"Negative consequences, timeouts, and punishment just make bad behavior worse. But a new approach really works. "
I'm tempted to simply say "duh," because my wife - a retired special education teacher - uses techniques like this. (now, they work quite well on me. )
Strategies for dealing with behavior work - the kid knows it's not working, they want something that does. She'd turn bullies into noble protectors of the downtrodden by starting out with "now, I know you are an honorable person..."
A very interesting article. I teach junior and senior high, and when I read the article, I immediately picture a few students who might benefit from an approach like this--but the issue, as always, is spending the time necessary to help that one kid while the rest of the class twiddles their thumbs. I already spend a far higher amount of time with students like these than I do with the students on the other end of the spectrum, kids who need to be pushed because they're extremely bright and find the "average" work too easy. I also work in a school with zero classroom support for exceptional students (those on either end of the spectrum).
I'd love to hear how classroom modification can work for explosive students without sacrificing the needs of the rest of the class. My own children are in the system, and I don't want their education compromised because they have peers who, quite frankly, aren't able to handle a normal classroom situation. (Does that make me a horrible person? I have a sneaking suspicion that it does...)