Book Nook: Positive Discipline Tools for Teachers

I've been teaching for 12 years, but a lot of that was in an online setting, so I am always looking for good classroom management strategies. Overall I think I have a good handle on my classroom, but it never hurts to try new things to see if changes and improvements can be made. That's why I was happy to review Positive Discipline Tools for Teachers: Effective Classroom Management for Social, Emotional, and Academic Success.

This book is a good resource for people at any level of teaching, and with any amount of experience. Obviously less-experienced teachers are going to be able to take more away from this book than those with a great deal of experience, but even teachers who have been teaching for decades might find a few new strategies to use. Like any teaching tips book, there are going to be things that don't completely line up with your own philosophy of education, but overall it was a well-rounded book with a lot of great, helpful tips for a variety of situations.

One thing I really appreciated what's it's holistic focus. It was just about behavior or improving grades, but about working with social and emotional aspects as well. Students learn better if they feel safe and have a relationship with their teachers, and this book encourages positive discipline methods that will capitalize on relationship building, with both the "easy" students and the more "difficult" ones.

The book also focuses on getting students to regulate their own behavior and find intrinsic motivation so that teachers don't have to work so hard at motivation. It's a good resource for those who want to learn how to keep a classroom running more smoothly.