Positive Teacher is a short-form blog about running a middle or high school classroom on recognition, routine, and follow-through.
It's written by Clay Shumate, a Class A certified social studies and history teacher for grades 6–12 with an M.Ed. from the University of Montevallo. Before teaching, he spent five years managing and opening retail stores, and he's coached varsity soccer, volleyball, baseball, golf, and softball.
What this blog believes
- Positive reinforcement works with teenagers — when it's consistent and tied to effort, not perfection.
- Positive doesn't mean permissive. Expectations still get enforced, and the adult does what they said they'd do.
- Routines do more for classroom management than rules.
- Project-based learning and soft skills matter, and college isn't the only path to a good life.
- Every student is, in a sense, their own classroom.
Where the long versions live
Posts here are short on purpose. The full guides, research, and free printable resources for grades 6–12 live at Elevate the Norm. You can read more about the author on Clay Shumate's author page, or browse the free teacher resource library — no email required.
Questions or corrections? Use the Elevate the Norm contact page.