This article discusses the prevention interview, a one-to-one interview with a student, asking open-ended questions. Prevention interviews help educators learn about the whole young person to build trust that allows for new solutions for recurring problems. Prevention interviews also work well when done soon after a student has made poor behavior…

Arguing that there is a "glaring" disconnect between recommended policy and actual practice in the area of grading, the authors outline four common grading practices that they say can impair instructional integrity and distort academic outcomes: 1) the use of the an average, or arithmetic mean, of performances to calculate a final grade;…

Teachers struggle with using consequences for misbehavior--because using consequences well requires a nuanced view of disciplinary situations. Anderson explores six factors that complicate the use of consequence: Confusion over what consequences means; confusion over what it means for a punishment to "work;" the fact that teachers'…

"Having spent my career as a teacher in urban schools with large majorities of black and brown students, I've witnessed the school-to-prison pipeline at work too many times to deny it," writes James E. Ford. In this article, he draws from research and from his personal experience as a teacher to examine the root causes of high suspension…

Every student experiences feedback in different ways, and there is a real trick to knowing when no feedback is needed. Feedback of any kind can sometimes paralyze a student, interrupting the flow of his or her work. Teachers need to understand and recognize when and why this happens. The author's sketch of three goals for giving feedback in this…

For students steeped in the culture of violence, classrooms may offer one last chance to experience more constructive ways of relating. Schools must help these students find new identities and increase their capacity for moral reasoning. Authoritarian responses overpower students while failing to relieve their fear, distrust, or physical pain.…

The effectiveness claims for Assertive Discipline made by Lee Canter and other advocates are not supported by the limited research that has been conducted in the program's 12 years of existence. (Author/TE)

The author of "Punished by Rewards" (1993), claims that rewards and punishments serve to manipulate behavior and destroy the potential for real learning. Praise is especially tricky, since intangible rewards can also foster compliance, not motivation. An engaging curriculum and a caring atmosphere encourage kids to exercise their natural…

Educators' avoidance of the racism issue has two damaging consequences for the classroom: diverting minority students' attention from academic pursuits and sending White students the message that racial prejudice is acceptable. Educators meed to counteract the racism problem by clearly articulating expectations, punishing racist behaviors, and…

Although prepackaged curriculum and training program materials can save precious time, they can also negatively affect efforts to improve school and classroom discipline. Obedience models often yield quick results at the expense of developing responsible students who understand the important principles underlying school rules. (MLH)

Violence against children is increasing; so is random student violence and disruptive behavior in classrooms. Instead of fortifying their gates, schools must teach children alternatives to violence and how to make better choices. A "humane highway" can be constructed by reducing cynicism, welcoming all students, replacing reward- and…

Although traditional discipline procedures (expulsion, time-out rooms, suspensions, and scolding) teach students to depend on authority figures to resolve conflicts, the Peacemaker Program teaches children how to mediate disputes and negotiate solutions themselves. To regulate their own behavior, students must have opportunities to make decisions…

In a response to the previous article questioning the effectiveness of Assertive Discipline, it is maintained that the decision to implement a program should be based on many factors in addition to research, and that from a practitioner's standpoint, Assertive Discipline works. (Author/TE)

Rawsonville Elementary, an economically disadvantaged neighborhood school near Detroit, used achievement-goal theory to create a learner-centered school that measures success not by relative ability but by individual accomplishment. Peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and interage cooperation characterize the school's learning-focused classrooms.…