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Articles

Testing Limits

What to Do When Students Start Testing Limits

The school year is in full swing: hopes and goals have been established, classroom and school expectations are in place, and learning is in high gear. Everything is off to a great start. So why are you noticing some students beginning to test limits and misbehave? And what can you…
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Oct 21 2019

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes: Re-establishing Balance in Your Classroom

With the changes in fall weather outside, the weather inside the classroom is likely changing too. As a result, teachers often find themselves responding to misbehavior more than they did earlier in the school year. If this sounds familiar, it’s time for a balance check and realignment! Do a Balance…
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Oct 20 2019
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Time-Out: Early, Often, and for Everyone

by Gina Castelli At least once a year, one colleague or another comes to me and says, “Gina, something is not right. Can you observe my class and see if you can figure out what’s going on?” When I observe the class, I might see the teacher tell the same…
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May 18 2017
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Responding to Defiance in the Moment

Why Do Children Defy Authority? At certain ages, children are more likely to defy us and take active steps to test limits. At other ages, children are tuned in to issues of fairness and may push back when they sense an adult is being unjust. Picture Amelia, a sixth grader.…
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Nov 07 2016
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Public Discipline Systems

Public discipline systems—like Class Dojo, stoplights, moving clothespins along a colored card, writing names on the board—can certainly be appealing. Some days can feel as if they’re spent just disciplining, and public discipline systems promise to turn that around by decreasing misbehavior and increasing motivation through the use of visual…
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Jul 13 2015
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Teaching Without Using Rewards

Children build on their strengths, and to do that building—to grow academically and socially—they need us to recognize and encourage their positive efforts. But what’s the best way to offer that recognition and encouragement? For some time, I used rewards—tickets that I gave out when students met expectations. But something…
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Apr 17 2015
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

When Students Need More: Taking the Long View

A reality of teaching that all teachers know well is that no matter how effectively we teach, no matter how hard students try, and no matter how many good days the class has together, students will sometimes need more—more direction, more support, more teaching, more time. But in one of…
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Feb 18 2015
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

When Children Get Rattled

Remember that children develop new skills over time and at different rates. As they develop greater coping skills, they’ll make mistakes. The calmer you are when they fail to shake off a little setback as practiced, the easier it will be for them to bounce back. Keep your cool We…
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Oct 10 2014
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Responsive Classroom and PBIS

"Are Responsive Classroom and PBIS compatible with each other? Can our school use both?" We at Responsive Classroom hear this a lot from educators. If you're hearing the same from colleagues, or if you're asking the question yourself, you'll want to read our new white paper, "Responsive Classroom and PBIS:…
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Jul 09 2014
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Waiting to Speak

Recently, more than a handful of my first graders were struggling with waiting to ask questions or make comments during direct instruction. I responded by using tried and true teacher practices: giving a clear signal (shaking my head no) to let the child know this was not an appropriate time,…
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Mar 11 2014
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

When the Wheels Start to Wobble

Ever drive down the road and realize the car is wobbly and perhaps in need of alignment? Sometimes I just know my class is going to feel the same way. Right before a vacation, the arrival of spring, or a much anticipated field trip are all challenging times that can…
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Feb 26 2014

Reinforcing, Reminding, and Redirecting

Adapted from the new 2nd edition of The Power of Our Words  Language—our words, tone of voice, and pacing— is one of the most powerful tools available to teachers. It permeates every aspect of teaching and learning. We cannot engage children in learning, welcome a student into the room, or…
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Jan 03 2014
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

A Principal’s Job Is Also to Teach

Early in my career as a school leader, I learned a great lesson: that as a principal, I needed to help children learn the skills that would enable the behavior their teachers and I wanted to see. As a teacher, I'd used myriad proactive and reactive approaches to handle classroom…
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Jul 29 2013
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Checking In: Helping Students “Catch Themselves”

