Reward Kids with Money {but it won't cost you a cent!} - Behaviour Management Part 6

 At my school, we have ability based maths groups. Therefore, with a whole different group of kids, I cannot use the same behaviour management strategies that I use with my regular class.

What I have established is a whole class money system, which I call 'Earn and Learn'. When all students are focused and on task, they can earn money, which gets placed in our class money envelope. At the start of each lesson, we have 10 quick maths questions (which is a variety of mixed multiplications). Students can also earn money by getting full marks for these questions, which contributes to the whole class money total. Obviously I do not use real money, but a print out of money specimens on card stock :)

The class can also be fined for misbehaviour or the noise level getting too loud.

Students are working towards earning enough money to spend on 'rewards'. Every so often I will do maths 'art' or something along those lines, which the class has to 'buy into'.

To keep track of our money, once a week we 'bank' our money. We carry over the previous week's total, add our class money and then deduct any class fines or money spent on rewards, to end up with our final balance.

 

Bucket Full of Kindness - Behaviour Management Part 5 + FREEBIE!

I finally decided how to incorporate the ‘Have You Filled a Bucket?’ idea into my classroom. It has definitely helped add to the positive culture and random displays of kindness amongst students.

I purchased a variety of different coloured noodle boxes for the buckets and each student has their own. I have just used Velcro on the back of the noodle boxes to attach it to the wall (which might not work for everyone!)

 Throughout the week, students are able to write positive messages to each other and I also encourage them to also write messages at home and bring them in.

At the end of the week, students are able to read their messages and take them home.

For the messages, I have created little slips of paper that you can download and use in your classroom if you like. Click on the picture below to download it from my TPT store.

Bucket Fillers

Individual Reward Cards - Behaviour Management Part 4 + FREEBIE!

Another way I aim to create a positive class environment is through the recognition of individual behaviour.

Each student has his or her own sticker chart. When they are doing the right thing, they receive a sticker for their sticker chart. Once their sticker chart is complete, they get an individual reward.

I have a collection of approximately 15 different ‘reward cards’. The student can choose two from the pile (without looking). They can then read the two rewards (or I will read it to them) and they can choose which reward they would like to receive.

In previous years, when they finished their sticker chart they would get a little prize from the prize bag. However, the cost started adding up therefore, I have moved away from ‘bought’ items. Rewards include sitting next to their friend for the day, being to first out to recess, lunch and home time, being the teacher’s special helper for the week etc. I think these rewards make the students feel a bit more special and they really seem to enjoy them.

You can get a copy of the sticker charts I have created for use in your classroom. Click on the pic below to be taken to my TPT store and download for FREE!

Sticker Charts

How Having No Rules Works in My Classroom - Behaviour Management Part 3

In my classroom, we have no class rules. You might think that this means chaos and anarchy reign supreme (Lord of the Flies style) but it works perfectly well with the kiddies in my class.

Day one at school is the typical 'rules' day - writing the list of rules that students contribute to and then the list goes up on the wall. For the last few years, I have abandoned the 'rules' for a system that I think works much better.

Day one in my classroom goes like this: we collaboratively create a y-chart of a happy classroom (what it looks like, sounds like and feels like). We then come up with a few sentences, summarising our top ideas. The next step is considering the vocab - we improve our sentences with better word choices. These sentences then become our 'Class Pledge', which is displayed in the classroom.

This class pledge is incorporated into our morning routine. When we come into the classroom, students will sit on the floor space. I say good morning and the students say good morning back to me. They then launch into saying the class pledge together. It has taken my class this year one week to learn the pledge by heart. I started by displaying it on the Smart Board for students to read each morning and become familiar with it, but the class is now ready to say it independently without the visual reminder. It's always a lovely moment, that first time they say it on their own - so proud!

If a student misbehaves or is off track, I always refer back to the pledge. Eg. "you promised that you were going to be determined in your attitude. I don't see that right now. How can we change that..."

Keeping Students on Track - Behaviour Management Part 2 + FREEBIE!

I always try to focus on the positive, particularly when it comes to student behaviour. However, there are always times when students need a reminder to stay on the right track.

Each student has his or her own ‘pocket’. The pockets are just small money envelopes that I have stuck a name label on blu-tacked to the door.

Each pocket holds the students’ own paddle pop stick person. To create these I took a photo of the student and colour printed it card stock. I then laminated it for durability and used a hot glue gun to secure it to a paddle pop stick.

Each morning, the paddle pop stick person starts in its envelope. If a student begins to wonder off task or starts acting up, their name gets moved to the cup with the sign, ‘I need to try harder to do the right thing’. This is essentially their ‘first warning’.

If they get spoken a second time, their name gets moved again to the cup with the sign, ‘I am doing the wrong thing’. Whilst in this cup, if they get spoken to again they lose 5 minutes of their lunchtime.

Students are never ‘stuck’ in a cup. They are always able to get back to their pocket if they turn their behaviour around.

You can get a copy of the signs I have created for the display space. Click on the pic below to be taken to my TPT store and download it for FREE!

Display Sign

A Star in a Jar - Behaviour Management Part 1 + FREEBIE!

I feel that it is essential to create a positive class environment and one way of doing that is by rewarding good behaviour.

As part of my behaviour management system, I recognise whole class, group and individual behaviour.

The next fortnight of posts will be dedicated to the behaviour management strategies I use in my classroom, along with a bunch of freebies (signs etc.), so you can implement them too, without much hassle.

The first behaviour management strategy that I want to talk about is my whole class reward system. I call it ‘Star in a Jar’.

When all students in the class are doing the right thing; whether they are working quietly, working well on group tasks, or are kind to each other; they are awarded a star. Most of the time I will choose a student to place the star in the jar (otherwise I will do it myself if getting a student to do it is too disruptive).

Students vote for a reward and when they have filled the jar completely, they get that reward – it might be something like free computer time, choosing your own seat for the day, free play etc. A new reward can be chosen when the star jar is emptied, to begin the cycle again.

Even just mentioning, “I am looking to see if I can give the class a star” motivates the students to quiet down and work more efficiently. And students really love being chosen to place the star in the jar.

The stars themselves are polystyrene stars, which I bought from Spotlight. I painted them with gold paint and then sprayed them with gold glitter. Really simple and easy to do - and not too expensive.

The jar size I have in my class holds 50 stars. So I can rewards stars fairly generously, with a good time space between each ‘reward-receiving’.

You can get a copy of the file I have created to assist in making the poster. Click on the pic below to be taken to my TPT store and download it for FREE!

Star in a Jar - Whole Class Reward Poster