Educators are responsible for creating classroom environments that encourages attentiveness and curiosity while minimizing distractions and discipline problems. The author of this article suggests several ways for teachers to maintain a classroom's physical organization in terms of physical, academic, and aesthetic ambience.

A successful school discipline program is dedicated to changing students' attitudes. Students and teachers plan rules of behavior, and all school personnel are trained to help students identify inappropriate behavior and take responsibility for their actions. (MLF)

Funding cutbacks affecting San Jose (California) High School have severely reduced the school personnel adequately prepared for educating in the inner city. Concentration on legally required basics has forced elimination of classes and programs appealing to student interests and needs, leading to disciplinary and attendance problems. (PGD)

This article presents guidelines for effective discipline in special and general education settings. It addresses causes of discipline problems, prevention techniques (such as establishing rules), intervention techniques (organized into an intervention ladder of increasing intrusiveness), and techniques for evaluating discipline effectiveness. (DB)

Describes an intervention for children ages 4 through adolescence who steal. The child must apologize, return the stolen item, pay the victim an amount equal to the cost of replacing the stolen item, and lose a possession of approximately equal value. Provides a case example. (RJM)

The key to the improvement of teacher education lies in the identification of a set of problems that legitimately can claim to be so generic and important that all who teach will be familiar with them. Such problems are what case studies portray. Case studies constitute the problemata of the professional curriculum. In the present state of…

Describes the attitude toward and treatment of student behavioral problems in the K-12 Special Education Learning Center developed by the Hartford (Connecticut) Public Schools. They provide a positive attitude while stressing discipline and good behavior as a top priority and use many common-sense principles in handling disruptive behavior.(MD)

This high school's successful suspension alternative assigns disruptive students to an alternative classroom for several days, where they are isolated from the remainder of the student body all day, and excluded from participation in or attending all regular programs and cocurricular activities. (DCS)

When discipline problems arise, the referral system outlined here, in which teachers, counselors, and administrators know what is expected of them, may help principals save time and retain effectiveness. (JM)

Describes problems of maintaining discipline and security at Jamaica High School in Queens, New York. Argues that court decisions and school regulations have allowed minority of aggressive and disruptive students to destabilize the learning environment. (PKP)

Describes a 3-pronged policy to control budding problems of violence in a Midwestern school of about 2,600 students. Explains why each of the three policy changes--more lunch periods, assigned lockers, and mandatory student identification cards visibly displayed on each student--have made an enormous difference. (TB)

Outlines nonintrusive and intrusive strategies for effective classroom management of inappropriate behavior. Describes discipline as a system made up of preventative and intervention strategies designed to manage rather than control student behavior. Discusses planned ignoring, praise, conferences, progress reports, and time out, among other…

Explores the effects of a proactive school-wide discipline approach on the frequency of problem behavior displayed by elementary students. Study was designed to explore the impact of a social skill instruction program and direct intervention on problem behaviors in three school settings (cafeteria, recess, and hallway transition). Results indicate…

Describes benefits of small classes based on 28 years of experience as elementary teacher. Includes establishing a successful classroom community, more time for students, fewer discipline problems, personalized assessment, and more opportunity to use best teaching practices. (PKP)

The consequences of gender social and learning interactions in the classroom are of interest to parents, policy makers, and researchers. However, little is known about gender peer effects in schools and their operational channels. In this paper, we estimate the effects of classroom gender composition on scholastic achievements of boys and girls in…