Behavior Management Ideas

      This semester I've been keeping track of brownie points and bookworm stats in my classroom.

BROWNIE POINTS:

      The whole class earns brownie points by learning to control noise and behavior. I write down the numbers 1-5 on the board. I move a magnet between the numbers throughout the day depending on what noise level I think they are on. It keeps the class more aware of their talking and helps me monitor noise without having to constantly say to do something with voices off etc. In my room, 5 is the highest and 0 is ideal. I check where the magnet is when a random timer goes off, at the end of a segment of time or at the end of a class period. The kids try and collect 15 points to fill up a 9 by 13 pan. When that happens, I bring treats. Here are the points I use:

5= minus 2 points (Way too loud)

4= minus 1 point

3= no points awarded (average)

2= 1 point awarded

1= 2 points awarded

0= 3 points awarded

APPLES TO APPLES or APPLES TO ATTITUDE:

      I am a firm believer in having individual and whole class rewards in my classroom. I have created a behavior management system that allows me to easily inform kids about misbehaviors while allowing them a chance to change them before they end up in a safe seat, buddy room or the office. In my classroom, every student has their name written on a bookworm. The goal for all students is to end up on the green apple all day long. Every time I have to stop my instruction for talking or a misbehavior I move them down an apple. I usually move their magnetized worms down to the side a step for a verbal warning and down an apple after that. This is similar to having students pull a card except it allows you to keep students in their seats and it gives students a constant reminder of how they are doing. After a student lands on red, the next step is to take them to the safe seat and have them fill out a "think sheet." After that, they get a second chance and start back on green. Yet, the next time they end up on red, they will need to head to the classroom buddy room. I always make sure to tally who ends up on green all day. Those tallies are added up at the end of a period of time and used as a ticket to a movie or minute to win it game. Extra tallies are used to buy concessions for the activity. I like this system because it makes behavior management more consistent among students and between various misbehaviors. The warnings and steps are predictable and it takes the guess work out of consequences.