3 Things I Wish I Knew my First Year of Teaching

If I were to become a time traveler and travel back to my first year of teaching 1998-1999, I would tell that bright-eyed, dream-filled young teacher a few things. Here's what I would share. 

1. Spend a Lot of Time Teaching, Practicing, and Reinforcing Rules, Routines, and Procedures 

For a smooth year, you will need to keep a tight control on these. Set them up during the first week of school. Practice and practice some more until your students can do what you need them to do correctly. Practice again after every break, especially after long ones. You will be surprised at what students forget.

2. Once expectations are set, DO NOT let things slide. If you do, you will lose credibility and before you know it, you will be putting out behavior and procedure fires all day. For procedures, if your students do not do something in the way they were taught, stop and have them practice. If a rule is broken, start your consequences. Here's a look at mine.

First Offence: Stop Card - this is like a warning, only better because students must walk to my board and physically take a card back to their desk, placing it on top. This is a visual reminder for them to change their behavior.

Second Offense: Sideline - Students take a break at a designated spot in the classroom. They get themselves together and may rejoin the class by raising their hand when they feel ready. I generally allow them to choose their time to return unless they raise their hand right away or if they are visually not ready (still having a meltdown or upset looking). When they have their hand raised I will quietly allow them to return to their seat when I agree that they are ready.

Third Offense: Think Time - My students must fill out a behavior sheet to think about what they are doing and what they should be doing. They document what they will do when they return. I usually have them go out of my room and into another class (I have made arrangements with that teacher ahead of time) to fill out the form. 

Fourth Offense: Note Home - If students need a fourth reminder, they will receive a note home to explain that they are needing extra support to meet the behavior standards of the class. 

3. Third, I wish I knew that no matter what you do, how hard you work, the hours you spend, or any other variable, some parents will still be upset. It seems every year the class loves you, and occasionally one parent seems to be on a completely different page. Their expectations are sky-high, above and beyond the limits that a teacher should or could meet. You will have some of those parents over the course of your career. It feels like it derails you, but don't let it get to you. Shake it off and remember, you can please most people most of the time, but you will never please every person all of the time. It's not you...it's them. Don't let it get to you and make you feel like an inadequate teacher because that is far from the truth. 

I hope you keep these in mind, even if you are not a new teacher. Sometimes a few reminders can help all of us, myself included. 

 

Five Things to do to Ease Back to School after New Years

I am not the kind of teacher to rush back and hit the books and new learning right away after Christmas break. I love to spend the first day back as a review day...some might call it a slow start. Here's a look at what I am planning to do my first day back. 

1. Start with time for talking. 

I think this one is very important. Students have been away from the classroom for two full weeks. They are excited. They are tired. Some don't want to be there. Let's face it, they need a few minutes to share and talk about their break, and hear about the breaks of others. I will be using a Rolling into the New Year activity to help with this. Students have a few minutes to talk with friends in a structured way. Using this is super easy. Students take turns rolling the die and then talking about the question they rolled. You can see it in the picture below. You can find this activity over here.  This resource is updated for each year, including this year. 

2. Review Rules and Procedures

Students need to be reminded of the rules. Anytime you are out for more than a weekend, it is a good idea to review. This could be done in fun ways like making it into a game or a fun and interactive quiz. 

I am going to use a true or false quiz that is fun and a bit ridiculous. For instance, I choose really outlandish things like: 

True or false, when entering the classroom late, you should pretend to be on the red carpet, walking with style and doing a few spins on the way to your seat. 

Students will smile, laugh and also remember what they are really suppose to do, because I will also have the real rules and procedures throw in such as: True or false, when entering the classroom late, you should come in quietly, close the door behind you, put your things at your desk and join whatever activity we are doing. 

You get the point. I would do this with every rule and then go over it together when everyone has finished.

3. Math Review

Instead of jumping in to a new concept in math, we are going to do a math review called Unlock the New Year. This review is by Cooties and Cuties and it is a quick countdown activity where students do a few review skills for each number on the board and then move toward the number 1 where they will get a few Hershey's kisses as a celebration for completing the challenge. 

