3 Part Classroom Management System

Submitted by Maryann from Philadelphia

I have a 3 part system.Whole group: for rewarding the class as a whole for behavior I put one marble in a jar every time the whole class has good behavior (example walking through the halls quietly). Then when the jar is full the class gets a cupcake party.Table groups: I have charts hanging up in the front of the room for table stars. I use it to get them to get all their books out quickly, keep the area clean, stay quiet, etc. When the group gets 25 stars they each get a prize sticker, candy).Individual: It is important for the students that are always doing the

right thing and to encourage the others, I tape a 25 grid chart on the top of each desk. I give each student a star with my colored sharpie when they complete work, for staying quiet, etc. I let them know before an activity that it is worth a star. When they fill the 25 grid they get a prize. They like the individual one the most because it cannot be messed up by other students meaning if they are the only one at their table to complete their work their table will not get a star but they still will.

Five and DownSubmitted by Holly from Florida

Mrs. Moody's Moolah The following is an explanation of the behavior management system we will use in our classroom this year. This is a new token economy system I have

created, so there may be changes as the year progresses.What is a token economy? A token economy is a system that gives students the opportunity to earn or lose tokens for both positive and negative behaviors. In a token economy, the student is always aware of the specific behaviors that will lead to the gain or loss of tokens. Token economies are beneficial in elementary classrooms because they teach the students that they are responsible for their behavior and that the behavior choices they make can lead to rewards or consequences.How does the Moolah system work? Students will begin each day with four beans (20 beans per week). The beans will be stored in cups attached to each student's desk. Throughout the day, students will

have the opportunity to earn beans for positive behaviors. Beans may also be lost for inappropriate behavior. Verbal warnings or Shh! Tokens will be given before each bean is taken.At the end of the week, each student will fill out a Bean Banking sheet and visit the Moody Market to redeem beans.What are the consequences? Shh! Tokens: These tokens will be given when students talk out of turn during large or small group instruction. The following is a list of Shh! Token consequences:

1 Shh! Token: Warning 2 Shh! Tokens: Student loses 1

bean 3 Shh! Tokens: Student loses

second bean and is moved away

from the group or loses 5 minutes free play.

* For behaviors other than talking, a verbal warning will be given before beans are taken.The following is a list of consequences for losing beans:

1 bean: No Consequence (other than not being able to purchase certain items at the Moody Market)

2 beans: Student loses 5 minutes Free Play

3 beans: Note Home outlining why each bean was lost, Student signs Behavior Log

4 beans: Call home, notify Lower School Head.

What are the rewards? During the first week of school, the students will have the opportunity to create a list of rewards they would like to have in the Moody Market. Rewards may be

items such as treasure box toys, tickets for special privileges (ex: 10 minutes free computer play, or school supplies (ex: pencils, erasers, journals). I am always grateful for donations to the Moody Market!

20 Point SystemSubmitted by Susan from

PennsylvaniaI teach 6th and 7th grade Special Education (Emotional Support). I work on a 20 point a day system. Everyone has a chance to earn 20 pts/day for a 100% day. Everyone has their own chart and it is on my desk. The points earned are converted into "classroom cash" and everyone has their own checking account.At the end of the marking periods we go shopping at my store. I have a prize tub with all new or almost new items ranging from school supplies,

to toys, to backpacks and students have to shop, write checks, balance their checkbooks etc. This is a great incentive and everyone knows the guidelines for earning or not earning points throughout the day.We have respect, work ethics, and behavior in and out of my room at the top of our list. If someone has not earned a point, I explain why and we go over our % at the end of every day so everyone knows where they stand.What they don't know is how much $ they may receive. We change the point=$ quite often so they need to stay on their toes. Sometimes the highest earnings receives "bank" dividends for continual good behavior as well.

Smile Face Behavior Sheets

Submitted by Martha from IndianaI use several reinforcement techniques and time-outs to manage behavior. I teach emotionally and behaviorally disordered.First we have a behavior sheet that goes home every day and must be signed by parents. The behavior sheet has 14 smile faces across that may be highlighted or not (each is worth 1/2 hour of time. Students may also earn an extra smile for getting homework done.Daily Reward: At the end of the day if a student has a successful day (13-15 smiles) then a smile face is stamped onto a calendar (on their desk) and they may borrow a video/dvd or book from the teacher. I

always write down the item borrowed on the behavior sheet and check if it is returned the next day. They may borrow each day that they are successful and have brought back the item from the day before. My kids love to borrow and many borrow books to take home every day.Weekly Reward: Also at the end of the week we have a menu of rewards depending on how many smiles they earned on their calendar that week. One of the things my students love to earn is free time or time that they may be spent doing one of several activities available. This gives them a break from "work" and rewards on-task behavior and getting work done. This correlates quite well with the behavior sheet.Monthly Reward: Students who manage to earn all their smile faces

for a month, earn a free meal of their choice (fast food coupons or I will actually go get what they want).Time-Out: If a student has to do a time-out an appropriate amount of a smile face is marked off of the behavior sheet. In the past I have kept track of the minutes missed by using a small card for each student and highlighting minutes earned and x-ing out minutes lost. This however, can be time consuming and is usually managed with the help of an aide. If homework is not done I x-out the homework smile face.

4 Levels of Behavior & Cooperative Bucks

Submitted by Debbie from New Jersey

I use a combined system since I teach a self-contained class with fourth and fifth graders.The first part of my system is utilizing Marvin Marshall's Levels of Discipline. My students are instructed on the 4 levels and recognizing what the appropriate behavior looks like for those levels.Along with the different levels I also reward them with Cooperative Bucks. They can earn these in a variety of ways. At the end of the day each student does a self-evaluation and then conferences with me to discuss how to improve tomorrow. The self evaluation sheets are targeted at the best thing they did for the day and the area that they had difficulty and what they can do to improve.For the very difficult students I work on one key behavior at a time so the

student feels like they are making progress and are not overwhelmed.

