Teachers can improve classroom discipline in a number of ways. An objective grading system that is based on academic performance alone will assure students that they are being fairly graded, whether or not they are liked by the teacher. Discipline and self respect are related and hinge upon the perception in students that they are learning…

This paper reports on approaches shown to be successful in preventing and dealing with disruptive behavior in the classroom. The studies on preventing classroom disruptions state that the best prevention is effective instruction, achieved through lending increased importance to teacher preparation programs that emphasize teaching content,…

The report documents a problem solving approach to the adoption of procedures for dealing with serious behavior problems of severely emotionally disturbed and autistic students in California public schools. Summarized are a review of the literature, an analysis of general techniques of student control, and a list of advantages and disadvantages of…

This report presents a synthesis of a day-and-a-half interactive conference on research and development in reading attended by a group of reading specialists from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas representing their state departments of education. It includes the two presentations "A Sampling of Research Within Reach"…

In this study a 4-component procedure designed to decrease a 4-year-old child's noncompliance behaviors was experimentally analyzed as to the effectiveness of the separate components of the package. Once experimental control had been demonstrated and the subject's noncompliance behaviors had been decreased to an acceptable level, separate analyses…

Specific suggestions to help teachers structure the classroom to prevent disruptive behaviors are offered in the areas of physical arrangement and "traffic rules" time management, assignments, grouping practices, classroom atmosphere, and professional demeanor. (DB)

Parents (n=134) with hearing-impaired children reported their perceptions of their children's misbehavior. Parents perceiving themselves to be successful in handling misbehavior reported a significantly lower incidence of misbehavior than did "unsuccessful" parents. "Successful" parents most often chose a disciplinary technique involving…

Corporal punishment and suspension are cruel and discriminatory. School social workers can help to implement more humane strategies such as the following: (1) in-school suspension; (2) timeout procedures; (3) assignment to alternative schools; (4) behavior contracting; (5) use of peers and parents; and (6) social and cognitive skills training. (VM)

Reviews current research on the individual temperament of young children and recommends strategies to understand and build upon children's personality strengths. Discusses the influence of adult perceptions and misperceptions on children's personality development. (DT)

Children adopted when they are older come with histories, fully formed personalities, and intense anger over what they have lost. Drawing on stories of families who have adopted older children, as well as research, interviews with professionals, and opinions of adults who were adopted as children, this book explores the joys and challenges of…

For many students in the 1990s, school is no longer a safe environment in which they feel free to learn. This brief is intended to dispel myths about peer sexual harassment and clarify the new realities of the phenomenon in schools. The brief also conveys the message that school administrators have a duty to foster a school environment based on…

This digest reviews and summarizes what is known about effective school-wide behavioral management systems. Emphasis in such systems is on consistency throughout the building and across classrooms with the entire staff, both professional and nonprofessional, uniformly implementing common strategies. Common features of school-wide behavioral…

Taking a sometimes unconventional view of parent-child and family matters, this book contends that the facts of family living do matter--but not to the all-or-nothing degree advocated by some experts. The book disputes many well established beliefs about the importance of family life and maintains that as the sacredness of family relationships is…

This paper examines techniques for dealing with behavior problems in students. The Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment protect individuals' rights and must be considered in developing effective punitive consequences to control misbehaving students. Due process must be practiced in handling disciplinary sanctions. Principals and teachers can use…

This book about classroom management provides teachers with information on how to help students become the kind of people they want them to be. It offers a guide to the Responsive Classroom approach, a social and emotional learning program that creates an ideal environment for learning. Section 1, "Building a Learning Community,"…