The teacher observes overall classroom behavior and situations in students. These may include behaviors such as students not completing work, displaying a lack of empathy for fellow students and showing a lack of respect for the teacher. Once the teacher is aware of those behaviors, she can begin to address them.
Once the teacher identifies specific behaviors, he can begin to look for the beliefs and emotions behind the actions of the students. Children have difficulty connecting their reactions with external stressors. In other words, a student who is angry and sullen may not understand the material, or she may be reacting to her parent's marital difficulties.
The teacher must make her expectations clear, state rewards for following these and clarify consequences for disobedience. Children will respond to several different types of rewards. These include gifts, such as stickers or a treat from the treasure box; verbal affirmation and praise; time spent with the teacher; or activities such as free time and computer time. Effective teachers learn what makes their students tick and various reinforcements.
When the behavior of the whole class needs redirecting, the teacher can offer rewards or consequences that affect the entire group. For example, if the class is too noisy overall, then the students can earn or lose extra recess time, depending on their behavior. Individual students can also earn or lose rewards depending on such actions as completed classwork and homework, treatment of other students and respect for the teacher. Sometimes, students might need a specific behavior plan that addresses their actions on a closely monitored basis.