4. Starbooks Cafe

Starbooks Cafe is a fun and relaxing way to get back into the swing of reading while reviewing several reading skills in a reading marathon. Students will get to sip a sweet hot chocolate while reading and responding to a book of their choice. 

I found this activity years ago online, but I do not remember where it came from. But you can see how I set this up over here.

5. Staff Appreciation Writing

I am adding in this new activity from hello_fifth on TPT. Students will choose one staff member and will write about why they are grateful for that staff member. It will give them a chance to work on their writing skills, but with a smaller task instead of diving right in to writing essays. It will also put a smile on the staff member's face when we give them out to each of them. 

As a bonus, this week, I have a part two of low cost New Year activities, so be sure to check it out as well. 

January Classroom Reset: What I Actually Change (and What I Don't)

Why January Feels Like a Reset (But Isn't a Full Restart)

Coming back from Christmas break can absolutely feel hard. There is a lot of post Christmas excitement in the air, students and teachers are tired, and everyone has been out of the habit of classroom routines and procedures. But January doesn't have to be a full restart. You do not have to begin again like you did in August or September of this school year. January is not the new August (or September). Small tweaks make a huge difference. You do not need a complete overhaul to get everything back on track again. 

What I actually Change in January

1. Clear clutter, don't try to redecorate

If you try to take on a complete redecoration of your classroom, you could find yourself overwhelmed and burned out on your first day back. Instead, focus on small changes like decluttering. Take down work from last quarter and get it ready to go home. Put things back in place that have been left out by students. Do a quick tidy of your teacher work space. These changes, however small, will refresh the classroom and get everything ready for learning again. 

2. Do a quick rework of your seating 

Consider classroom behaviors from before break in guiding yourself through a new seating chart. A fresh seating chart always feels good. It is novel for students and helps them to adjust again to the classroom. They do not need to sit by their bestie, instead, think about where they will do their best work without distraction. 

3. Routines and Procedures

Re-teach transitions and procedures again. Students have been out of practice for two weeks, and let's face it, things were out of the normal with programs, parties and interruptions the week before break. They need a refresher in classroom expectations. Do not just assume that they will fall right into line. Be proactive and give them a mini classroom boot camp. You won't have to be as in-depth as the first week of school, but you definitely do not want to gloss over this one.  

4. Instruction and Planning

Plan  on creating more time for review and scaffolding for the first couple of days back. Allow students to ease back into the routine and review what they learned during the first semester before moving forward into completely new concepts.

What I don't Change (Even if it's Tempting)

1. Under no circumstances do I change my classroom management system. My system is working for me. I will not add any new point systems or rewards. Consistency is more important than novelty. Students need to know what to expect. My system cannot constantly be changing. They know what is expected and what will happen if they do not follow procedures and rules. I will return to my system from day one after break. Here is a look at how I handle classroom management.  Don't fix what isn't broken. Just double down again and keep the management they have grown to rely on. 

2. I do not make any major curriculum changes. Instead of switching up programs half-way through the school year, adjust how you deliver content, not the content itself. If something hasn't been working, find a different way to teach. 

3. I do not expect perfection. Just as students make mistakes in their daily work, so they will make behavior mistakes as well. Have grace for them. Have grace for yourself, as you will make your own fair share of mistakes. Don't allow students (or yourself) to feel that a mistake determines your worth or says who you are. You are worth more than the sum of your mistakes and your students are too. Foster that growth mindset in not only academics, but in classroom behaviors as well. 

How I Re-Teach Without Making it Boring

1. Don't lecture your students. Model ideas and concepts for them and guide them as they try it on their own.

2. Practice routines as a game. Make it fun. 

3. Allow students to be a part of the process. Ask them reflection questions such as, "What worked before break? What needs a reminder?"

