1514)  Throughout my years of teaching, I have discovered the need to shift my teaching style several times to be the most effective communicator and leader in my classroom. Some of these shifts have been easy, such as making sure I shift activities every twenty minutes but others have not.

One such difficult shift is in changing from negative reinforcement (you will do thus and such or you will have to face the consequences) to positive reinforcements (if you can get all your work turned in on time, you will get to take part in a special activity).

At first, changing to this approach felt like I was compromising my principles, and it took me a while to understand that positive reinforcement was working and the negative was not. So, I have shifted to what is working. (Of course, there are times I must be punitive and these would include behaviors that threaten the lives of the individual and others.)

In James 1:20, we are told of something else that doesn’t work and that is spewing our anger toward someone who is not doing what we want them to do. Those who fear us will comply, but without fear, there won’t be any other incentive to behave differently.

Perhaps it’s time for each of us to evaluate what is working and what is not. It could make a vast difference in your life and those of others.