Behavior Modification

I teach a class for people who want to be teachers. It’s about teaching teacher-wannabes how to teach their students appropriate classroom behavior. I don’t have the chance to coach them, so I search for means to make the ideas I present memorable to them.

I refer to songs that I hope emphasize and make memorable some critical perspectives (”rules”) about teaching. Here are a few:

1. Rule 1: Accentuate the Positive (teachers too often get sucked into hassling and busting kids; if teachers provide positive support when students are behaving pro-socially, there’ll be many fewer needs to intervene aversively);
2. Rule 2: Before you Accuse me (usually, when things go wrong in classrooms, teachers should examine their own behavior rather than implicating their student’s intentions, wills, parents, or genes);
3. Rule 3: (No song yet; idea: Never make a decision based on on data point, individual events and actions are influenced by myriad factors and open to myriad intrepretations.)
4. Rule 4: Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow (teachers are the adults in classrooms and should remember that their actions will have longer-term effects [an idea that's not yet familiar to their students], so teachers should remember to take the longer view; there’s little percentage in demanding immediate compliance for students.)

I play different performers’ interpretations of these songs during class.

I’d like to hear whether these ideas are good ones and whether readers think the songs will help teachers remember them.