Often students struggling with emotional behavioral disabilities are overwhelmed by and over-reactive to daily events that seem mundane to others. They become easily stressed and frustrated, can feel out of control, develop self-doubt, and feel unsure about handling future situations. Empowering them to monitor their own behavior—to check in with…
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May 24 2013
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

When Children Are Defiant

I once taught a second grader who sometimes subtly refused to go along with what we were doing. For instance, if we had to leave the classroom and John didn't want to go, he'd get in line—but then walk as slowly as possible. The more his classmates and I urged…
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Apr 16 2013
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

“We All Get Angry Sometimes”

Natasha hurls a block when her carefully constructed tower falls down. Jose's flower drawing fails to resemble what he envisioned. Ripping up his paper, he stomps away. Abby tells Zara she can't join a math game. Zara scowls and shoves her classmate. Welcome to a fairly typical afternoon in my…
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Apr 16 2013
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Teaching Self-Calming Skills

"You need to calm down." This is something I hear a lot in my work as a behavior specialist when a student starts to get agitated—answering rudely, refusing to work, making insulting comments, or whining. A teacher might tell a child to "go sit in the beanbag chair and calm…
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Jan 30 2013
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Extra Support with Transitions

Sarah was under the classroom work table again. "Sarah, now is the time for writing. You need to come out and start your work in your writing folder." I used my best teacher language, even though it hadn't worked with Sarah so far. She often shut down while the rest…
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Nov 27 2012
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

The Right Response

I’ve noticed that teachers who are learning about the Responsive Classroom approach to discipline often worry a lot about choosing the “right” response to student misbehavior. “Is there a list of logical consequences that match up with specific misbehaviors?” is an often-asked question, and I see how disappointed they are…
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Nov 06 2012

The First Days of School

What can you do, this school year, to bullyproof your classroom? Establishing a positive classroom climate where kindness prevails and everybody is included is a vital first step. On these first days of school, as we sit down with students to establish a climate of safety, an important way to…
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Sep 03 2012

Bullying: What Are We Teaching?

Did you see the recent news report about a kindergarten teacher who lined her class up and directed each child, in turn, to hit a classmate who'd been accused of bullying other children? I had a lot of thoughts about what happened and about the people involved in this incident.…
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Jun 25 2012

I Didn’t Do It!

What do you do when a student flat-out denies doing something you know (or are at least pretty sure) she did? Are consequences ever appropriate in this situation? Do you just give up and move on? Do you enlist parents’ help? It can be a hard call to make. I…
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May 14 2012
Photograph by Jeff Woodward.

Want Positive Behavior? Use Positive Language

"Hello, Tasha! How's your new baby brother?" the principal says as she greets a student in the hallway during morning arrival. Just then a teacher comments to a student at his classroom door, "Good morning, Aliya. It's so nice to see you. I noticed that you remembered to walk quietly…
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Apr 10 2012

Lining Up

"Mr. Anderson! Kelsey cut in line!" calls out Nicole. "No I didn't! I was here a second ago. I just had to get my lunch ticket!" Kelsey retorts. The fourth grade girls glare at each other and then look at me, waiting for my response. I don't want to spend…
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Feb 28 2012

Three Types of Logical Consequences

Teachers who use the Responsive Classroom approach learn a variety of strategies for responding to misbehavior; logical consequences are one of those strategies. Depending on the child and the situation, teachers might combine a logical consequence with other strategies, or they might use more than one logical consequence. We recommend…
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Oct 24 2011

Responding to Misbehavior

No matter how carefully we teach positive behavior, students will still sometimes misbehave. They'll forget the rules, their impulses will win out over their self-control, or they'll just need to test where the limits are. For example: Janna rolls her eyes and snickers as Hector shares details of his weekend…
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Oct 24 2011

Punishment vs. Logical Consequences

Logical consequences are directly related to children's behaviors and help them to fix their mistakes. The use of logical consequences is one part of an approach to discipline used in the Responsive Classroom. It’s a powerful way of responding to children’s misbehavior that not only is effective in stopping the…
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Sep 02 2011

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