EFFECT OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM I. Introduction Page < 2 of 7 2 --------- II. a. Thesis: Effective teachers are fluent in positive reinforcements. Correct positive reinforcement is an important classroom management skill. Students and teachers alike benefit from positive reinforcement provided in the classroom. Positive reinforcement should be a requirement in all classrooms. Lessons on effective ways to implement positive redirection of students should be a requirement for all new teachers. Research shows there is a relation in positive reinforcement and student outcomes. Therefore, the function of positive reinforcement is to create the desired classroom environment where students are eager to learn and the teacher is able to teach. a. The function of positive reinforcement in the classroom is to encourage the repeated behavior of the good things done and eliminating the negative things. B.F Skinner said things that happen directly after a behavior influences the likelihood of that behavior happening again. Specific praise improves on-task behavior (Chalk, & Bizo, 2004, p.336). 1. Explanation: Attention is attention to a child, if we seek positive, and we speak positive, then we are more likely to receive positive. Same thing is true about negative. The classroom goal should be to provide positive responses to the student, which will increase students, desire to repeat the positive experience. 2. So what: A specific positive praise response from the teacher to the student informs the student as to what they did correctly. Positive attention from the teacher to the student will reinforce the - ZOOM + EFFECT OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM III. Page < 3 of 7 3 --------- relationship between student and teacher. This will create the desire in the student to want to make the teacher happy. The student learns that they will be rewarded with a smile, pat on the back or a thumbs up from the teacher, teacher attention by doing what is right. Another reason to consider positive reinforcement in the classroom is that it helps to create classroom management. a. Classroom management creates confidence in the teacher as well as the student. Classroom management includes the arrangement of physical space and resources, maintaining rules and procedures, methods of maintaining and engaging student's attention and behavioral management (O'Neil, & Stephenson, 2012, p. 1132). 1. Explanation: Having a routine is important to the smooth function of the classroom. When the students know, what the teacher's expectations are from them on continuous bases then they become more confident in what they are doing. The teacher and the students can smoothly transition from one classroom function to another fully knowing what is happening next. 2. However, before this becomes a reality, it takes practice and a lot of positive reinforcement from the teacher guiding and directing the students. The more the teacher redirects and positively guides her students the more the teacher will feel confident in what she is doing also. - ZOOM + EFFECT OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM Page < 4 of 7 4 IV. Confidence in the teacher and student creates the desire to learn in the classroom --------- V. setting. With this confidence teachers will discover that the positive modeling and reinforcing that they have implemented creates a type of invisible hand. The "invisible hand" is the teachers influence on peer relations and student out comes (Bierman, 2011, p. 297). a. When positive reinforcement is an important factor in the classroom, it helps to build self-confidence in the student. Confidence in a student initiates the creation of a student with a desire to learn, and stay on tract. 1. We are not just talking about one student with the desire to learn but a classroom full of students with a desire to learn. Positive reinforcement creates the desire to seek the positive attention from their peers and the teacher. 2. Positive reinforcement builds self-confidence in the teacher and students. Positive reinforcement provides positive outcomes amongst peers and student to teacher. Positive reinforcement can create self-learners with a strong desire to learn. Finally, if classrooms follow the guidelines of Rules: Classroom Management, structure, routine and rules. Praise: positive praise for the behavior desired in the classroom. Ignore: Do not offer the classroom clown the attention, however when the said "clown" is doing the right thing Praise, Praise, Praise. a. Some 40 years ago, researchers began a series of studies on classroom rules, teacher praise and planed ignoring (Gable, Hester, Rock, & Hughes, 2009, p.219). - ZOOM + EFFECT OF POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT IN THE CLASSROOM Page < 5 LO of 7 5 --------- 1. Classrooms that used Rules, Praise and Ignoring techniques showed more compliance driven students. These factors have an overlapping positive relationship when using them properly in the classroom. 2. Some teachers still needs to learn how implement the positive reinforcements that lead to classroom management. Conclusion- The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of positive reinforcement in the classroom. Teachers are quick to say to a student stop that or do not do that. Unfortunately, these are negative responses and they usually have a negative repercussion. Yet according to research, classrooms, which have teachers that are willing to offer positive praise, positive redirection and planed ignoring of the negative behavior, have more students that are actively seeking the positive praise and show a desire to learn. The teachers themselves have more confidence due to their classrooms running smother. Therefore, the Function of positive praise in the classroom is numerous. VI. - ZOOM +