Elementary school teacher describes his experience with Matt, an emotionally disturbed fourth grader. After Matt acknowledged that he felt nobody liked him, the teacher made a point of paying more attention to him, integrating him into the class, and emphasizing his strengths. Eventually, Matt improved, cooperated, and made friends. (SM)

A third grade teacher explains how he utilized cooperative learning and a reward system to encourage a disruptive student to change his behavior. The teacher scored each team on group accomplishments. As the child learned to work with others, his attitude changed and his academic ability benefited the team. (SM)

An elementary teacher discusses her methods of dealing with a fourth grader who threw temper tantrums when he could not do his work. She offered to bring her dog to school if he showed self-control for a week. He worked hard, avoided temper tantrums, and his positive behavior was rewarded. (SM)

The Positive Classroom Management program trains teachers to mean business without being dragged into fruitless power struggles and student backtalk. The program helps teachers learn to take control of the situation by remaining calm, thinking before speaking, and using effective body language. (SM)

Describes the classroom life of Will, a kindergartner with fetal alcohol syndrome. The teacher met with the parents, the principal, and a support committee to determine how to handle Will's erratic behavior. A classroom aide provided Will with one-on-one assistance and helped him acquire appropriate social skills. (SM)

Discusses what teachers should do when older elementary students lie. Guidelines for handling the situation are presented along with suggestions for making children feel good about telling the truth. Three activities for encouraging truthfulness in the classroom are suggested. (SM)

A teacher draws upon personal experiences to argue that successful classroom discipline is the product of teaching competence and style rather than the result of behaviorist classroom management techniques. Emphasis is on keeping children involved in learning activities. (PP)

This paper discusses the overuse of medications to deal with attention deficit disorder (ADD) in the classroom, offering suggestions related to teaching strategies, classroom environment, school environment, and home environment to help keep students' attention without resorting to medication. A chart shows the difference between ADD and other…