I found that I often spent the first few minutes of each class reminding those students to "read please, "sit down and read your book," "it's time to read," "you need to read now." Unfortunately, for my readers who are hesitant to read, my constant reminders to read can overshadow everything else about our teacher-student relationship. I only see each student for forty-five minutes each day, so I only have so much time to have positive interactions. I decided to switch just one negative interaction (the reading reminder) into a positive interaction by changing my comment from "Sit down, stop talking, and read your book" to "Let me help you find a book you like better." The result was the same (the students sat down and read their newer, better books), but instead of tossing out scoldings, I was working alongside my students. I still tell the class to sit down and read quietly, of course, but if a specific student seems especially resistant to independent reading time, I make the effort to help them find something they will enjoy more.
What are some other common negative interactions that you replace with positive ones?
