A Skill to Increase Positive Interactions: Praising Appropriate Behaviors Abundantly



A skill to increase positive interactions with students is "praising appropriate behaviors."

Best practicing substitute teachers will always be on the look out for good or appropriate behaviors. Praising good behaviors is a skill that will help decrease inappropriate behaviors. Whatever behavior a teacher gives the most attention to in the classroom is the one that will set the tone for the entire class; be sure it is an appropriate behavior. If you find that most of your time is spent on reacting to inappropriate behaviors you will be reenforcing these behaviors to continue in abundance.

Maintain a high level of positive interactions. Look for good behavior and accentuate on that behavior. Research shows students will be more likely to follow directions, will feel safer, will volunteer more easily and hang out in your classroom more often.

The following are examples of positive interactions with students:

  1. Positive feedbacks and compliments. For example, you are wearing a new hairstyle today, it looks very nice.
  2. Smiling at students.
  3. Eye contact
  4. Calm, pleasant voice tone
  5. Joking and teasing such as if you have a child who demonstrated a sweet little dance for you, next time you see the child, you might say "there is my little dancer boy or girl."
  6. Being Fair with all students
  7. Explain how why, or what
  8. Showing concern
  9. Being polite to all students and staff
  10. Getting right to the point
  11. Appropriate physical contact (I think "hugging a child or allowing a child to hug you is NOT appropriate). The contact is too physically close. 

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