As a teacher, managing problem behavior in the classroom can be one of your most challenging tasks. Behavioral problems can range from disrupting classes to acts of violence against fellow students and teachers. Children's emotional problems and life challenges can also contribute to behavioral problems at school. A study conducted by the Justice Center and the Public Policy Research Institute found that six in ten students suffered from an “emotional disturbance” and were expelled or suspended between seventh and twelfth grades (Firke, 2011). This same study showed that discipline varied greatly between schools. This report also revealed the urgent need for a more thoughtful technique in school discipline policies. In many cases teachers have exhausted their classroom management strategies without success. Behavior modification is intended to improve school and classroom behavior and can provide teachers with additional tools to help them proactively and effectively address behaviors that disrupt students and teachers in the classroom. When children disrupt class they can cause many problems for their classmates and their teachers. However, in the long run, it is the disruptive children themselves who are most affected, both socially and educationally (Epstein, Atkins, Cullinan, Kutash, & Weaver, 2008). Behavior modification techniques should be used in school, to change negative behaviors and increase positive behaviors observed in these children. Currently, the public school system has failed to have a universal disciplinary strategy and many schools adopt a school-to-prison approach, to weed out the bad seeds they cannot handle. Many of these students have been victims of po...... middle of paper ......008). Reducing behavior problems in the elementary school classroom: A practical guide (NCEE No. 2008-012). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/publications/practiceguides.Smith, K. (n.d.). Behavior modification. a proactive intervention for the class. Unpublished manuscript, Institute on Community Integration, University of Minnosota, Minneapolis, Minnosota. Retrieved from http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ceed/publications/tipsheets/preschoolbehaviortipsheets/behmod.pdfFirke, B. U.S. Department of Education, Public Policy Research Institute. (2011). Ending the School to Prison Pipeline Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://www.ed.gov/blog/2011/07/ending-the-school-to-prison-pipeline/