The Power of Positive Teaching: 35 Successful Strategies for Active and Enthusiastic Classroom Participation

by Yvonne Bender

Valuable and innovative classroom management strategies fill this indispensable guide to effective teaching. Explained in an easy-to-follow, concise format, each 2–3-page strategy includes a brief introductory scenario illustrating the technique's usefulness in the classroom, steps to implementing the strategy, a discussion of potential problems and suggestions for managing them, and viable ideas for adapting the techniques to fit different teaching situations. Quick-reference teacher-friendly sections include strategies that gain and maintain students' attention, build teamwork, keep students organized, enhance review and reinforcement lessons, and help sustain a positive learning environment.

128 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Nourhan Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it. wrote about many topics from this book in my linked in profile. here is the last one:

Practical Strategies That Build Self-Esteem and Improve Behaviour

Creating a positive learning environment isn’t about being permissive. It’s about intentionally teaching students how to belong, regulate, and succeed. Here’s what that looks like in practice 👇

🔁 Negative to Positive Parry
Students must identify 1 positive before complaining about a negative experience.
E.g: A student angry about lunch detention admits, “I still got to sit with my friends during some of the lunch..and it was pizza day!”

🎨 Compliment a Classmate Draw
Students randomly draw a name and give a specific, justified compliment.
E.g: “Tyree, you’re kind. Yesterday you helped Marsha when her books fell.”

✍️ Compliment Their Character Composition (More in depth)
Students write about a peer’s character traits, not appearance.
E.g: A student writes about a classmate’s honesty and reliability, then reads it to them privately or give the note to the student.

⭐ Student of the Week
Every student gets a guaranteed week of recognition and small privileges.
E.g: The Student of the Week delivers messages, sits with a friend, or eats lunch with the teacher (younger primary students love it)-no earning required.

🤫 Silence Is Bliss
Teachers use calm silence instead of verbal correction.
E.g: When side conversations start, the teacher stops speaking, walks next to the noise, and waits. Students self-correct without confrontation.

🎾 Tennis, Anyone?
Structured discussion where students must “return” ideas respectfully.
E.g: Before disagreeing, a student must first restate the previous speaker’s point accurately.

🕵️ Guess That Student
Students guess a peer based on positive traits described aloud.
E.g: “This student is dependable and always includes others.” The class guesses-and the student lights up.

👀 Caught You Doing the Right Thing
Teachers give tokens when they observe positive behaviour.
E.g: Two students stop to help a classmate pick up dropped books. A teacher hands them slips saying, “Caught you doing the right thing.”

🖼️ My Life in Collage
Students create a collage showing interests, goals, and life experiences.
E.g: A student includes a picture of a snowboard-not because they snowboard, but because it’s a goal. The class learns to ask respectful questions and find shared interests.

These strategies don’t magically fix behaviour overnight. They work because they replace shame with structure, and chaos with dignity. And when students feel valued, learning finally has space to happen

[Helfren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The most interesting book on teaching strategies so far. By using 35 strategies on how to get massive engagements from classroom of all sizes, this book really take the enthusiasm and participation to the next level. Some of the example I already knew but some of them are really brand new and welcomed.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the activities are focused for elementary students, but I enjoyed this book.