Changing attitudes and behavior

The second volume in the Practice Makes Permanent series, this book argues that a student's motivation is closely tied to how well they perform in school. Jensen sets out straightforward, practical techniques that administrators and teachers can use to help students manage their emotions and sustain their focus. He expects these methods to build a cooperative, high-achieving classroom community where students gain academic skills along with important social abilities.

A core idea is that durable learning should come before quick, shallow memorization, so that students can feel proud of and own their classroom achievements. Educators, he suggests, need to design activities that help students understand, record, organize and deepen what they know. The book also explains how to reshape the thinking behind a student's behavior and how teachers can steer even the most disruptive or easily distracted students back on course.

Jensen acknowledges that changing established behavior patterns is hard, and he offers methods he has tested to boost motivation, unify whole-class instruction, and help teachers and students return to their long-term goals. Readers can learn more about his work on his educational blog.