1-2-3 Magic for Teachers: Effective Classroom Discipline Pre-K through Grade 8

I teach middle school in and find that most classroom discipline programs are not geared toward teens. This is no-nonsense and easy to do. No keeping track of token economies or tickets or those types of things unless you want to. I'm not good at those things, so I appreciate a system that is simple and easy. It's basically three strikes and you're in time out, which is not new, but it's a good read and validates the teacher being able to set expectations and have them be followed by your students. It's for the real teacher in the real world with real kids.

Very easy to read! And I was able to implement everything in my Pre-K classroom and I got a very positive response from my students!

1-2-3 Magic was recommended to us to use with our own child and it worked very well for us. I decided to try the classroom version toward the end of this school year and found that it is was effective for most of my students. I think it would have worked great if I had started it at the beginning of the year. This program makes it easy to stay calm and consistent with the children. I found that it stopped the arguing and testing that kids like to try. I bought 4 copies to share with other teachers who were feeling frustrated with their students. I will start off the school year with it in the fall.

You cannot go wrong with this book. Lots if ideas and examples and based on sound research and experience. I recommend it to all teachers. No problems? You will find out what you are doing right and why it works so you can share with others.

I have been teaching for 10 years and already have a behavior plan that is very effective. This book just enhanced my program without replacing everything. It validated many of my practices; but also changed my mind on a few beliefs. I have talked my entire school into purchasing this book. We are starting a book club too. Many parents ask me for advice on disciplining their child because of my success in the classroom. I am now recommending the sister book 123 Magic for Parents. This book is a great resource for new teachers and veteran teachers.

This program really works... if you keep it up. If you can get your class started on this system from the beginning, it is really effective. I used it on 3 year olds, and they responded nicely... but you have to remember to keep the emotions out and stick with the system, which is hard when you have 20 three-year-olds. It is as much a task for you as them, but worth it in the end.

Terrific program explained in an easy to read text. A balanced program that covers both sides of classroom management - building relationships and motivating students with positive feedback AND managing those who chose not to comply. Teaches students to take responsibility for their own choices.

Fantastic, easy tool to use with kiddos. I am a teacher and used this simple program with my students, some that have challenging behaviors. They picked up on the 1-2-3 tactic quickly and have been doing better!

Seems effective

As an advisor on children's learning and behaviour, I recommend this to all teachers. It is an easy read (wait for the holidays and relax) but gives all the strong messages about clear consistent rules and expectations and known outcomes. Not quite magic but not a trick - just clear common sense and organisation!

I have never been a fan of "counting" and "time-outs" and always much-preferred the methods of communication which encouraged mutual understanding and the growth of bonds between teacher and student--I always used methods more like those described in Faber and Mazlish's How to Talk so Kids Can Learn (I strongly recommend you also read this book in order to have some idea of what to do "after" and to further nuance your implementation of this technique).But then I found myself in a room of out-off-control, off-task (that is, normal and healthy), young learners of English for 50 minutes at a time with the expectation of achieving results and unable to implement my lessons or use my usual (and preferred) techniques for classroom management--that is, I was stranded without my usual resources and for all parties involved, I had to find something to get back into my comfort zone.I had used a similar counting method when I taught at elementary schools in New Orleans, but had never been exposed to the formal theory and found myself lacking in confidence of how to handle the children "after the count" in my current situation and therefore reluctant to institute it in my classroom in Japan. This book is an excellent primer and guide to the whole process. Now that the kids are starting to learn effectively what behavior is desired, what is tolerable and what is not, our time together is much more fruitful and everyone gets a chance to master the target and have fun--now that there is good discipline in most of my classes, I can operate more in my usual mode which has relieved a lot of my stress.Also, because I only see my kids once a week, I had expected the process, overall, to take much longer than it seems to be. I was prepared to have to go through up to two months of testing and proving the method, but after only one month there are very few challengers still.I still don't like counting and time-outs as stand-alone instruments, but if you're in a pinch and need to impose some level of order so that you can use other [in my opinion, more effective] methods, this is a good tool you should at least know about.

I am a great fan of this series and have used it for twenty years in regards to enabling parents and teachers to improve behaviours effectively, would highly recommend.

It works!!!!