Many new ESL teachers quickly become masters at a certain skill. Some even become proud of it. They say they’ve got “eyes in the back of their head”; they can catch any student misbehaving and make them wish they hadn’t. That’s what I used to aspire to as well, until I learned Catch Them Being Good (CBG) from Carol Read and the power of positive reinforcement in ESL classroom management. Once I discovered and implemented these techniques (in the classroom, office, and even at home) I forgot about my rearview eyes, built great relationships, and enjoyed my lessons on a whole new level.
Why Positive Reinforcement?
Simply put, positive reinforcement identifies and rewards good behavior while negative reinforcement finds and punishes bad behavior. Over the years experts have shown positive reinforcement is more effective at motivating than its opposite. There are many reasons for this, but for our purposes a key one is that everyone wants to feel secure and successful.
As adults, we can self-identify our security and successes but children are immature and therefore unable to. They need adults to show them what to do and they then rely on affirmation from those adults. Children struggle when adults withdraw either their guidance or their approval. They also aren’t able to securely figure out what to do when only told what not to do. Even most adults couldn’t last long without some form of adequate external reward (especially pay) or recognition. In sum, positive reinforcement lights the way to success instead of leaving children to stumble fearfully in dangerous darkness.
Flip the Dynamic
Positive reinforcement flips the typical classroom dynamic that most new teachers automatically start with. As new EFL teachers we are often unable to clearly articulate or imagine exactly what we want, but we can quickly recognize in class what we don’t want so we start with negative reinforcements. We set down rules and give punishments once students misbehave. Perhaps students lose break time, a chance to play in a game, or something more. This sets up a negative learning environment built on fear and coercion – the teacher is the enemy of the students. It happened to me years ago and I’ve observed it with others as well. Once it happens everyone involved quickly learns to dread that class each week.
Instead of focusing on negative behavior, Catch Them Being Good shows that we should look for positive behavior. In order to do this you first need to think what your students are really capable of within their age, ability, and environment, list the behaviors you want in your classes, and finally what incentives you will use. You can then share that list with your students so everyone is on the same page. Finally comes the hardest part; you have to actually look for those behaviors in class and take the time to reward or praise them.
I find that many new teachers struggle with noticing good behavior. It doesn’t set off loud mental alarms like misbehavior does – but it should. From the moment you enter the classroom you should practice looking for good behavior to praise or reward. This is especially true with more difficult students. Give yourself a reminder such as setting an alarm to go off before you walk into class. You will notice a change in both you and your students’ attitudes as the positive reinforcement takes effect and the good habits set in.
Catch Them Being Good Principles
Foreign teachers often think it’s difficult to build positive ESL classroom management with large classes of low-level EFL students, but a few basic principles will really help.
- Focus on Actions: “Be nice” and “Try hard” are difficult concepts to get across. Instead, focus on easily observable actions such as “Talk quietly,” “Sit down quickly,” “Clear your desks,” “Raise your hands,” or “Look at the teacher when he talks.” Young learners can understand these much more easily.
- Remind Them: Review the rules and basic expectations at the start of every lesson. If possible, create a sign with meaningful pictures and post it for everyone to see. If you introduce your expectations during just the first lesson and then never again your students will quickly forget them.
- Keep it Achievable: Your expectations should match the students abilities. For example, preschool and early primary students can’t get through a lesson with only English. You can help by giving them a few phrases to use such as “Bathroom, please” and praising their attempts but don’t expect perfection. Sitting still for a long time is another unreasonable expectation for VYLs and YLs.
- Praise Imperfect Efforts and Growth: Large classes are challenging and there will be one or two kids off task sometimes. That doesn’t mean the whole class shouldn’t get positive reinforcement. Make a general statement such as “Most students were…” In addition, if a class is starting from a low point then look for and praise improvement; “better” is a great word for your students to become familiar with.
- Be Clear: Avoid common phrases like “Good job” or “Good work” with EFL students. These are meaningless to them. What job was good? What work was good? Say specifically what was done well and even how it makes you feel; “Students, you sat down quickly and quietly. Very good! I’m so happy.”
- Use Body Language & Tone: Low-level and weak students will struggle to understand your every word but they’ll be already fluent in common body language. Smile, clap your hands or give a thumbs up, make eye contact, use ESL gestures and speak warmly like you mean it when you give them positive reinforcements. The kids will get the gist.
- Use Your BMS: You should be using a Behavior Management System in your classes. Don’t forget to reward the students for good behavior with the BMS.
- Target the Troublemakers: Difficult students can ruin classes – but that’s often because they need attention the most. Catch them being good at the earliest opportunity, even with basic stuff such as sitting in their seats when class starts. You’ll see them grow into star students.
- Catch Them Early and Often: Try to find things to praise within the first few minutes. Don’t go more than five minutes in a lesson without handing out some private or public praise. I made it a personal habit to always give feedback after a lesson stage or game finishes.
- Team Up with Your TA: If you have one, discuss Catch Them Being Good with your TA. Encourage them to offer private praise to individual students as well as help you find cases for public positive reinforcement. They can also help you clarify some tricky expectations in the students’ L1.
I hope these points help you build a more positive and enjoyable classroom environment. Remember to Catch Them Being Good!
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