After some years as a bilingual program assistant, I made the decision to go into teaching. I became a part of an outstanding year-long education program for working with under-represented populations. One of our focuses was classroom management.

I adopted an approach similar to The Responsive Classroom approach in many ways, but believing that good behaviors should be acknowledged by teachers and peers, rewards were still part of my behavior plan. As a result of following directions and not breaking the rules and expectations agreed upon in class, students would obtain rewards. The reward system ranged from a palm on the back or a smile and "good job," to prizes.

Bonus points and prizes
Students received bonus points every time homework was finished on time, every time there were gains in a test, every time something polite was said. Every other week we would have "Friday Fun" during which students could buy prizes with their points. The hope was that the students would get the idea that everything takes effort to obtain.

The Responsive Classroom workshop was for me like the final polish of a rock that has been forming through experiences and education. It brought me back to my fundamental belief that children do not need rewards because ideally, discipline leads to self-discipline, which becomes the foundation for self-approval and self-acceptance.

The three R’s
In my classroom now, the students and I have come up with two rules, stated in a positive manner, that are posted on the wall. We constantly refer to these rules, and model what being respectful means in different situations. For 2003, they wrote hopes and dreams for their families, for school, and for themselves. These are posted in the classroom with their pictures. I use the 3 R’s: Reinforce, Remind, and Redirect when correcting behavior, and after a consequence takes place, I always start with a clean slate.

I understand the immense power that language has over individuals. It is still a work in progress for me to use encouragement instead of praise. It is hard for me to try to get rid of those old habits, but I am working on it, because I understand the repercussions. Because I believe that the long-range effect of encouragement is self-confidence, and the long-range effect of praise is dependence on others, my goal is to use encouragement instead of praise.

Yajaira Guzman Carrero teaches at Richard Green Central Park School in Minneapolis.

This article first appeared in Origins: A Newsletter for Educators, Spring 2003