“Yes” / “No” Cards

This month I offer you a very simple but effective behavior management tool.  Start by creating a number of “Yes” / “No” cards (these can be created by using index cards, poster board, or printing out, cutting, and laminating the words).  Once the “Yes” / “No” cards are created, you need to find a fish bowl or decorate a box that will be used to collect these cards, and that’s it . . . you’re ready to implement the “Yes” / “No” strategy.  Explain to students that when everyone is exhibiting targeted behavior, the class will be rewarded with a “Yes” card, which is put into the bowl/box.  If however, someone breaks a rule or behaves inappropriately, a “No” card is placed into the bowl/box.  At the end of the day, pull out one card and if it happens to be a “Yes” card, the class gets a small reward, but if it is a “No” card L there will be no reward for that day (time period). 

Another way to use “Yes” / “No” cards is to have a contest between class periods to see which period has the most “Yes” cards or the highest percentage of “Yes” to “No” cards and provide a class reward for the winning period at the end of the week.

One more idea is to place “Yes” cards in the bowl/box, but put any “No” cards earned to the side.  Subtract the number of “No” cards from the “Yes” cards in the bowl/box and that is the number of points the class has earned toward a weekly reward.

It won’t take long before you’ll be saying “Yes!” to this simple behavior management technique and “Yes” to student success! 

The “Penny Jar”

This interesting “Penny Jar” system will increase on-task behavior and minimize discipline problems for just pennies!  Begin by getting baby food jars and labeling them with the names of each of your students which will act as their “penny jars.”  Place all these jars on a shelf that is covered in green paper (which is appropriately called: “the green shelf!”).  Every morning all jars will start on the “green shelf.”  If a child misbehaves, instruct them to give themselves “a warning” and have them move their penny jar to the “yellow shelf.”  Students want to keep their jars on the “green shelf,” since at the end of the day, they may be paid based on the shelf their jar ends up on.  If the misbehavior continues or they behave inappropriately again during the day, the child is asked to give themselves another “warning” and to move their jar to the “red shelf.”  This is not where you want your jar to be at the end of the day, because any jars on the “red shelf” receive no money for that day.  The good behavior payout goes as follows: all jars at the end of the day on the “green shelf” get paid 3 cents, “yellow shelf” will get paid 1 cent and again, if a jar is on the “red shelf” they get paid nothing for that day.  With the money students earn, they get to purchase little things at your store at the end of the week or they can save their pennies to purchase larger items that are a little more expensive.  This is a great little system where you don’t have to do anything special to implement it during the day, you don’t have to keep track of anything, and it’s a great way to use all those old pennies you just don’t know what to do with.  Go green!

Limit Your Behavior Problems by Following 
the 10 Rules to Limit Setting

What is Wanted & What Works:

1.        Setting clear standards of behavior and staying with them

2.        Taking time to explain the reasons for the standards

3.        Being consistent

4.        Praising and rewarding positive behaviors

5.        Allowing choices when possible

6.        Keeping consequences in line with the behavior

7.        Allowing flexibility within limits and with earn back

8.        Listening as a part of effective communication

9.        Recognizing and accepting feelings

     10.   Setting a good example

April's "Awesome!"

April’s activity is perfect for reviewing and reinforcing your classroom rules and consequences.  Start by cutting out large letters that spell the word 
“A W E S O M E.”  Attach each of these letters to a visible board and get ready to experience an “awesome” day!  Begin the day by reminding students how “awesome” they are and then explain that if they can keep the word “Awesome” up on the visible board for the entire day without losing all the letters, they will receive a special surprise. When disruptive behavior occurs, remove one letter.  Continue to remove letters whenever necessary, reviewing classroom rules and following through with established consequences.  You will be surprised how effective this technique is and how powerful peer pressure can be!  It’s Awesome!!!

Theme-ing Positive Classroom Behavior

You won’t need the luck of the Irish this month to help your students focus on demonstrating positive behaviors in your classroom.  Begin by creating a colorful bulletin board or by hanging a themed poster on the wall.  Next, for each student cut out or buy the specified monthly shape (see below).  On each shape write a students name and creatively place these on the bulletin board/poster.  To shape positive behaviors, each time a student displays one of the behaviors you are trying to reinforce, have them take a sticker and put it on their shape.  At the end of the month give each student their themed shape to take home and just like that you’ve themed positive behavior in your classroom!. 

