Behavior Management

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Home : 2005 : May : 11

Behavior Management
By Carolyn

I'm with the woman who suggested positive reinforcers. Tokens don't work for me personally. I made a chart of 1 inch squares. They were labeled across the bottom with letters and up the side with numbers. I wouldn't recomend
anything over 10 x 10. I laminated it so we could use vis-a-vi pens. If I "catch them being good" they get to go put their initials up on the chart (they chose the square). I use this to reinforce all kinds of positives in the classroom. When it's filled OR at set times like "the end of the week" we pull a letter and a number and find the coordinate point on the chart. The beauty

is how quickly they learn coordinate points and some even start to look for strategies. (Anyone caught cheating looses all squares and writes a note home owning up to their mistake. In my room this has been enough to keep it from happening. To kick the year off I try to hit as many as possible with things like anyone done with ______ can put their initials up. I shot during the first few weeks of school to pull coordinate points every day or 2 so I need many opportunities for all kids to get at least 1 square filled. I will also do things like encourage being honest by giving a chance to put initials up even though you will also get a consequence. I'm not sure if that makes sense.

My behavior mgmt. is based on the red, yellow, green idea. I don't have this in plain view for kids and adults to see as they enter our room. Each child receives a small envelope with 3 green sticks, 2 yellow, and 1 red. As long as they end the day with at least one green stick they can color the calendar in their home folder green for that day. (This provides daily feedback for the parents.) Yellow is a quick conversation with me about turning it around tomorrow. Red means a letter written home explaining how they managed to make that many bad decisions. (Avoids the phone call from the parent stating that their child doesn't know why they were on red.) That letter is to be signed and returned the next day. If it's not returned we call a parent at work. I'm straight with the kids from the beginning. Everything comes with warnings that remind kids that "I could have taken a stick for that. Try to turn it around." They don't turn it around, I simply say, "I need a stick."

There is a small box near my desk where they are turned in. At the end of the day they must show a properly filled in calendar to get their sticks back.

The 2 strategies I described work well together because while you loose a stick when you admit that you were part of the group that just got in trouble for talking. However, since you were honest and didn't let your friends take the heat for something you had a part in -- put your initials up for being honest.

I'm tired so if you need more info, just ask.