The ClipboardSubmitted by Amy from Ohio

I use a seating chart on a clipboard to keep track of student behavior. I take attendance, mark participation, document missing materials, note prohibited behavior, etc. When students see me pick up the clipboard, they know to get on task if they are not. At the end of the week I can easily calculate participation grades.

Prize TicketsSubmitted by Jessie from MarylandI teach elementary Special Education. Since I work with a variety of ages and levels, I wanted a system that I could use with all of my students.

They can earn tickets (blue raffle type) for good work and good behavior. They earn them each time I work with them. They save their tickets in their own envelope that they decorated earlier in the year.Then, on Fridays they may use their tickets to buy prizes from my 5, 10, 20, or even 50 tickets prizes. This teaches them to save, buy something they may really want, and also to not always be able to get things you may want right away (if someone else buys it before them). It's a great low-maintenance, easy to implement system which seems to be successful for the students.

Picture Perfect Behavior

Submitted by Laverne from Georgia

Picture Perfect Behaviors: I take pictures of all of my smiling students. The pictures are laminated and a magnetic strip is placed on the back. The pictures are placed on the chalkboard for smiling good behavior. When a student misbehaves he/she must remove their picture and place it on his/her desk. When the behavior is corrected, the picture is placed back on the board.

Modeling Expectations & Marks for BehaviorSubmitted by Darren from North

CarolinaI've broken down the behavior in my class into five distinct categories:1.Tardy2.Disrespect3.Materials4.Not Following Directions

5.BathroomI teach my students during the first week of school what each of these expected behavior categories look like.For example, I teach my students how to listen following three simple steps- stop what you're doing, look at the person speaking, be still and quiet until the person finishes speaking. I do the same with how to get the teacher's attention. I even break down how to follow directions. I demonstrate what being on time looks like so that there is no question. I cover the behaviors that are considered disrespect. We talk about how this system helps everyone be successful in the classroom, including the teacher.Then, as the week goes on, I reinforce these behaviors. When

someone doesn't follow these clear directions, I give them a mark for "not following directions" or whichever category the behavior might fall under. Students can always take a mark to go to the bathroom. This encourages them to determine if they really need to go or not.At the end of the week, my team (middle school) runs a "Fun Friday" schedule. For all students who didn't receive three marks, we take the last 30 minutes for fun time. We offer outside time, video games, listening to music, or playing in the gym time.Students who receive too many marks get "Frown Friday" where they simply read or get caught up on homework. The marks are scalable in that if a student gets more than three marks, the consequences become

more intense. Five marks is after school detention. Seven marks is an office referral.As the student begins working his or her way up the marks scale, I always call home to warn the parent that future consequences might be coming unless the student changes his or her behavior. This system works like magic as long as the teacher consistently enforces it. It helps insulate the teacher from student behavior, removing those explosive power struggles so many of us are familiar with. It helps students regulate their own behavior, giving them many opportunities to change the actions. It also helps me form positive relationships with my students, even when he or she has trouble meeting expected behavior.

Check out Darren's Classroom Management Website: Helping Teachers Grow

Encouraging Frog-tastic Behavior

Submitted by Cathy from North Carolina

Expectations and ConsequencesI do a lot of different things in my classroom. First I'll start with my expectations and some consequences. My classroom has a frog theme and we have four rules. Be Respectful, Be Safe, Work Hard and Love Yourself.Hopping PeopleI use people cut outs with magnets on the back and each student has a person with their name on it. These

people go on the board for everyone to see. After the first week of school, anyone that hasn't moved their person all week gets to take their person off the board. I have four pouches that are called "Hops" on the board. Hop One is labeled "warning." If a child breaks one of the four rules, they move their person into Hop One. Before anyone moves a person into Hop One, they are given a verbal warning. Hop Two results in a note being sent home (in their agenda/planner) with a description of the rule-breaking action. Hop Three results in the child calling their parent at home/work. The child must tell their parents what they did and why they're calling. The final step requires the student to go to the principal's office. At this step, the parents have already been called by the student

(Hop Three) and they already know what's been going on. At the end of the day, any people that have been moved are put back outside the pouches and stay on the board. It takes a week of not moving their person for a student's person to come off the board. The goal is to have no people on the board.Captains and Co-CaptainsI focus more on positives in my classroom. We sit in groups and each group comes up with a name, a captain and a co-captain. They work together as a table to earn points. At the end of the week, the table with the most points gets to come back to my classroom and have lunch with me. I use the captains and co-captains to collect papers (after a spelling test for example), to check

desks for me, and to put points for their table on the board.Chance Tickets for Good BehaviorAs individuals, the students are able to earn "chance" tickets. They get them at random times for doing random things. I pass them out when they're reading quietly, when they're working hard, when they turn work in on time, it's a "chance" that they'll get a ticket. They write their name on their ticket and place it into the "chance" bucket.As a class they also earn whole-class rewards by having excellent behavior. Throughout the week, they determine the number of "chance" tickets that I'll pull each Friday. The better they behave as a class, the more tickets they earn and the better their "chances" are that their ticket will be pulled. I have a prize box with

erasers, pens, pencils, and other school supplies, and the students can pick one item if their ticket is pulled. Each child can only pick once each Friday (if I pull a second ticket, it goes back into the "chance" bucket).We also have "Frog-Tastic Friday." Not only do we pull "chance" tickets, but we also do a mail call (we have a class post-office). Students also check their buckets each Friday. We are a Bucket Filling classroom (based on the book Have You Filled A Bucket Today?) and spend the week filling each other's buckets with positive words.Warm FuzziesLastly, my students can give each other "Warm Fuzzies." These are handmade pom-pom balls with googly-eyes and a pin back hot-glued to the back. I make them for the kids

and they can give Warm Fuzzies to anyone that has done something nice for someone else. It's a way for them to recognize others for doing random acts of kindness. They really enjoy it and when they earn a Warm Fuzzy, they usually pin it to their backpacks and show them off with pride. :)

