SKINNER'S CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT THEORY B.F Skinner ( ) was the greatest behavioral psychologist of all time. He earned his PhD from Harvard University in 1931.

SKINNER’S THINKING  Skinner looked at the learning process in a different way. He investigated how learning was affected by stimuli presented after an act was performed.  Skinner found that certain stimuli caused the apparent to repeat an act more frequently.  He named these certain stimuli's reinforcers.  He found that by applying reinforcers in a unique way (called reinforcement), a person could shape behavior in desired way.

Skinner's main focus Human behavior can be shaped along desired lines by means of the systematic application of reinforcement.  Teachers have benefited from Skinner's fundamental work in reinforcement as a means of controlling and motivating student behavior.  This classroom practice that teachers use are called (behavior modification). Teachers consider this technique to be one of their most valuable tools for improving both learning and behavior in their students.  Writers have taken Skinner's ideas on learning and adapted them to controlling the behavior of students in the school.

NEO- SKINNERIAN MODEL  1. Behavior is shaped by its consequences.  2. Systematic use of reinforcements (rewards) can shape students' behavior in desired behavior.  3. Behavior becomes weaker if not followed by reinforcement.  4. Behavior is also weakened by punishment.  5. In the early stages of learning, constant reinforcement produces the best results.  6. Once learning has reached the desire level, it is best maintained through intermittent reinforcement, provided only occasionally.

CONT.…  7. Behavior modifications is applied in two main ways.  -The teacher observes the student perform a desired act; the teacher rewards the student; the students tends to repeat the act  -The teacher observes the student perform an undesired act; the teacher either ignores the act or punishes the student, the praises a student who is behaving correctly; the misbehaving student becomes less likely than before to repeat the act.  8. Behavior modification successfully uses various kinds or reinforcers. They include social reinforcers such as verbal comments, facial expressions, and gestures; graphic reinforcers such as marks and scars; actively reinforces such as free time and collaborating with a friend; and tangible reinforcers such as prizes and printed awards.

TERMINOLOGY  Skinner had precise terminology he used such as;  operate behavior- is simply behavior the student produces  reinforcing stimuli- are stimuli that the individual receives right after performing an operate behavior.  schedules of reinforcement- every time the students do something good, they are awarded a team point.  successive approximations- refers to a progression in which actions come closer and closer to a present goal  positive reinforcement- is the process for supplying a reward that the student wants, something that will spur greater effort.  negative reinforcement- this increases the likelihood of behavior, just as positive reinforcement.

TYPES OF REINFORCERS  Social- consists of words, gestures and facial expression. -verbal -nonverbal  graphic- include marks of various kinds.  activity- those activities that the students prefer in school younger- sitting near the teacher, choosing the song, and caring for the pet. middle- playing a game, decorating the classroom, free reading, going to an assembly older- working with a friend, being excused from a test, working a special project or being excused from work.  tangible- real objects that students can earn for desired behavior. this is widely used with student who have special behavior problems. These reinforcers are commonly used in the school setting.

ADD A PERSONAL TWIST  Every teacher can and should add a personal twist on these four different categories.  1)informal "catch them being good"  2)*rules-ignore-praise (RIP)  3)*rules rewarded punishment (RRP)  4)*contingency management  5)*contracting

PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING  Teachers who wish to use behavioral modifications need to spend time planning ahead.  Teachers need to be a able to identify the behaviors that needs to be changed or improved in their classroom.  Implementation is formulating the behavior modification plan and putting it into practice. The plan should follow the analysis of the behavior and the reinforcements that follow.  Every teacher should have a precise sign that tell the list of rules, but keep the rules to a minimum. Also, be sure the students understand the reinforcements.

CASE # 1 TARA WILL NOT WORK  Tara, is a sweet girl that shows up to class everyday. She is never disruptive and does not really talk with the other students. However, the only issue is that Tara will hardly participate in classroom assignments or put forth any effort. How would Skinner deal with Tara.

JACQUELYNN PENN I did my article over The Neo-Skinnerian Model: Shaping Desired Behavior.