simply by being aware of what is going
to happen next (Brickman 2011). Students will feel safe in such an environment.

Praise and Preparation: Amy writes instructions on the board before the start of the lesson so
that the students know what is expected of them that day as soon as they get to their seats.
She also uses an established colour-coded set of instructions for all her lessons.

P2

Allow students to have some control over the lessons.

T

Love/Belonging needs: Students will feel like they belong, valued and are part of the
class when they are given the chance to have an impact on the lesson.

A Lesson From the Best: Phil let his students have some control over the lesson by
allowing them to elect their own captain and also by involving them heavily in the
argument tennis.

P3

Allow students to experience success by designing lessons that promote student success.
T

Esteem needs: Designing easier or manageable tasks help students build their selfesteem and motivate them to continue striving especially if they have had a hard time
with previous tasks.

Love Em or Loathe Em: Pauls lesson on isometric drawing is very manageable and
promotes a high percentage student success compared to Bens.

Bill Rogers
Classroom strategies:
P4

Develop then clarify classroom rules through a behaviour agreement or by constantly enforcing
it.
Prevention: This prevents misbehaviour as students are aware of the

teachers expectations of them.

V
Manage That Class: Jenny constantly enforces the classroom rule of asking
her students to pop their pens down when she wants them to listen.

P5

Establish related consequences for common types of misbehaviour.

Consequences: Students would think twice before misbehaving, as they are

P6

clear of the consequences.

Organise classroom meetings that openly accepts all student suggestions.

Repair and rebuild: Students are given the chance to voice out their

dissatisfaction of classroom practices and teachers are able to work out the best
solution to prevent future misbehaviour.

Jacob Kounin
Classroom strategies:
P7

Arrange the classroom in a way that the students are always in sight.

P8

Scan the room regularly when working with small groups of students.

P9

Always try to face the rest of the class when helping a student one-on-one.
T7 T8 T9

With-it-ness: Teachers will seem like they have eyes in the back of
their heads.

P10

Request students to make hand gestures if they have comments or questions regarding the
lesson.

10

Smoothness: The teacher will be able to identify students that need help and provide
them with the help they need so that the class is able to move on to the next activity
without any disruptions.

P11

Constantly remind students of the amount of time left when doing an activity.
T11

Momentum: The students will always be alert of the time they have left to complete a
certain activity and when times up, they know they have to move on to the next
activity. This ensures the flow of a lesson.

Others
Classroom strategies:
P12

Bri

Teachers should make lectures short to ensure that the students dont get bored.
V

Too Much talk: Instead of giving a long lecture and boring the students, John started
involving the students more by asking them questions and getting them to explain the
concepts.

P14

Know your student names

Bri

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Supportive Actions
Despite your best efforts, students will at times become restive and can easily slip into
misbehaviour. This is the time for you to make use of supportive techniques, which are
pleasant yet effective in keeping students engaged in their work. You should practice a
number of these techniques so you can use them naturally when needed (Charles, 2002,
p. 236).

Jacob Kounin
Classroom strategies:
S1

Encourage the appropriate behaviour of other students.

T

Ripple effect: The ripple effect also works the other way round. Encouraging
appropriate behaviour of on-task students reminds off-task students of the behaviour
that is expected of them.

Attention seekers: Jane replaced negative attention with positive attention. She
stopped scolding students that were interrupting the class but instead praised the
students that were engaging in the lesson.

Rudolf Dreikurs
Classroom strategies:
S2

Minimize the attention by ignoring disruptive behaviours and only rewarding students with
attention when they are on-task.
T

Attention Seeking: Students need to learn that misbehaving will not lead them into
getting attention. Instead, attention will only be given when they are behaving
appropriately and cooperatively.

Girls: Nicola tackles the attention seeking behavior of two very chatty girls by limiting
her visits to their table and depriving them of her presence when they are off-task.
When they are on-task, she rewards them with her attention by showing them her
engagement ring.

S3

Recognise all student achievements.

12

Failure avoiding: Recognising student achievements will help them gain back their

confidence and encourage them to participate in class.

Love Em or Loathe Em: Paul recognises the hard work that his students put into

completing the drawings of the chocolate mould by praising their work in front of the
class.

Levin & Nolan

Classroom strategies:
S4

Catch students eyes and send private signals such as headshakes or hand motions.
T

Signal interference: Signal interference lets the student know that the teacher is
aware of their off-task behaviour.

S5

Use physical proximity by getting to a position that is closer to the disruptive student.
T

Proximity interference: This technique is simple but effective in getting a student

back on task.

S6

reduce his misbehaviour.

Use peers to encourage student participation and engagement in learning.

T
V

S7

Manage that Class: Jenny uses her physical proximity by standing next to Vulcan to

Adjacent (Peer) Reinforcement

Praise and Preparation: Amy asks the rest of the class to give the answer a round of
applause when a student answers correctly.

Call out the names of off-task students.

T
V

Others
13

Calling on Student/Name-Dropping
Manage that Class: Jenny uses the name-dropping technique to get the students
attention back on her.

Classroom strategies:
S8

Remove the object that is competing with the teacher.

