Classroom Management Philosophy: Skinner's Theory
Classroom Management Philosophy: Skinner's Theory
Classroom Management Philosophy: Skinner's Theory
EDU 240
Skinner’s, Glasser’s, and Kohn’s. I have chosen these three theories because I think they have
made a huge impact on the way schools are run today, and I am a big fan of understanding and
Skinner’s Theory
Skinner’s theory is mainly about how a person's voluntary actions are influenced by what
happens immediately after they perform an act. His research showed that when a person
performs an action and is reinforced immediately afterward, they become more likely to repeat
that act. I like this theory because I like the idea that good acts get rewarded, and this leads to
more good being done. However, this theory is not complete as it does not show what a teacher
should do when behavior is negative, and that is why Skinner’s theory is best used with other
methods as well.
● Reinforcing stimuli
● Successive approximation
rewards, we think of candy or treats, but in the classroom setting, it is wiser to use approval, free
time, and encouraging words and actions from the teacher. Successive approximation is shaping
behavior by reinforcing it as it comes closer and closer to the main goal. Behavior modification
is when a teacher rewards students who are behaving well and ignores those who are not. I
believe that rewarding good behavior is important, but ignoring negative behavior does not seem
like an effective way to solve the problem. I like Skinner’s ideas on rewarding students and
“training” them to have good behavior, but I dislike his take on how to deal with negative
behavior.
Glasser’s Theory
Glasser’s theory revolves around the idea of “choice theory.” This is the theory that
almost all behavior is chosen, and we are driven by genetics to satisfy our needs. So, teachers
should aim to befriend their students and show how they are willing to help and point them in the
right direction, like a “lead manager,” as Glasser calls them. If a teacher takes an approach of
demanding what they expect from students and berates them for not meeting those expectations,
like a “boss manager” then students will quickly become uninterested in learning. Glasser has the
idea that students who are led to meet the teacher’s expectations do significantly better than
● Choice theory
● “Lead” management
on how to influence positive behavior in a classroom. I do not want to be the type of teacher that
makes students hate school, I want to be able to encourage them to do their best and help them
enjoy being at school every day. Glasser’s choice theory supports my personal belief that leading
is better than force. Lead management is the best way to put this theory into action. Positively
leading my students would suit me best as well as be the most beneficial way for me to teach my
students.
Kohn’s Theory
Kohn created his theory because he was trying to prevent students from simply going
through the motions of school. Too many students just do the assignments, read the books, and
answer the questions they are asked without having any interest in what they're learning at all.
Kohn believes we should feed into a student's curiosity, and teach them in a way that does not
bore them into becoming indifferent towards their education. Kohn suggests straying away from
extrinsically motivating students to do well. Assuming that all students thrive off of competing
with one another is incorrect, it would be more effective to have students work with each other
and with their teachers to learn. Kohn also believes that students should not be rewarded just for
answering questions, but for actively showing their curiosity towards different subjects.
The following elements of Kohn’s theory are the ones that I plan to use in my classroom:
idea of throwing out the traditional ways of teaching and being able to help students on a more
individual level. Creating learning communities in school could not only help students learn but
it could provide valuable life experience. Allowing students to work together with teachers and
staff instead of making them compete against each other is such a valuable skill that I think
In conclusion, I chose these three theories because they were important in making
teaching what it is today in some aspects, but they also show that there could be a lot of
improvement in our education system. These three theories also all go hand in hand together,
Charles, C.M. Cole, K.M. (2018). Building Classroom Management: Methods and Management.
Pearson.