Monthly Behavior Themes

Submitted by Deana from Maryland

Each month I choose a theme. Students choose their prize and we set a goal together for them to work towards.For example, this month, April, I have an umbrella hanging above each group of 4 (can be altered to match your seating arrangements). Since April showers bring May flowers,

students are earning raindrops to add to their umbrella. A drop can be earned when the group follows directions 1st time, works well on a task, quickest/quietest cleanup etc. Every 10 raindrops earns the group 1 flower. Each team has to earn at least 3 flowers by the end of the month. Any group who meets the goal is able to participate in the reward ( extra recess, ice cream party, computer time, lunch in classroom etc.) Of course this idea can be altered to better meet your needs. It works great for me.It especially encourages cooperation during group work and less wasted time during transitional periods. It also adds seasonal decor. This effectively displays the idea of a 'fresh start' each month and because it changes each month students will

stay motivated. It gives that extra incentive for students who need to see immediate results of a good job.Here are monthly ideas

Sept - students earn apples to put on a tree

Oct - students earn leaves to add to a tree;

Nov - students earn feathers to add to turkey

Dec - earn ornaments to place on christmas tree;

Jan - Earn 1 part at a time to build a snowman. body, eyes, mouth, nose, hat, scarf, arms.

Feb. - earn conversation hearts collected in a baby food jar.

Mar. - students earn gold coins to add to a pot; earn clovers to add to leprechaun hats.

Hope you like these ideas!

Auction Bucks for Good Behavior!

Submitted by Beth from IndianaMy system can be used at any time of the year, but this idea I like to save for second semester when other systems aren't working as effectively. I also have a holiday version for December!My students have a chance to be rewarded for good behavior. They can earn a classroom dollar for working quietly, following procedures, etc. Each time I see behavior that I want to reinforce, I hand them a dollar. A friend drew a picture of me so I included that on my class money. Students get a kick out of it when they first see it....since it was drawn a few years ago.

Students keep track of their money and must be responsible for it until we have a class auction about once a month. Before the auction I allow students to cash in their ones for fives, tens, twenties, fifties, and hundreds. They practice counting by 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100's as they count their money.We discuss the procedures for an auction and how to bid. I keep some dollars in my pocket, this way I can look for good behavior wherever we are....hallways, lunch, recess, field trips, etc. I try to get interesting items for my auctions....not things that can be found easily in stores...fun free items that are given away at conferences seem to be loved the best.In December, I use Santa bucks that are only good in the month of

December to help with holiday "excitement" and keep their focus!I like to keep my system focused just on positives and rewarding for good behavior so I don't usually take money away once it is earned but that could be an option if one wanted...if a particular behavior was a problem. There could be a fine. This is a good system because the kids are excited and tell the parents about it so they can monitor and ask their child how much they earned for each day.

Moving Up the iPod Playlist

Submitted by Lauren from Pennsylvania

I work in a special education classroom and my kids have problems remembering to finish and

bring in their homework, raising their hands, and remembering to bring their materials with them to my room.My children work for musical notes on an ipod. Every day, when a child brings in their homework and materials he/she gets to add a music note behind their name on a bulletin board. If the child forgets to raise their hand, or misbehaves they could lose a music note. At the end of the week, we count up the notes and move our names up the playlist on the ipod. (The kids get a kick out of it because they are like the artist then.)Every time the child gets their name to the number 1 spot on the playlist, he or she gets a chip to use in our store full of pencils and other prizes. The prizes have different price tags too so that the kids learn the value of

working hard and saving chips. As time goes on, prices can be changed and raised to increase the difficulty until the children can be entirely weened off the program and the students learn to become more internally motivated. It's also great math practice and budgeting practice!In addition to our ipod system, we also have a class behavior plan. This takes shape in the form of a marble jar. We add marbles when we do kind things for each other, answer really tough questions, and all bring in our homework. However, we can lose marbles when we misbehave as a class. When the jar is full we get to have a special day, such as pajama day or craft day.The kids really like our 2-tiered behavior management system

because the entire class does not get punished for one individuals behavior. If one student acts poorly, that student loses a music note not a marble. This really makes students responsible for their own individual actions and makes them aware of the group's actions as well. It works great as an individual and a group reinforcer. They also like that they have something short term to work on while they are working toward something that gives them more long-term results. It's great for teaching long-term and short term goals. The plan also teaches my students to become more internally motivated instead of externally motivated.I have also used a soccer field (kids earn soccer balls and move toward goal), a baseball field (earn balls and

move around bases), and even dogs (kids earn dogs and move from pound to the dog house the the home to the dog show) with much success. It can easily be adapted toward your students likes and interests.

Color Chart and Table Points

Submitted by Lisa from Pennsylvania

I use two different management systems in my third grade class. One is on an individual level and the other is on a group level.Individual: I have a Poster hanging up in my room that is broken up into four parts:

I'm having a great day - Green Warning - Yellow Lunch Detention - Blue Phone Call Home - Red

I have clothespins that have each student's number on them. They always stay on the Green area unless I have to reprimand a student. In that case the clothespin moves down to the next level. Each day the student starts back on green. I also record any movement of the clips in my files.Group: My student's desks are arranged in groups. Each team works towards earning points (I use counting chips) for their table. I have a basket on each table and everytime that I see them on task, following directions, exhibiting good teamwork, etc. I put a chip in their basket. All of the chips are counted and collected on Friday. The team with the most chips gets to pick from the treasure chest.

Behavior Strikes

Submitted by Kevin from IndianaBehavior Consequences for One Week of School

Warning= No punishment (unless it's a big misbehavior)

0 strikes= 30 minutes recess on Friday and a Popsicle!!!