Common January Reset Mistakes Teachers Make

1. Too often, teachers try to change everything at once. Not only will you feel overwhelmed, but your students also need the familiarity of regular routines. Any changes made should be subtle and introduced slowly. 

2. I am an over-planner. Over-planning for the first week back can be a mistake because often, I end up with many activities that do not get touched and have to be abandoned or carried over to the following week. Be realistic with your time. It is frustrating and a waste of time to plan so many activities that, in the end, get tossed to the side. 

3. Don't expect instant results. Students may need to brush up on the steps for long division again. They may not remember that new vocabulary word from three weeks ago. They may be too excited to remember the classroom expectations the very moment they arrive back in class. Be patient. Reteach, guide, and encourage them. 

4. For goodness sake, do not compare yourself to someone else's highlight reel on Instagram. If another teacher spent their entire break overhauling everything with a super cute new classroom vibe, as Mel Robbins would advise, "Let them." You walk into your own classroom the first day back with a decluttered space, with a management system that has been working since day one, and you rock it all again. You do not have to have the cutest class on "the gram." 

What Success Actually Looks Like in January

1. Gradual improvement, not immediate clam is what you are looking for. Let's face it, students will not be calm on day one. They will want to tell you all their news. They want to tell all their friends and classmates too. They have eaten way too much sugar. They have watched way too much T.V. and played way too many video games. They have stayed up too late and slept in too late. They have been off their schedules. Some of them have most likely not hear the word "no" in a couple of weeks. So, do not expect perfection as it may have been before break. It will take a little while for students to settle back in. 

2. What you can expect is fewer interruptions by week two or three. Resetting the classroom after a break takes time, but know that the end is in sight. Things will come back together, and it will be quicker than at the beginning of the year when it takes a full 4-6 weeks before things ever feel like I like them to. 

3. Students will once again remember routines without prompts. They did it once (before break) and they can do it again. After the first week, those reminders will taper off. Don't give up hope. Continue to provide consistency and high expectations. 

Encouragement for You, the Teacher

1. January is NOT about the sparkle, it is about stability. Getting students back into familiar routines and work will naturally bring stability. Stability will help them to feel settled and they will calm back down and be ready to get back on track in no time. 

2. Small changes count. A decluttered room or a new seating chart can make the classroom feel more settled. Reviewing a skill or a simple reminder on a classroom procedure matters. 

3. You're not behind....you are recalibrating. Regrouping and reviewing will allow time for students to settle back in and a week or two in you will be at full-steam ahead in your teaching and their learning. If you try to hit the books with full force too early, students will not be ready to learn. They need that review to fall back into place.

How do you reset your classroom in January?

Summer Series Classroom Transformations Part 4: Set Up

Set up for classroom transformations can be as simple or elaborate as you want. A few little changes can pack a punch as far as engagement goes. You can get help from others, or set up on your own. I usually do set up for transformations on my own, but at times my own kids will help me, or even my husband. My dad sometimes helps me behind the scenes with taking my idea and constructing it. Here's a look at some simple, medium and higher level set-ups.

Easy Level Transformations

For a simple set up, this would involve minimal decoration and set up time could be done easily within just a few minutes the morning before or right after school the previous night. Here are a couple of examples of simple set ups and what it took to pull these off. 

Classroom Transformation Set up for Fraction Bakery

For my fraction bakery, the set up is simple. First I set up tables and laid out plastic table cloths. You can get these at Walmart for around one dollar. Next, I set out some disposable pans with activities inside. I put chef hats and aprons on each chair...these are something that I purchased a few years ago and keep to use from year-to-year. I put a little sign out that says Fraction Bakery to build excitement with my students. 

As far as decorating the space, that was it. I did also bring actual baking supplies and ingredients for this from home, but they are not laid out on the tables. During the day of this transformation, students are involved in fraction activities to create recipes using equivalent fractions and then they will make the recipes. Usually we do pizza.

