This brief guide notes the effectiveness of self-management strategies in increasing students' responsibility for their own learning and behavior, heightening student motivation and self-esteem, and reducing demands on the teacher's time. A strategy is outlined to help students increase their on-task behavior, by having students chart, correct,…

Classroom variables associated with academic learning time (ALT)--instructional time, on-task behavior, and student success rate--are positively related to student achievement. Guidelines and forms are provided for teachers and supervisors to gather objective and usable information on these ALT components through direct classroom observation…

This article examines the concept of negative reinforcement in relation to the maintenance of off-task and disruptive behaviors in classrooms. Suggestions are given for determining whether negative reinforcement (in the form of escape from the instructional task) or teacher attention is maintaining the behavior. Suggestions for making tasks less…

After reviewing effective teaching research during the past 20 years, one basic question arises: do teachers make any difference? Specifically, do teachers' classroom practices have any effect on student outcomes beyond the effects of ability and home background? What knowledge of minimal teaching competencies has been gained, and how firm is the…

Outlined are behavior management strategies for emotionally disturbed students who are partially mainstreamed. Appropriate behavior outside the classroom earns the child stamps. Inappropriate behavior inside the classroom results in warnings, penalty points, and time-out. On-task behavior is also rewarded with stamps, which may be accumulated for…

After noting classroom techniques that made a difference in student learning, the authors focus on reducing the distractions of a school environment and providing principals a classroom observation instrument. They suggest a student observation form to be used by principals, analyzing six student behavior categories. (JW)

This manual describes procedures for collecting data about two classroom elements: (1) teacher-student interactions; and (2) amount and type of student engagement in academic work. Although the system was originally developed from a study of influences on sex-related differences in mathematics, it is designed to be adapted as needed for…

Examples are given of classroom situations which pose challenges or problems for teachers. The reasons the problems arose are discussed, and alternative suggestions are made for handling them. Discussions include classroom interactions among teachers and students in these areas: (1) using students' time efficiently; (2) classroom arrangement and…

This six-section manual provides information for preparing appropriate classroom narratives and their accompanying student engagement ratings. The manual's introduction emphasizes the importance of an accurate classroom narrative, which is a detailed record of events, time use, and behavior in the classroom. Also discussed is the recording of…

According to this publication, a school's most effective tool in encouraging student success may be its control over the time the student spends working on goal-oriented learning activities--that is, time on task. This document is intended to help school administrators understand the effects of their decisions on students' learning time and…

The Center for Educational Policy and Management at the University of Oregon has developed a professional development term for improving teaching skills of secondary school teachers. The content of the program has been drawn from two major categories of instructional research: (1) classroom management and organizational strategies that promote and…