Lewis’s research has shown that strategies such as hinting, discussion, recognising and reward and involvement are far more effective in reducing misbehaviour than coercion, such as yelling, sarcasm and group punishment. Lewis found aggression was the only strategy that undermined the relationship between teacher and student and made students less likely to comply with expectations for behaviour. And the “ripple effect” – that punishing one student can have on others – is minimised when a teacher uses positive strategies, but exacerbated by the use of aggression.
Hinting “places the student in a position where they are asked to meet adult expectations in an adult manner, thus building their experience base for self-discipline and self-control” while allowing the student to save face. And, according to Lewis, recognising and rewarding positive student and class behaviour has obvious positive benefits for building relationships between students and teachers – fostering an environment of trust and respect in which students are less likely to misbehave. A reward can be as simple as a nod of approval or a smile.