Teaching your rules and procedures are just as important on emphasizing and reinforcing appropriate behavior. Positive reinforcement is one way to give an obvious payoff for those behaviors that you have been teaching and reinforcing all along.
It is easier to respond to misbehavior than what students have done well. Students need to see the positive, more human side to teaching. In general, positive reinforcement is something rewarding students receive in return for their hard work or accomplishments, effort or some other appropriate behavior.
Positive reinforcement is the opposite of punishment, which when used correctly, is a direct consequence of students’ inappropriate behavior.
Positive reinforcers come in all shapes and sizes. It is up to you to decide which ones work best for your style and students. Does your school offer other positive reinforcers?
Once you have taken enough actions to maintain order in the classroom, consider the following incentives for positive reinforcement.
Social reinforcers for elementary students
- Laugh/smile
- A song
Social reinforces for secondary students
- Laugh/smile
- A small chat
- A phone call
Privileges for elementary students
- Helping the teacher write on the board
- Erasing the board
- Acting as class monitor
Privileges for secondary students
- Telling a joke to the class
- Playing a game
- Watching a movie
Artificial reinforcers (tangibles) for elementary students
- Erasers/pencils
- Stickers
- Stars
- Candies
- Certificates
And for secondary school students
- Popcorn/soda/candies
- Stamps
- Letter/certificate
What other reinforcers can you add to these lists?
Check out these sites on positive reinforcements
certificates (basic, generic and general)
more award certificates (more specific)
a list of compliments and awards (I loved reading through this one!)
Dorit Sasson - Hello! I'm an ESL instructor, teacher diversity coach and writer for the educational markets who writes on English language learners ...