1 strike= 30 minutes recess on Friday!!

2 strikes= 20 minutes recess on Friday!

3 strikes= YOU'RE OUT! No recess on Friday. Stay in and read.

4 strikes= No recess on Friday. Write a one-page discipline letter. Lose Monday recess.

5 strikes= No recess on Friday. Write a one-page discipline letter. Lose Monday and Tuesday recesses.

6 strikes= No recess on Friday. Write a one-page discipline letter.

Lose Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday recesses.

7 strikes or more= No recess on Friday. Write a one page discipline letter. Lose Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday recesses. Go to Mrs. R. Parents called.

On Monday morning you start brand-new with no warnings or strikes.

Management MagnetsSubmitted by Kimberly from

LouisianaEach student has a magnet. The magnets are placed on a board with four other rows of magnets.

The first row is green for good behavior.

The second is 1st Yellow for 1st warning ( 5 minutes off of recess)

Then 2nd Yellow (10 minutes off of recess)

The last is red.

If the student's magnet falls under red, a note is sent home explaining the behavior and the student misses recess for the whole day and the conduct grade is lowered one letter grade. I've used this for 3 years and it works great!!Students who do not move their magnet at all during the week receive a choice of any "treasure box" prize.

Compliment ChainI have a compliment chain in my classroom. It's a chain made of paper links and it hangs from the ceiling. Whenever my class receive a compliment from another teacher (for good behavior in the hallway, or any other type of positive behavior), I add a link to the chain. When the chain reaches the floor, the kids receive a

popcorn party. It's a positive way to promote good behavior!

Puzzle Pieces for Teamwork

Submitted by Amanda from North Carolina

In my classroom, I use the puzzle piece system. We have puzzle pieces that students decorate at the beginning of the year and put together a big class puzzle made of magnets. I talk about how we are a team and we need each person to be a part of that team to work together as a whole.When someone is not a part of that team their piece is taken out and removed until they are on task again or until they have proven they can be part of the team again. When that happens, their piece is replaced in

the puzzle. If a student does not move his or her puzzle piece that day I stamp a card they keep. After 10 stamps they get to go to the treasure box.For positive reinforcement my school gives tickets to students who go above and beyond. If any adult in the building catches a student being good or following the rules, they receive a ticket. The student then banks his or her ticket in the classroom and cashes them in for dog tags and beads that are worn on Fridays. Students can recognize those with many beads and dog tags. They are very popular and students strive to be good to get beads and tags.

The Monkey TreeSubmitted by Jackie from

Pennsylvania

We have a tree that hangs on the wall in the front of the room. On the top of the tree each student (as well as myself) have a monkey with their name on it. If a student needs a reminder about a school or classroom rule or isn't working to the expectations of the room, they are told to move their monkey to the middle of the tree. If they need another reminder (or at my discretion do something to skip the initial warning) their monkey is moved to the bottom of the tree.On the homeowork log that my students use, I added a box called "Behavior". At the end of the day if the student's monkey is in the middle of the tree or the top, they get a stamp in their behavior box. If it is at the bottom, they receive a number (the numbers coordinate with the rule

they broke 1:calling out 2:disrespectful 3:no homework, etc) so each night when they get their log signed, their parents know if they had a good day or not. This system has worked great because it shows good behaviors as well as not.At the end of the month if the students have gotten most of their stamps, we have a grade level behavior reward of some type.

A Positive Tone; Acknowledging Both

Good and Bad Behavior

Submitted by Juliet from CaliforniaI use several behavior management systems concurrently. I greet each student in the morning with a hand shake and say "Good Morning, it's

nice to see you (student's name)." This sets a positive tone for the day.When we go to lunch, the class lines up and waits for the administration to tell them they can go get their lunches. To motivate them to behave in line, they can earn points. Points are totalled at the end of two weeks and the table with the most points gets to choose their class monitor position for the next two weeks. Before I leave the area, I say "Have a good lunch." This helps remind them of the expectations.At the end of the day, I shake hands goodbye and say "See you tomorrow" (and on the weekend "Have a good weekend. See you on Monday.") This encourages positive behavior as well as teach social skills.At the beginning of the year I have the class decide on the five most

important expectations that they feel will get the work done throughout the year. We order them by priority. Next we take a pledge to follow the expectations every day. Then, each student and myself sign the pledge. It hangs in a prominant spot every day. Students that are honoring the pledge earn their name on the board on the Thank you list.They earn a check for repeated good behavior. Every two checks earns a sticker. At the end of the week, checks are totalled and stickers are passed out.I often acknowledge the student next to the one off task. Then suddenly the off task student becomes on task to get their name on the board. However there are times when consequences are needed . I have a four color system:

Green is excellent behavior(value=4)

Yellow is good behavior(with one warning-value=3)

Red is poor behavior(with two warnings-value=2)

Blue is really unacceptable behavior(with three warnings-value=1)

Students have a clothespin with their name on it. It gets moved according to the warnings. A student may move down the color scale but also can earn back up the color scale. So a student may be having difficulties in the morning and had to move the clothespin down a color or two but then has an excellent afternoon and can earn the colors back. Thus making the students accountable for their own learning and actions.

Should a student end their day on a red or blue, s/he will have to explain in writing what behavior occurred during the day. They write a note home explaining what happened. "I earned a yellow because....(they have to tell which expectation they broke),"I earned a red because....(again they explain which expectation they broke), and "I earned a blue because....(once again they explain which expectation they broke). They further explain in the letter what they should have done(using the expectations) and what they will do next time instead. The teacher signs it, the student signs it, and the parent signs it. It is returned to the teacher the next day (so the teacher has a running record of what has occurred) or a phone call is made at recess so the student can

explain themselves to the parent what happened and why they didn't give them the note.Every day is a fresh new beginning and no matter what had happened previously, everyone starts on green the next day. If a student had difficult behavior the day before but shows improvement (at least a yellow or green) the day after, then I send a positive note home acknowledging the change in behavior.Students record their color on a daily basis on their homework chart. When the homework chart is returned on Mondays, students tally their behavior charts according to the color value. They turn the homework sheet in and based on the points earn a prize from the prize box. Most of the prizes are school supplies: pencils, pens, crayons, erasers, etc.

