Strategies to Increase Behavior-Specific Teacher Praise in an Inclusive Environment

Abstract

Managing students’ disruptive behavior in the classroom can be a time-consuming task and greatly reduces the amount of time teachers spend on instruction. Although there are several research-validated classroom management strategies, teachers are more likely to adopt strategies that are less time-consuming than strategies that take more time or require a great deal of teacher preparation. This article highlights behavior-specific praise (BSP), a simple strategy that teachers can use across all grade levels. The article presents eight easy-to-use strategies for teachers to increase their use of praise statements. Increasing teacher praise will not only decrease disruptive behaviors but also create a positive learning environment.