In "Mini Moments with Big Thinkers," leading figures in Teachers College's history discuss groundbreaking ideas, research and initiatives born at the College during the past half-century. The Mini Moments are drawn from the College’s Oral History Project, a collection of more than 90 videotaped interviews conducted by Melanie Shorin and Jessica Wiederhorn, the principals of The Narrative Trust, a private firm that conducts and captures the oral histories of institutions, communities and individuals. Produced in conjunction with TC’s Department of Development and External Affairs, the Mini-Moments are airing throughout 2013.
R. Douglas Greer | Mini Moments With Big Thinkers
Skip to content Skip to main navigation![Mini Moments With Big Thinkers Mini Moments With Big Thinkers](/bigthinkers/secondary-banner/minimoments-marquee-banner2.jpg)
Mini Moments With Big Thinkers
R. Douglas Greer
R. Douglas Greer is Professor of Psychology and Education in the program in Special Education in TC's Department of Health and Behavior Studies, He is creator of the Comprehensive Application of Behavior Analysis to Schooling (CABAS), a method he has adapted from the ideas of his mentor B.F. Skinner and used in schools he has founded in the United States and Europe to help children with autism and other developmental disorders. The guiding precept of CABAS, which has helped hundreds of children speak their first words and has also shown promise with mainstream students, is that human beings learn to do things (or not do them) in response to “reinforcers”—food, encouragement and other stimuli. In works such as Designing Teaching Strategies: An Applied Behavior Analysis Systems Approach (Elsevier, 2002),Greer has argued that when teaching is treated as an art, "good teaching is an accident,” while "when teaching is treated as a science, good teaching can be replicated across many professionals in a reliable fashion.”
To learn more about Doug Greer, read:
- Include Me In (TC Today magazine)
- Unselfish Behaviorism (TC Today magazine)
- Motivation Scientists (TC Annual Report)
- Strategic Science, With a Passion (TC Annual Report)
- Writing the Book on Language (www.tc.edu)
- The Unorthodox Behaviorist (TC Today magazine)
Premiered on 12/1/2013
More Big Thinkers
![](/bigthinkers/segments/nahas-angula/Nahas-Angula-thumbnail.jpg)
Nahas Angula
Ed.M., 1979; M.A., 1978![](/bigthinkers/segments/jody-gottfried-arnhold/jody-arnhold-thumbnail.jpg)
Jody Gottfried Arnhold
Dance Educator![](/bigthinkers/segments/col-bernard-banks/banks-thumbnail.jpg)
Col. Bernard Banks
Ph.D. '11![](/bigthinkers/segments/leonard-blackman/blackman-thumbnail.jpg)
Leonard Blackman
Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/george-bonanno/george-bonannon-thumbnail.jpg)
George Bonanno
Professor of Psychology and Education and Professor of Clinical Psychology![](/bigthinkers/segments/warner-burke/warner-burke-thumbnail.jpg)
Warner Burke
Professor of Psychology & Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/george-bond/george-bond-thumbnail.jpg)
George Bond
Professor of Anthropology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/margaret-crocco/margaret-crocco-thumbnail.jpg)
Margaret Crocco
former TC Professor of Social Studies and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/morton-deutsch/morton-deautsch-thumbnail.jpg)
Morton Deutsch
E.L. Thorndike Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/christopher-emdin/emdin-thumbnail.jpg)
Christopher Emdin
Assistant Professor of Science Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/william-epps/epps-thumbnail.jpg)
Alumnus William Epps
Pastor, Second Baptist Church, Los Angeles![](/bigthinkers/segments/claire-fagin-/fagin-thumbnail.jpg)
Claire Fagin
M.A. '51![](/bigthinkers/segments/celia-genishi/genishi-thumbnail.jpg)
Celia Genishi
Professor of Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/antoinette-gentile/anne-gentile-thumbnail.jpg)
Antoinette Gentile
Professor Emeritus, Movement Sciences![](/bigthinkers/segments/a-lin-goodwin/lin-goodwin-thumbnail.jpg)
A. Lin Goodwin
Vice Dean and Professor of Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/edmund-gordon/gordon-thumbnail.jpg)
Edmund Gordon
Richard March Hoe Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/maxine-greene/greene-thumbnail.jpg)
Maxine Greene
William F. Russell Professor Emeritus in Foundations of Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/r-douglas-greer/greer-thumbnail.jpg)
R. Douglas Greer
Professor of Psychology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/jeffrey-henig/henig-thumbnail.jpg)
Jeffrey Henig
Professor of Political Science & Education, Department Chair, EPSA![](/bigthinkers/segments/ellie-krieger-/krieger-thumbnail.jpg)
Ellie Krieger
M.S. '94![](/bigthinkers/segments/david-johns/david-johns-thumbnail.jpg)
David Johns
M.A. '06![](/bigthinkers/segments/sharon-lynn-kagan/kagan-thumbnail.jpg)
Sharon Lynn Kagan
Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy![](/bigthinkers/segments/john-king/john-king-thumbnail.jpg)
John B. King, Jr.
Ed.D. '08, New York State Commissioner of Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/henry-levin-/henry-levin-thumbnail.jpg)
Henry Levin
Professor of Economics & Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/richard-mills/richard-mill-sthumbnail.jpg)
Richard Mills
EdD '77![](/bigthinkers/segments/eric-nadelstern/eric-nadelstern-thumbnail.jpg)
Eric Nadelstern
Professor of Practice in Educational Leadership![](/bigthinkers/segments/sandra-okita/okita-thumbnail.jpg)
Sandra Okita
Assistant Professor of Technology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/raphael-montaez-ortiz-/ortiz-thumbnail.jpg)
Raphael MontaƱez Ortiz
Ed.D. '82![](/bigthinkers/segments/matthew-pittinsky/matthew-pitinsky-thumbnail.jpg)
Matthew Pittinsky
Ph.D. '08![](/bigthinkers/segments/michael-rebell/michael-rebell-thumbnail.jpg)
Michael Rebell
Professor of Law and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/william-dodge-rueckert/William-Dodge-Rueckert-thumbnail.jpg)
William Dodge Rueckert
Co-Chair, Teachers College Board of Trustees![](/bigthinkers/segments/donna-shalala/shalala-thumbnail.jpg)
Donna Shalala
President of the University of Miami, former TC faculty member![](/bigthinkers/segments/gita-steiner-khamsi/khamsi-thumbnail.jpg)
Gita Steiner-Khamsi
Professor of Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/derald-wing-sue/derald-wing-sue-thumbnail.jpg)
Derald Wing Sue
Professor of Psychology and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/viola-vaughn/viola-vaughn-thumbnail.jpg)
Viola Vaughn
EdD '84![](/bigthinkers/segments/ruth-vinz-/ruth-vinz-thumbnail.jpg)
Ruth Vinz
Program Coordinator, English Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/cally-l-waite/Cally-L-Waite-thumbnail.jpg)
Cally L. Waite
Associate Professor of History and Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/barbara-wallace/barbara-wallace-thumbnail.jpg)
Barbara Wallace
Professor of Health Education![](/bigthinkers/segments/vivian-ota-wang/Vivan-Ota-Wang-thumbnail.jpg)
Vivian Ota Wang
M. Phil. '94, Ph.D. '95![](/bigthinkers/segments/howell-wechsler/Howell-Wechsler-thumbnail.jpg)
Howell Wechsler
Ed.D. '95 and 2012-2013 Tisch Lecturer![](/bigthinkers/segments/dr-ruth-westheimer/dr-ruth-thumbnail.jpg)