When problems occur on the yard, we hold a class meeting to discuss behaviors and emotions. We discuss how to resolve problems in a positive manner and positive actions we can use next time something happens. The expectations need to be taught and the teacher needs to be consistant and follow through. Parents need to hear about positive behavior as well as misbehaviors.

Penalty Box, Friday Time, and Survivor

TeamsSubmitted by Verna from Ontario

I have a "Penalty Box" system. The penalty box is drawn on the chalkboard using Expo Brightsticks (washable, florescent wet erase markers). If a student is misbehaving, their name is placed in the Penalty

Box, which means they lose 5 min. of free time on Friday. Each time they cause a disruption, a checkmark is added to their name, giving them an additional 5 min. every time they get into trouble.But, here's the catch, I give them a chance to earn back each five min. penalty, by having a full day with no disruptions (5 min for each day). Usually, by the end of the week, most students have earned back their free time. If they get a penalty on Friday, they are stuck with it.The penalty is served while the other children are doing free time activities. The student has to either read a book or just sit quietly to serve their penalty.As an added incentive for good behaviour, we have "Survivor" teams.

Each group has a name and they receive points for homework completion, being on time, not getting their name in the Penalty Box, helping others in the classroom, etc. Each member of the team will constantly pressure the other team members to adhere to teacher expectations. A tally chart is kept on the board and the winning team gets to pick a treat from the treat bag on Friday.

Super Kindergarten Techniques

Submitted by Jodi from MichiganI teach Kindergarten. All children have an index card with their names on it (first on front, last on back). These cards are in pocket envelope stapled to a BB. As the kids enter the classroom each morning, they have

to locate their card and turn it around so that no name is showing. This gives me a quick "who's here, who's not" idea.Also located in the pocket is a popsickle stick with their name on it. The kids remove these sticks and place them in a holder. As the kids progress through the day, if they generally behave and follow our rules, the stick stays in the holder. However, if we have to talk about making better choices more than once, a final warning is given. If the child continues to have to have "better choice conversations", they "lose" their stick (it is removed from the holder). Sticks are automatically lost for more serious offenses such as hitting or kicking. At the end of the day, a drawing is held from the sticks that are left, and the winner of the

drawing receives a brand new book from my library.Friday's are known as "Candy Bar Fridays" as the winner of the drawing receives a candy bar of their choice instead of a book. On those days that we have perfect attendance and everyone keeps their stick, we have a double drawing and have 2 winners! This really helps to put the pressure on those might recieve their final warning.

Responsibility on the Child

Submitted by Jennifer from New Jersey

I am trained in Responsive Classroom, and sort of molded their system to match my beliefs and what works for me. I have two types of discipline.

First, I give warnings. I tell the kids that everyone makes a mistake once in a while, and a warning is meant just to bring you back to reality. After that, if the actions of the student continue, they'll go to "Take a Break". It's basically like a Time Out, but it's a place where they go in the room to think about their actions and remove themselves from the environment which was causing the disruption. When they feel ready to come back, they do. The responsibility lies on them.If the actions continue after that, they go to "Think Time". Think Time is a place set up in a classroom across the hall. In this place, they are now removing themselves from the ENTIRE classroom environment. They must again think about their actions, but this time complete a reflection

about what they did, why they did it, and how they could change it for next time. This reflection must be signed by me and by their parents. So you can see, my system is very much on the child, to show responsibility for their actions.Students have a Behavior Chart where they write down their behavior each day, and at the end of the week, the parents sign it. If students are caught being good, I pay them in "Bonus Bucks" where they can save up their money to buy incentives, such as a free homework pass, lunch with the teacher, extra recess, etc...I also award the class with "hearts in the jar" if they're ALL doing a great job working together. When they fill the jar, they get a class party of their choice.

Finally, I have "Table Competitions". I have my classroom set up in 4 table groups, and each one competes to see who is the quietest, who is ready first, who is the most organized, etc... The first table to 10 points gets $10 Bonus Bucks! That's it, in a nut-shell! It works really well for me. I have had really well behaved classes in the past few years. I hope this helps!

Sticker ChartsSubmitted by Katie from Georgia

My students place a sticker on their charts when they have followed the class rules for each hour they are with me. I am a resource teacher so most of my students are in my room up to two hours.When the students get to the end of the row of their point sheet they can cash in for a prize. Their are prizes worth 10, 20, or 50 points. The

students can cash in and get a prize at 10 points or may decide to save thier points to get to 20 or 50 and get a bigger prize. Once they cash in they have to start over at 0.The students are in charge of thier own behavior and have to tell me if they feel they earned their stickers. If they receive more than two sticks warnings in their name card then they know they did not earn their stickers for the day. They can turn their behavior around and have the sticks removed if they show me they can control their behavior.My students have referred to this system as thier paycheck for work done well. I have a total of 27 students over the course of the day. Since starting this behavior system in 2006 I have had no behavior

problems. Students work well for positive reinforcements.

Stop Light & B.E.A.R.S.

