Some Ideas

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Home : 2003 : July : 22

Some Ideas
By Dawn

I try to keep my posted rules broad and simple. Basically, they are:
1. Show respect for everyone and everything. (That one can pretty much cover everything!)
2. Keep hands and fetually they become routine
for the kids.
I use a target in my classroom as a reward/consequence system and it works really well. I have a large target (like a bullseye) that I made -- each ring is cut out and there are 5 rings, each a different color. I also have clothespins that I write each student's name on. In the morning when they come in, they find their name and put it on the outer ring of the target.

That means that they are present. During the day, if they break a rule, they have to move to the next ring of the target.

In my room, I have the 2nd ring as a warning, the third as 10 minutes from recess, the fourth is parent contact, and the fifth is a meeting with the principal. You could do any consequences that you want though! At the end of the day, all students who stayed on the outer ring receive a play penny. They save up their money and I have a school store they can spend their money on after they have saved up enough. I also periodically have the students trade in their money as they earn it. For example, if they have 10 pennies they trade them in for a dime. This helps them get more familiar with money. Each day, all students start on the outer ring of the target for a new chance.

I've used this system for several years, and it really works well. The kids think it is actually fun, and they try really hard to stay on the outer ring! Let me know if you have any questions!