lost my marbles

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Home : 2004 : July : 26

lost my marbles
By emme

I didn't really want to get into a long dialogue on the marble jar, just wanted to suggest that different things work for different teachers. There is little we can do about the curriculum nor the number of children in the
room. So we do the best we can.
I don't use the marble jar as a last resort, not at all! I introduce it with a flourish on Day 1 and tell them what behaviors I'm looking for. Their first reward comes very quickly, with lots of compliments and discussion; in a way, a "teachable moment". From the beginning they know that I choose when to put marbles in, tho each situation is different.

Children have occasionally told me something great they saw someone else do, and I have used that as a chance for a compliment, and maybe a marble. "Joey, I heard you were a big help when Jacki spilt her milk. I know you didn't do it to be noticed, you just wanted to be a good friend, but the rest of your class and I want to give you a round of applause "clapclapclap", and Joey, why don't you put a marble in the jar - in fact, put in 3, and one for Jacki who told me about your help.

As the year goes on, it seems to naturally happen that it takes longer and longer to fill the jar. Early behaviors that I wanted to work on are no longer a concern. I have fewer and fewer behaviors to discuss with them, and they need the extrinsic reward less and less, tho I keep up the discussion and compliments when appropriate. The jar is nearly forgotten by years end.

I rarely take marbles out, but have been known to do so with a class issue, like a continual messy room after lunch. I prefer to use it as a positive rather than a negative.