3.3.4 Reinforcement Strategies: Permanence,
Silence, Multiple Cues and Multichannel
Reinforcement

Permanence

How long does reinforcement last? Casual comments disappear almost immediately while a stamp in the workbook stays visible for the entire semester. A trophy in the school's display area remains for many years. In general, the more permanent a reinforcement is, the stronger it will be in helping to shape a student's future. Making the honor roll is a strong reinforcer; the display of the honor roll in the school's central hallway makes it more visible and more permanent.

Silence

Silence can be either a positive or negative reinforcer. If you stop in your tracks and stare at a student who is involved in some sticky situation, the situation gets heavy very quickly. Silence in that type of situation is a negative reinforcer. A strong, positive reinforcer is to call on somebody, ask her a question, and wait while she prepares an answer. This kind of silence is a positive reinforcer because you are communicating that it is worth everybody's time to wait while the student gets the answer organized. You need to learn how to use silence as both a positive and negative reinforcer. As with all the strategies presented to help you manage your classroom, the tool can be misused. The most important thing for new teachers is to learn how to make the tools work for you and not against you.

Multiple cues

In our classroom, we are having a discussion. While you are talking, I am nodding my head up and down (non-verbal communication), and then I say, 'You are making an important point .' Why is this making you feel more confident in your understanding of the topic? Not only have I given you a positive reinforcement, but I have given it to you in two different ways, verbal and non-verbal. If you can combine your tools and strategies together, your classroom management skills become stronger.

Multichannel Reinforcement

Multichannel reinforcement is the badge of the teacher who has really mastered this use of reinforcement. Multichannel reinforcement can make the difference between the success and failure of a lesson. To illustrate this, I will use the example of Susie. Susie is misbehaving. By using single-channel reinforcements you stop and say 'Susie' and everyone's pencil goes down and they forget what
they were doing. Everyone is looking at Susie. Once you have finished dealing with Susie, you realize that you have disrupted the other students' concentration, you have taken time away from the lesson, and you may have publicly humiliated Susie. In an alternative scenario, one in which you use multichannel reinforcement, you would notice Susie's behavior but keep on teaching as you
walked over and put your hand on Susie's shoulder. You never miss a beat in terms of what you are teaching, and the students continue with their learning. They know that something is being dealt with on the side, but the focus doesn't shift to Susie.

You can also send private messages to students while you are teaching. I can be lecturing while making eye contact with an individual student. That student feels reinforced because I have paid attention to him. At the same time I have continued teaching, and it hasn't cost me anything in terms of dealing with other students. One of the biggest mistakes that teachers make is not being able to use
multichannel teaching/reinforcement. If you can only do one thing at a time, then you are limited as a teacher.

How can silence be used as both a positive and negative reinforcement?

Mrs. Hamrick is a third grade teacher that has problems with her students on a daily basis regarding their behavior. How can she use the methods of permanence, silence, multiple cues, and multichannel reinforcement to make her students' behaviors change?