7 Effective Ways to Use Positive Reinforcement

As you probably know, dear readers, positive reinforcement has always been a cornerstone of my daily classroom management style. Colleagues used to regularly complain about how hard it was to discipline students, and how much time was wasted on dealing with bad behaviors. In the meantime, I saved my energy and focused on my students’ positive behaviors. Some people thought I was deluding myself. But those who, like me, take the time to instill positive reinforcement in their classroom understand the beneficial impact it has.

Positive reinforcement is described as providing a pleasant stimulus to encourage positive behavior, making it more likely to be repeated. B. F. Skinner and Pavlov were the first to study this in animals. The arrival of behaviorism and social contructivism in our classes helped facilitate the implementation of positive reinforcement in our schools.

As teachers, choosing to use positive reinforcement in the classroom means that we will intentionally focus our attention on certain student behaviors. It can be difficult to implement this behavioral technique. It takes time, energy, rigor and consistency. The positive results will appear in the medium/long term, so if you’re expecting some overnight changes, you might be disappointed.

Today I’ll share the methods that worked with my students and with my teaching style.

1. Punish Bad Behavior?

When I chose positive reinforcement, I also chose to focus on the behavior I expected from my students. Unless someone was behaving in an extreme manner or causing a major disruption, I avoided giving any notice or attention to “negative” behaviors. Violent behaviors, of course, could never be ignored.

2. Explain your Expectations Clearly

To make positive reinforcement easier to implement, you must ensure that the students understand how you expect them to behave. You must also choose your battles. Don’t bite off more than you can chew–start by choosing the expectations that matter the most to you and add more as you go. Once you’ve explained to the students how you expect them to behave in the classroom, put it in writing. This will prevent any misinterpretations.

3. Reinforce “Good” Behavior

Whenever a student’s behavior met my expectations, I acknowledged it aloud and gave them praise. For example, if a student raised a hand before speaking, I thanked them for doing so before listening to their question or comment.

4. Adapt it to The Age of Your Students

You have to adapt your expectations according to your students’ age. For example, you can focus on a specific behavior and systematically reward it until it becomes automatic. You can then decrease how often you reward that behavior and move on to another behavior, which you will reward systematically. You also have to adapt the reinforces that you use. Stickers and a scoreboard work well in primary school, but for high school you might want to use free time as a reward or verbal reinforcement.

5. Provide Reinforcement on The Spot

Don’t wait until the end of the week to praise your students for their good behavior. React as soon as their behavior meets your expectations. Reward positive behavior in front of the group, it will influence the more “difficult” students. Know that you can never overemphasize positive behaviors, so praise them as soon as they meet your expectations and continue to do so when students persevere in their efforts.

6. Be Enthusiastic

React with enthusiasm when a student meets your behavioral expectations. Don’t exaggerate to the point of sounding sarcastic, but show your real enthusiasm. The students must feel that you’re truly trying to highlight their good moves.

7. Reinforce “Good” Behavior Often

Even when students start meeting your behavioral expectations by habit, don’t take it for granted. Continue to positively reinforce behaviors often to make sure students don’t forget them.

Lastly, a teacher who wants to use positive reinforcement in the classroom must be consistent, engaged and enthusiastic to ensure its success. You’ll see your classroom thrive with positive changes. Your students are more sensitive than you realize, and they will learn better in a positive environment than a coercive one.