Don't be good...Be GREAT!

This is the quote that came to mind when I was talking to a parent this afternoon about her sons less than perfect behaviour. This kid just could NOT get it together today. After saying his name close to 50 million times...well it might have been closer to 100, I told him to go to the class next door for a time out (agree with me or not, we both needed a break from me saying his name!) Anyway my idea for mum was a little piece of cardboard. It would stay in his bag and at end of each day, he would bring it to me for a stamp if his behaviour was in the class rule boundries. Bad behaviour = no stamp. Then he would show his parents each night. Too many missed stamps in a row (because lets face it, we all have bad days and we need to take baby steps) would be a phone call home.

So here is the little card. Its black and white so its easy to copy. If you can find another use for it in the class, great :)

The fonts are from Jen Jones and the border from Mel of From the Pond

Welcome Liz from The Happy Teacher

Hey everyone!  I'm Brooke's guest blogger this week, and I'm so excited to write and share my ideas on Brooke's AWESOME blog!  My name is Liz a.k.a. TheHappyTeacher, and today I'm going to share my ideas on classroom management and reward systems.

Classroom management revolves around routines, procedures, rules, rewards, and consequences.  The most FUN part of classroom management to discuss is the REWARDS!  Now, as a first grade teacher, I think I've tried EVERY kind of reward system out there, including token economy, sticker charts, treasure box, point systems, etc.!  I've tried individual rewards and small group incentives, but the most effective reward system I've tried is a whole group reward system!

Here's the scoop on the BEST and EASIEST classroom reward system out there! :)  

First, you will need a large poster, such as a smiley face.  Cut it into fourths.

Add a small magnet to the back of each piece. 

The reason this reward system works so well is because students are working TOGETHER to earn pieces of the smiley face!  At the beginning of the day, the students have not earned any pieces of the smiley face.  However, the class can earn pieces of the smiley face by following directions, cooperating, and working hard!  Every time the class earns a piece, a child puts it up on the board in a visible spot.  This reward system helps build a sense of community, and students really take ownership for their behavior because it affects the entire class!  Throughout the day, the class works to earn all four pieces of the smiley face!

When the class finally earns all four pieces of the smiley face, everyone earns a reward!  Some of my kiddos' favorite rewards are chewing gum, taking their shoes off, extra recess, a dance party, or a quick game of Heads Up-7Up!

For more reward ideas, check out these Reward Coupons!
You can use another poster, but make sure it's symmetrical so it's easy to create equal parts. :)  

I hope you've enjoyed reading my guest blog entry today!  I'd love it if you'd swing by my blog and TPT store.  I'm having a great GIVEAWAY for a $25 Target Gift card on my blog right now.  For a chance to win, enter here!  Have a great weekend!  -Liz


Thanks Liz for stopping by! Don't forget to enter my flash giveaway!

Behaviour Management in 2B

My class 2B :) This year they are the sweetest, kindest bunch that seem to genuinely care about each and support each other. I found this so refreshing as last year which was my first year in Year 2, that there were some very nasty personalities amongst the bunch (boys and girls). But this year so far has been smooth sailing (just remember that we only started school for the year in late January).
In my classroom, my main rule is to take chances. And if someone takes a chance, that noone should be laughing, rather they should be supportive. And my kids totally get it! Amazing right?
To reward positive behaviour, I give out bees. Yep a little bee printed on a piece of cardboard which kids can 'keep' in their bee keeper.

Their bee keeper is just a small envelope which I get the kids to decorate and then write their name on. I then mount them all on a big piece of cardboard on the wall and the kids put their bees in there. I did have a picture floating around somewhere but cant locate it. I will take another one and post it soon.

We decided as a class at the start of the year that 10 bees would be a good number to collect before we could trade it for a prize - a lucky dip. In my world famous lucky dip box there is lots of little things like cool pencils, sharpeners, notepads, little toys and some lollies. The kids love it and I find its not an expensive reward system. I do do special things for them throughout the year for different reasons but this is a great week to week system that the kids enjoy.

What works in your classroom? I love the fill the bucket idea that I have seen a lot of teachers doing. How do you reward your kids?

Brooke