The Art and Science of Teaching emphasizes that when there are no consequences for following—or failing to follow—classroom rules and procedures, they do little to enhance student learning. Therefore, teachers should frequently reinforce students' adherence to rules and procedures rather than taking that adherence for granted. Similarly, teachers should acknowledge lack of adherence to rules and procedures. This classroom dynamic is addressed in Design Question 7: What will I do to recognize and acknowledge adherence and lack of adherence to classroom rules and procedures?
Notice that this design question basically has two parts: (1) acknowledging adherence to classroom rules and procedures, and (2) acknowledging lack of adherence to classroom rules and procedures. In the first case, teachers overtly recognize when students have followed a rule or procedure; in the second case, teachers overtly recognize when students have not. This module deals with the first part of the equation—acknowledging when students have followed a rule or procedure. Another way of saying this is that we address "positive consequences" in this module and "negative consequences" in the next (Module 19).
Reflecting on Your Current Beliefs and Practices