That more progress is made in a supportive atmosphere than a punitive. Over the decades I've taught, here are the things that have really made the difference:
1. The principal who encouraged me to get my teaching credential so many years ago always told us: "Never yell at children."
2. She also was the one to point out the causes of bad behavior, and show me how to present myself as someone fair and trustworthy.
3. Build relationships with students and parents.
4. Always, always, keep behavior in context and choose a response based upon that.
5. Focus on supporting and reinforcing positive behavior.
6. Make it harder to fail than to succeed.
I'm not a big fan of the PBIS; it focuses too much on external motivators, while I prefer to build internal motivation. It does, though, have research to back up the "5-1" ratio of positive response vs correction. It does point out that, for some students, external is the beginning, and internal motivation the ultimate goal.
I believe that the authoritarian, punitive nature prevalent today stems from the "zero tolerance" movement. I remember when it started, we all had to put up posters in our room. Like that meant anything. In the school I taught in, we put up the posters, ignored them, and went about our days as before. Unfortunately, that wasn't, and isn't, true everywhere.
I know a boy who got summarily expelled 3 weeks ago because he found a pocket knife on the playground. Instead of showing an adult, he showed another kid. He was gone that day, on a 10 day suspension while the expulsion procedures were followed. He is attending a school for delinquents for the next full year. That expulsion was accomplished in less than the ten suspension days.
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