Dr. Fredric H. Jones, Ph.D

For over 40 years Dr. Jones has studied highly successful teachers - the "naturals" - to see how they make success look easy. During that time he has conducted extensive research and constant experimentation in classrooms. His objective has been to perfect methods of classroom management that are both powerful and affordable for the teacher. Successful teaching is neither "magic" nor is it a collection of handy hints - the proverbial "bag of tricks." Rather, successful teaching is built around a handful of core competencies that are expressed in everything the teacher does. Once mastered, they bring rapid relief from teacher exhaustion for one simple reason: Responsible students who have learned to manage themselves require much less management from the teacher. Dr. Jones has focused upon providing quality professional development that builds an on-going process of growth and change among faculty and administrators at the school site. He has developed books, videos and other support media to ensure a consistent quality of training and follow-through by school site personnel. Dr. Jones received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from UCLA specializing in work with schools and families. While on the faculty of the UCLA Medical Center in the late 1960's/early 1970's, Dr. Jones developed methods of helping children with severe emotional disorders as head of the Child Experimental Ward of the Neuropsychiatric Institute. At that time he also began pioneering research in classroom management in both regular and special classrooms. While on the faculty of the University of Rochester, Dr. Jones continued to develop the non-adversarial management procedures that were to become Positive Classroom Discipline and Positive Classroom Instruction. Dr. Jones most recent book, Tools for Teaching (first edition published in 1998) offers an updated description of classroom management enriched by two decades of teacher training.