Submitted by Beth from OhioThe behavior system that I have in place follows the stop light system of green, yellow, and red. I have made the exception of adding blue. Students begin the day on green. I refer to my list of classroom rules as procedures. The first time a student recieves a warning he or she is moved to yellow. Yellow is a verbal warning. Blue is 10 minutes loss of recess. Red is 20 minutes loss of recess. Students record their color daily on a chart that they keep in their BEARS notebook.BEARS stands for Becoming Efficient and Resopnsible Students. Students

who have 4 greens for the week are allowed to participate in a Friday afternoon activity for the last 30 minutes of the day. As a class we graph the behavior for the month. Students really enjoy seeing the number of greens they have.I also use money as a positive reinforcement. Students can earn money for raising hands when responding to questions to waiting quietly while at the restroom. At the end of the month students total their money and they are allowed to participate in the classroom auction. Student bid on different items.I also have a student of the week. Students of the week recieve a ice cream sundae. Students are also selected as Students of the month and they recieve a $5.00 gift card to McDonalds.

Finally, students can earn Caught Being Good tickets for going beyond the call of duty. Once a month students are entered in a drawing for a Caught Being Good T-Shirt.

5 Classroom Management Tips to Transform Your Class

If you’re like most teachers, you struggle at

least occasionally with classroom

management. Many struggle all the time—

every minute of every day. But sadly, there

is no reason for it. Given the number of

effective classroom management

strategies available, no excuse will suffice.

The fact is, it doesn’t matter who is on your

roster, who their parents are, or what

neighborhood they live in. You have the

power to transform your classroom into the

one you really want. No, it’s not always

easy. There is a learning curve. But the

information is out there and available, just

waiting. All you need to do is put it into

practice.

To get you started, here is a list of five

simple classroom management strategies

anyone can do. They’re sure to make your

life easier and your teaching more

effective.

1. Slow Down. Excitability is a major

cause of misbehavior. And here’s the

thing: teachers create most of it by rushing

around, talking a mile a minute, and

blazing through their lessons. The solution

is to simply take a deep breath and slow

down.

Taking your time has a calming effect on

students. It also results in better learning,

improved attentiveness, and fewer

behavior problems.

2. Pause Often. Most teachers talk over

their students. In other words, they begin—

or continue—speaking without having

everyone’s attention. This encourages

students to tune you, start their own

conversations, or do something they

shouldn’t.

The solution is to pause frequently during

instruction. This rhythm of speech is a

subtle accountability measure that causes

students to attend and focus on you and

your lesson, rather than distractions

around them.

3. Take A Break. I don’t care how dynamic

you are, if your students sit too long,

they’re going to grow restless and become

less attentive and more apt to misbehave.

It’s only natural.

To keep them from climbing the walls, be

proactive and give them an occasional

break. Get them up out of their seats for

some exercise, light stretching, or a

chance to say hello to their classmates. It

will do them, and you, a lot of good.

4. One-Minute Of Silence. If at any time

you feel your control slipping away, stop

your students and ask for one-minute of

silence. This 60-second strategy has a

way of rebooting an unruly classroom,

allowing you to start fresh on the other

side.

It’s also a great way to begin transitions,

calm down from an exciting lesson, or end

the school day.

5. The How-Not Strategy. The how-not

strategy is a powerful method for curbing

misbehavior. The way it works is simple:

you model for your students how not to

behave. For example, if your students call

out in class or otherwise disrupt learning,

then shine a spotlight on those particular

behaviors by modeling them in a highly

detailed way.

This illuminates for your students the

absurdity of misbehaving, allowing them to

see their actions in a new light. Few

strategies are as effective.

Keep It Simple

Effective classroom management doesn’t

have to be complicated. In fact, if the

strategies you’re relying on aren’t simple,

then chances are they’re not going to

work.

Try the five strategies above. I think you’ll

be happy with the results. They’re as easy

can be, they’ll improve behavior almost

instantly, and they’ll bring a level of peace

to your classroom you may never have

experienced.

image courtesy of scopeblog.stanford.edu

1. Brainstorm classroom goals together.

This tip came from my dear mentor teacher

as I was student teaching. The idea is that

students feel responsible. Students ponder

and then write their goals for the school year.

I write mine as well and we post them for all

to see. Then students are asked what they

need from the class, including me, to

accomplish their goals. They brainstorm as I

write all the ideas on the board. We end up

with many, many ideas. Then I ask the

students if they can find similarities among

the ideas, and we begin grouping them. Then

we come up with just a few ideas that include

all of the original ideas. These become our

classroom guidelines.

We write them on large poster board and post

them in the room. Then we discuss what

would happen if someone were to not follow

the guidelines and we again brainstorm

consequences. Students do a wonderful job

at this! They see the importance and they are

more inclined to be responsible students and

the consequences seem to fit very

well! Discussions about this entire process

should follow regularly to ensure that students

keep it at the center of our classroom

community.

–Submitted by Denise Hall (Grade 6 teacher,

New York)

 

2. Balance their checkbooks along with their behavior.

Every year, I create a mock checking account

system for my 6th grade class. The students

get paid biweekly and live life in class just like

they are on their own in the real world. If a

student breaks a rule in class, he/she pays a

fine. If a student is a repeat offender, the fine

is doubled. The students determine the

amount of the fines, as well as the amount of

their paychecks prior to starting this year-long

activity. If homework is not turned in, the

student pays a fine. If a student does extra

work (i.e. straightens the library, helps a

classmate, etc.) he/she receives a bonus on

his/her paycheck. The students keep track of

their accounts using "checks" and "registers".

I track their accounts just like the bank would

and issue a monthly statement stating their

current balance. At the end of the year,

students who have not paid fines and still

have money in their accounts get to

participate in a class auction. Items auctioned

include pencils, pens, calculators, pocket

dictionaries, gift certificates, candy bars, and

a pizza party. The students enjoy it and I like

teaching them math that they will use every

day.