The following are examples of possible themes for each month:

January – Party Favors

February – Hearts

March – Shamrocks

April – Flowers

May – Statue of Liberty

June – Flags

August – Smiley Faces

September – Apples

October – Pumpkin

November – Turkeys
December - Snowflakes

Smile Stones

Good behavior in the classroom starts with establishing and maintaining good relationships with your students.  It’s amazing how powerful a simple smile can be in a student’s life and what an effective behavior management tool it can be!  It has been said that the shortest distance between two people is a smile.  This month, consciously work on smiling more often at each of your students and on Valentine’s Day here’s a little gift you can give each of your students.  On a red, white, or pink index card have printed: “Thank you for being such a wonderful student in my class and sharing your smiles and laughter with us.  I want to share a special smile with you today!  Put this Smile Stone in your pocket as a friendly reminder that I care about you, and to remember to keep smiling and be positive in all your interactions with others.”  On each of these cards stick a Smile Stone.  A Smile Stone is simply a clear or colored vase gem that you paint a little smiley face on.  Keep smiling and watch as the world smiles with you!

Jammin’ January Jars

Begin this month’s behavior management tip by putting your students into a predetermined number of groups (the number of groups is determined by the group size desired and the number of jam jars available).  Provide each group with a number or have them determine a positive name for their group and label each jam jar with the group’s number or name.  Explain that each time you notice something positive happening you will reward the group by putting a marble into their jam jar (examples might include: all responding quickly and quietly to your directions, having all homework completed, walking down the hall quietly, etc.).  If one person in a group does something special, you might even reward the entire group for his/her efforts.  Every couple of days check to see which group has the most marbles.  For a special reward, explain that when a group (or class) can fill a quart sized jar they will receive that reward.  Measure by first putting marbles into a cup, then a pint, and finally into a quart.  

Remember, no behavior management system can be based on rewards alone.  A system starts with a firm idea of what your classroom should look like when all students are actively engaged in the learning process.  From there, you develop a system that will help you and your students reach this goal.  Happy New Years and may you and your students reach all your goals in 2010!

“The Magic of Good Behavior” 

The magic of the season is upon us and there is no reason we can’t bring the magic into our classrooms.  Simply explain that when students are on-task, behaving positively, and meeting your set criteria you will teach them a simple magic trick that they can share with friends and be taken home to share with their family.  There are 1000’s of simple magic tricks you can find in books and online to use for this months behavior management idea.  This tip really is the magic of good behavior!

Encouraging Good Behavior
 

Some teachers point out class rules only when students misbehave.  A more effective technique for teaching acceptable behavior is to call attention to the positive examples of following the rules that most students demonstrate daily.  For example – saying: “I’m pleased you did this rather than that” is an effective classroom management and discipline measure.  This technique allows you to discuss proper and improper behavior in a positive way rather than from the standpoint of correcting misbehavior. 

Thumbs Up 

This behavior management idea focuses on catching students being on task and behaving appropriately in your classroom.  Begin by creating a bulletin board with the outline of a large thumb being the focal point.  Title this bulletin board “You’re Thumb-ting Special!!!”  Once created, explain to students that when you notice them either being on task, behaving appropriately, or demonstrating an act of kindness; they will be selected to put an inked print of their thumb inside the outline of the thumb.  This not only is a great motivator for students, but a reminder to the teacher to be constantly looking for the positives in their students.

The Good Behavior Game

In order for this behavior management tool to be effective, you must first define, discuss, role play, and post what good behavior looks like in your classroom.  Once students clearly understand these, divide the class into 2 or more teams.  Explain that any time a team member breaks one of the rules (that constitute good behavior) in your classroom, it will result in his/her team receiving a mark next to their team’s name.  The way this behavioral game plays out in your classroom is determined only by your desired outcomes and individual creativity.