S9

Establish cues such as closing the door or flicking the lights for an expected behaviour.
E

S10

Flicking the lights to cue the class to pay attention to the teacher.

Use lots of praise in your language.

V

Praise & Preparation: Amy uses a terrific amount of reinforcement and

encouragement by praising them for their excellent work, excellent listening
and excellent answers.

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Corrective Actions
We have to accept that while good discipline systems can prevent most misbehaviour,
your students will nevertheless break rules at times and you must deal with the
transgressions. If you approach misbehaving students in a sensitive manner, you can help
them return to proper behaviour with no ill feelings (Charles 2002, p. 237).

Bill Rogers
Classroom strategies:
C1

Give students a choice when they are misbehaving. The choice is between the appropriate
responsible behaviour and what the consequence will be if the student continues to choose an
inappropriate behaviour.
E

I need you to work on these math problems or youll be working on them later during
recess time.

Positive correction: This non-confrontational approach gives students a sense of

control over their lives as they are given choices about the consequences of their
behaviour.

Manage that Class: Jenny gives Vulcan the choice to put his phone away or in her
drawer.

Rudolf Dreikurs
Classroom strategies:
C2

Deal with power seeking students by acknowledging the students power and table the matter
later for discussion.
E
T

C3

Youre right, I cant make you do that. We will discuss this later, not during our maths
lesson.
Power seeking: Do not ever accept challenges from power seeking students.

Give the student a time out.

T

15

Power seeking: Students need to deal with their anger so a time out will help them
allow them to think through their actions and slowly calm down.

Willam Glasser
Classroom strategies:
C4

Teachers should avoid inviting excuses by asking why but instead ask questions directly to the
misbehaved student to identify what they have done to cause problems.
E

What are you doing? Is it against the rules? instead of Why are you doing it?
Identify inappropriate behaviour: Asking direct questions forces students to identify
and admit their misbehaviour. Only when students admit and not deny their faults then
theyre able to improve their behaviour.

C5

Teachers should ask a series of questions that will make the students formulate the
consequences of their inappropriate behaviour.
E

An example of questions that will get students to identify the consequences of

throwing a pencil across the room:
Teacher: What can be the result of this?
Student: It might hit someones head.
Teacher: How else could your behaviour have injured someone?
Student: It could poke someones eye.
Teacher: What would happen to him/her then?
Student: They might go blind.

Identify consequences: A range of possible consequences is explored so that

students can visualise the potential dangers of their misbehaviour.

C6

After identifying the consequences, ask students to decide whether they want the
consequences to occur and if they think their behaviour is appropriate.
E

Teacher: Would you still throw a pencil across the room?

Student: No.
Teacher: What do you think about throwing a pencil across the room then?

16

Student: I guess I shouldnt do it again.

T

Make value judgements: This will help students make value judgements of their
behaviour and consequences.

Levin & Nolan

Classroom strategies:
C7

Use positive phrasing when correcting a students behaviour.

E

Negative phrasing: Ally, stop blurting out and disrupting the class.
Positive phrasing: Ally, speak at appropriate times and respect the classroom.

Positive phrasing: The use of positive phrasing helps us focus on what we expect
from the students and not what they shouldnt do.

Others
C8

Use the whisper technique.

E
V

C9

C10

Lean in to a student and whisper Get back to your seat.

Attention Seekers: Jane uses the whisper technique for the students to stop
misbehaving.

Arrange to talk privately to student about their misbehaviour.

Use the principles of the restorative practice.

T

Involve the student actively: A restorative intervention encourages the student to

speak. They face and listen to those who have been affected by their inappropriate
behaviour. They help decide how to repair the harm and make a commitment to this.
The student is held accountable. (Catholic Education Office 2007)

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Conclusion
These classroom strategies are only some out of the countless number of strategies that can
be used to promote a positive learning environment. It is up to you to decide what works best
for a class because every individual in a class is different. They come from different
socioeconomic, cultural, religious and family backgrounds. At the end of the day, it is important
for teachers to get to know their students. Its as simple as having a chat with them from time
to time to find out whats going on in their lives. Only when you know the students you are able
to determine the best way to help them learn. Remember, the role of a teacher is much more
than just teaching.

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Bibliography
Brickman, C 2011, Maslows theory of hierarchical needs: Alive and well in the classroom,
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classrooms, 2nd edn, Pearson/Merrill/Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
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Thomson Social Science Press, Victoria.
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<http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html>.
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East Technical University, viewed 26 April 2015,
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<http://www.metu.edu.tr/~e133376/project/The%20Social%20Discipline%20Model%20of
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Video Clips
SchoolsWorld 2015, Manage that class year 8 friday, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April
2015, < http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/1752>.
SchoolsWorld 2015, Praise & Preparation, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/273>.
SchoolsWorld 2015, Too much talk, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/271>.
SchoolsWorld 2015, A lesson from the best, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/263>.
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SchoolsWorld 2015, Love em or loathe em, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/1265>.
SchoolsWorld 2015, Attention seekers, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/1044>.
SchoolsWorld 2015, Girl talk, video, SchoolsWorld, viewed 15 April 2015,
<http://www.schoolsworld.tv/node/126>.

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