–Submitted by Patricia Starling (Grade 6

teacher, California)

 

3. Wish upon a "Secret Star" for orderly lines.

To encourage my students to walk in a quiet

and orderly line while in the hallways, I often

pick a "Secret Star" when going somewhere

(e.g. P.E., Art, lunch, etc.). I usually pick a

boy and a girl "Secret Star". I don't tell who

my "Secret Star" is and I tell the students that

I am watching to see if my "Secret Star" is

walking nicely and quietly. When we arrive

back to our classroom I announce the "Secret

Star" if and only if the "Secret Star" was

successful in being a good walker. The

"Secret Star" then gets a Starburst candy.

Since nobody knows who the "Secret Star" is,

everybody is usually very quiet and respectful

in case it might be him or her. If the "Secret

Star" is not quiet and respectful then I simply

state that "My Secret Star did not make it this

time." I don't tell who it was. This works

wonders for getting the students to walk

quietly in the hallways and it's also fun.

–Submitted by Maria Morgan (Grade 1

teacher, Florida)

 

4. Build a "stinky fish" of classroom infractions.

On the first day of school I read Swimmy by

Leo Lionni to my class. We discussed the

importance of working together and feeling

safe. We brainstormed a list of behaviors we

didn't want in the classroom, and I branched

off their ideas to look like a fish skeleton. We

called this the stinky fish (because it looks

dead) and decided we don't want our room

smelling like a stinky fish. Then we

brainstormed what we DO want and created

10 Fishbowl Environment Guidelines (we are

the Fourth Grade Fishbowl!). Students paired

up and created a page for our Guideline Book

with one of the ten guidelines and an

illustration. At the end of the book is a

contract we have all signed (including adults

that work with my students in and out of the

room). Each day at the end of school we read

through their book and collectively decide

how many incentive noodles to give ourselves

based on how we followed the guidelines

throughout the day. We are frank, and

discuss ways we can improve tomorrow. The

guidelines are basic rules with a fish twist:

"encourage each other to swim faster &

further," "raise a fin to talk," "try our best,

even when the water's bumpy." It's a great

beginning of the year theme: "School of Fish."

Our school's September theme is friendship,

so I also plan to read Big Al by Andrew

Clements.

–Submitted by Erin Rounds (Grade 4 teacher,

Vermont)

 

5. Have your people call their people for seamless student grouping.

Part of effectively managing the classroom is

having an efficient way to put students into

groups. Students love working in groups and

this is a sure way to partner or group students

with variety and inclusion of all students. To

partner students, we make appointment

clocks. I use a clock with the hour numbers

and then a blank line by each hour. The

students make an appointment with another

student on each hour of the clock. If Sally is

Jimmy's one o'clock appointment then Jimmy

is also Sally's one o'clock appointment. When

I need my students to pair up for activities or

review skills, I simply say, "Go to your 2

o'clock appointment." To group my students, I

place name labels on a deck of cards. I

simply shuffle the cards and deal them out

into stacks of the number of groups that I

need and then call out the names. The cards

are great to use for lots of things, selecting a

student to do a special job, picking students

to give presentations, etc.

–Submitted by Lisa Carney (Grade 4 teacher,

Tennessee)

Since classroom management is one of the

toughest aspects of first-year teaching, this

installment of "Been There, Done That" asks

seasoned pros to think back on the

challenges they encountered early on and

how they handled them.  You can use their

insights and ideas to help you resolve

behavior issues that pop up in your own

classroom from time to time.  

When you think back to your first year of

teaching, what was one of your most

difficult challenges and how did you

handle it?

"I had a fourth period class that just about got

the best of me. The kids seemed to just ping

off each other with outbursts, all in an effort to

avoid learning.  I learned that the best

strategy was not to respond, even though I

was often inclined to retaliate with comments

of my own. But I found taking two deep

breaths to keep myself from reacting and

using a bored stare before moving on usually

deflated the efforts of the student who simply

wanted to be entertained [by the teacher's

reaction]. And really, that is the crux of the

matter. For many students, school is either

boring or frustrating. I have found that the

more relevant to adolescent lives I make my

lessons, the more I know about my students'

needs, and that the more engaging my

instruction, the fewer disruptions I have."

            —Lisa Marsh, Pensacola, Florida

"My first year out of the teaching gate, I had

one student who was bipolar, ADHD, and

oppositional defiant. I immediately tapped into

my number one resource — his mom. She

was able to give me hints and ideas about

what made this little boy tick. I knew right

away what tactics to avoid and what might be

tried when difficulty arose. I knew what his

strengths and interests were so I could

channel those when he needed to be

diverted. After observing and teaching him for

a few weeks, I then scheduled a meeting with

the behavioral therapist, who was able to

work with me in creating a behavior plan that

focused on positive reinforcements. Other

than that, I became great at deep breathing

exercises and meditation.

—Heather Smurr, Boerne, Texas 

"My first year of teaching was a little different

than most. I took over a multi-age class one

trimester into the school year. I faced the

challenge of becoming a part of ‘their

classroom.' I knew I would have to really get

to know my kids quickly. A mentor explained

the value of getting to know the students on a

personal level. I made it a point to know every

student's name by the end of the first day.

Within the first week, I learned at least one

personal fact about each student. As the year

progressed and issues came up, I could

always tap into that connection I had

developed. Students knew I cared about them

and were more willing to work through tough

situations."

—Jennifer Jensen, Castle Rock, Colorado

"During my first year, I always assigned a ‘do

now' activity when my students came into the

classroom.  I expected them to complete the

activity, and if it wasn't completed, to finish it

for homework. However, I found that I was

spending more time reminding them to do

their work, asking them to listen to morning

announcements, and tracking down

incomplete assignments. I called a morning

meeting to discuss my concern and asked

what we could do as a team. Several

students told me that when they came in each

morning, it was important to have a chance to

reconnect with their classmates. One student

asked whether they would be able to have

‘chat time' if they came in quietly, completed

their morning work without talking, and

listened to the morning announcements. This

was unanimously agreed upon, but we

charted the protocol of chat time together —

work must be completed before you could

participate and all talking was with six-inch

voices. Chat time was a success. Because

they all were actively involved, they felt that

their voice was important. Consequently, they

held themselves accountable for their

behavior, and I didn't have any problems with

the class getting out of control."

