Magic number

Home

Chat

Blogs

Collection

Directory

Home : 2005 : February : 16

Magic number
By Jade

I pick a "magic number" each day and tell them that each person is responsible for doing that many things to make the room look presentable. That includes picking things up off the floor, putting things away, etc. I'm not
naive enough to think that every child does it every day, but even if you say to do 10 things and only 20 kids do it, 200 things have been "fixed". On a particularly bad day I've even given 100 as the magic number! I've also made it a game by setting the timer for five minutes and seeing who can do the most things OR can we pick up 100 things in that time. No matter whether they are

accurate in their reporting or not, things get done.

On the flip side, I currently have a classroom economy, a point system, and failure to put up chairs, empty mailboxes, pick things up off the coatroom floor, etc. results in "fines". And I award bonus points randomly for kids who HAVE done their part with chairs & mailboxes, etc.

Not a perfect system and there are days when the custodian just shakes his head, but it has gotten better!