The author summarizes the characteristics of contingency management systems in university classes, briefly describes one such system and discusses decisions that must be made by instructors who would teach such a course. (AA)

The ideal training system recognizes that most performance problems are execution problems: lack of feedback, task interference, or punishment--and rarely motivation. As an initial place for study, the ideal training system works backward from company profits to choose areas contributing most to profit. (EB)

Makes a case for the use of affirmation (discriminating praise) in teaching creative writing. (SB)

Thirty-two normal-hearing adults rating their own lipreading performance produced self-ratings that did not correlate with actual performance. Experimental subjects who then received verbal encouragement subsequently gave themselves higher self-ratings of performance, even though actual lipreading performance did not improve. (JDD)

Presented is a list of reinforcers appropriate for use in contingency management systems with secondary-level students with disabilities. The reinforcers are organized into the following categories: edible reinforcers, tangible reinforcers, activity reinforcers, social reinforcers, and group reinforcement. Suggestions are provided for using the…

The article presents a practical sequence for setting up a group reward system and offers guidelines for decisions concerning program implementation and termination. (DB)

Realizing that custodians needed help with cafeteria cleanup and lunchtime discipline, a Michigan elementary school developed a Custodial Assistant Program enlisting the energies of 12 fifth and sixth graders who needed help in improving self-concept and behavior. In exchange for cleaning the cafeteria and playground, these students receive many…

In spite of the proven research studies that cite the beneficial effects of a positive, assets-based approach to child development and discipline (Scales, 2000; Jones & Jones, 1998; Benson, Galbraith, & Espeland, 1994), numerous school systems adhere to the articulation of tiered levels of misconduct, which identify minor to severe types of…

Behavior problems continue to be an issue for teachers and parents to address. Studies have shown that challenging behaviors in early childhood are linked to problems in the areas of academics and socialization in adolescence and adulthood. Most schools use a reactive, consequence-based approach to behavior management. With school violence and…

Classrooms are dynamic environments in which teachers and students engage in ongoing reciprocal interactions throughout the school day. Classes that include classwide effective intervention practices are likely to have positive teacher-student interactions and to promote student learning and engagement while minimizing problem behaviors. However,…

In many teacher training courses, reflection upon practice plays a very important role in learning to teach. A number of strategies have been developed to help student teachers learn to reflect. Current reflection strategies often focus on problematic instead of on positive experiences. Ideas from positive psychology and solution-based therapy…

What is the role of positive feedback in the adult English language classroom? This study applies ideas from complexity theory to explore the relation between frequency of oral feedback received and student language proficiency. The researcher collected data from digital recordings of adult students (N = 41) who attended classes for 30 weeks at…

As more and more schools adopt school-wide positive behavior support (SWPBS) as a model for school improvement and the success of initial demonstration sites becomes evident, districts are faced with expansion and sustainability issues. Careful planning of these implementation efforts requires district personnel to be familiar with the resources…

Turkish mothers' self-efficacy beliefs and their interactional behaviors with their children with language delays are described and explored. Participants included 19 mother-child dyads. Mothers' interaction with their children with language delays was videotaped for 30 minutes in a free-play context. Regarding mothers' interactional behaviors,…