                                                                          

                      —Linda Biondi, Robbinsville,

New Jersey

"One of the biggest challenges was not only

meeting the educational needs of students,

but also the physical and emotional needs.

My strategy was and still is not to get

overwhelmed by the ‘extra' stuff and focus on

making a difference in the lives of children.

Take time to get to know them. Ask them to

write letters to you about what is going on in

their lives at school or outside of school. Ask

them to tell you how they learn best, what

characteristics they like in a teacher, and

what their favorite subject is and isn't. I

recently polled my 6th grade students and

asked them what advice they would give to a

new teacher. We came up with the Top Ten

Survival Strategies for New Teachers. Here's

what my middle school students think a good

teacher should do:

1. Drop the lowest grade and let the

students correct assignments.

2. If a student forgets something, then the

teacher shouldn't make you sit out for recess

or sign a reprimand log.

3. Be funny. Corny is fine. Jokes are great!

4. If you are unsure about the content you

are teaching, do the homework also so you

are able to understand it and explain it.

5. Be creative and have fun ideas.

6. Work together as a team.

7. Take the kids to recess every day unless

it is raining or blistery cold.

8. Don't pile on the homework. Kids hate

homework!

9. Make sure all students understand what

you are teaching before you give a test.

10. Stay as calm as you can. Some grades

are rowdier than others."

—Vanessa Tipton, Murfreesboro,

Tennessee

"After the honeymoon period ended, the kids'

true personalities started to come through,

and I thought I needed to be more firm and

less friendly, and push myself to really

enforce the rules. Once that failed a bit, I took

time to reflect on what I wanted my room to

look and sound like if someone were to do an

informal observation. So I lowered my voice,

drew in the kids' attention with intrigue and

modeled/demonstrated for them what would

earn praise and possible rewards. This still

works for me today, not rewarding with

substantive prizes, just good recognition for

their efforts and talents, and a willingness to

hold back from raising my voice when it would

be so easy to scream."

—Leanne Marquez, Hawthorne, Ca

The Only Classroom Rules You’ll Ever Needby MICHAEL LINSIN  on AUGUST 17, 2009

If you’re looking for elaborate or decorative classroom management ideas, you won’t find them here.

Though prevalent, such ideas are unnecessary, even counterproductive, for classroom management.

On this site, we’re focused on only two things:

1. What works best.2. What is simplest for you.The goal of classroom management is to eliminate distractions, disruptions, and poor behavior, so you are free to inspire your students.

The results are happy and high achieving students.

Anything that interferes with this goal, or doesn’t contribute to it, should be thrown out.

Too many teachers chase the next great classroom management idea and are continually disappointed. They try one thing after the other, searching for the magic solution that will finally “get through” to their students.

In the meantime, they’re stressed and tired of dealing with behavior issues. For them, teaching becomes an act of drudgery rather than what it can and should be:An act of joy.

So instead of chasing trends, why not focus on what is proven to work? All students respond predictably to certain principles and strategies. Master them, and you will never worry about classroom management again.

True, your fellow teachers may not “ooh” and “ahh” over the cleverly contrived classroom management charts or newfangled methodologies you’re using, but they will marvel at your ability to control your classroom.

And, most important, you’ll be able to focus your energies on what attracted you to teaching in the first place: the chance to make a lasting impression on your students.

A couple of days ago, I spoke to a former student on the phone. I was his sixth grade teacher. He is 24-years old now and a recent college graduate. I’m thrilled with his success and couldn’t be prouder of the person he has become.

But as we were talking, it saddened me to hear him say that he couldn’t remember his fourth or fifth grade teachers. He couldn’t even describe them to me.

Until you have a solid understanding of classroom management and how to implement the strategies that really work, your classroom will be forgettable too.

You can’t be the inspiring, influential, and memorable teacher you want to be unless your students—all of them—follow your rules.

Classroom rules are a fundamental tenet of classroom management, and they form the core of your plan. They’re important, to be sure, but they don’t need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler, the better.

Here are four keys to creating classroom rules that work.

1. Clarity trumps all. Your students must clearly understand your rules in order to follow them.

2. Use only four or five rules. Any more than that will make your rules harder to remember and, thus, harder to follow.3. Make sure your rules cover every eventuality. You can’t enforce a behavior unless it falls under the banner of one of your rules. Doing so is confusing and unfair to students.4. Make them specific. Everyone, especially you, needs to know when or if a rule has been broken.Many years ago, I discovered a set of rules that fit the criteria listed above and have used them ever since. They’re nothing special. In fact, they’re really quite boring.

But they work.

Remember, the rules themselves don’t motivate students to follow them. You do. (To learn how, see other articles, sign up for weekly updates, or read the book Dream Class.) To repeat an often-used refrain on this site, there is no magic in your rules.

But they are an important part of your classroom management plan, and creating them thoughtfully is the first step to having complete classroom control.

Drum roll, please:

1. Listen And Follow Directions2. Raise Your Hand Before Speaking Or Leaving Your Seat3. Respect Your Classmates And Your Teacher4. Keep Hands, Feet, And Objects To Yourself

These four simple rules should cover every behavior that threatens to disrupt your classroom and interfere with learning. However, if you need to, you can always add one more.

Notice that these rules are related to behavior only. I know some teachers like to include learning expectations as well, like, for example, Complete Work On Time or Work Independently. But combining them with behavior rules can be confusing.Keep your learning expectations separate from your behavior rules.

I’d love to read your comments. I know writing them can be time-consuming, but they’re very much appreciated.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving articles like this one in your email box every week.