Classroom Transformation Set up for Story Camp

For the Story Camp transformation (inspired by Kim Bearden of The Ron Clark Academy), I turn the classroom into a campsite. I have a lot of camping gear from our family trips and from an old classroom theme, so really the only think I purchase is a treat to share. I will explain that in a minute. 

I set a tent up in the background. Then I have these little log cushions that I place in a circle for student seating. I add a lantern, camp sign that says Welcome to our Campfire where everyone is welcome. I have one actual tree stump stool or camp chair that I sit in front of the tent. This is where whomever is sharing will sit. I place a felt campfire, that I made, in the middle of the circle and add some stuffed animals. This set up usually takes about 15-30 minutes. During story camp, students take turns sharing their original stories around the campfire. For a fun twist, I usually have s'mores pops at the end as a celebration. I make these with lollipop sticks stuck into giant marshmallows that are dipped 1/2 way in chocolate and rolled in graham cracker crumbs. 

  

 Another example of a glamping option...also, all things I already have.

Medium Level Classroom Transformation

A medium level takes a little more prep time, especially behind the scene to get ready for set-up day, but are still not that extreme.

Classroom Transformation set up for Mining

For this transformation we were learning about rocks, and I wanted the students to feel that they were underground in a mine. I created rocks from kraft paper and placed them around the door and in the windows. I made some dynamite sticks from pool noodles and electrical tape. I created a train track that was leading into my classroom. 

I purchased some geodes and brought in rock samples for the students to view. I scattered rocks and other rock memorabilia around the classroom. We covered the windows to create a dark (underground) feel. I set out hard hats with headlamps for each student. 

We had lots of different stations that we set up inside the "cave" and I had another teacher working with me to teach the stations and help students rotate. We joined her class with mine for this transformation. We examined the smallest rocks (dirt), made sedimentary rock, looked at rocks under a microscope, tested rocks for their properties, and looked at famous rocks like Mount Rushmore and Stonehenge.  

It was fun putting this together with another teacher and joining forces for the day. 

Challenging Level Classroom Transformation:

Classroom Transformation for Wild Kratts

The simple and medium classroom transformations, while still just as powerful, take much less time. It's easy to use things you have or even borrow supplies for the day from a friend or student families. 

Now, let's look at a bigger and more complex transformation. This one took several hours. I had my family helping me, so that made set up a bit faster. I needed to craft some of the items before set up day.

Crafted Items: 

A tree: I made and painted a large tree from cardboard. 

Grass: I used butcher paper to cut out grass shapes. I glued two layers together with wire in between so I could bend the grass to make it more realistic.

Fireflies: I created fireflies with empty water bottles. I drew and colored fireflies large enough to cover the bottles. On the day of the transformation, I stuck glowsticks inside to give it that bioluminescence piece. 

Letters: I printed and cut out letters to create the Wild kratts Logo and then printed a banner that said Creature Powers

Power Discs: I made little discs for the animals we were going to study.

Paw Prints: I made paw prints in different colors for each group.

Shirts: I created Wild Kratt shirts like Chris and Martin Kratt wear. I took black t-shirts, cut off the sleeves to create a vest and shortened the bottom. I added felt embellishments to make them look more like the vests on the TV show.

 

On the actual day of set up, we hung background paper to create a sky and added mountains to give a nice nature feel. I used tree stumps and the grass and laid out a spider that I purchased and added a real turtle shell that I had collected.

I wanted to make a cave since we would be studying bats. I took a tent and we wrinkled up some kraft paper (I purchased at Dollar Tree) and we covered the tent to make it into a cave. I hung some bats up inside. 

I used clear fishing line to hang the fireflies. Right before we started our class, I inserted yellow glowsticks inside each one. We hung the tree with fishing lines as well and added an owl and opossum to it.

On the board, I hung the letters to spell Wild Kratts and the banner that said Creature Powers.

For each table, we covered them with a different color of table cloth (to match the paw prints on the shirts) and taped a large paw print to the supply bin. 

I hung any activities we needed up on the walls as well and we were all ready to begin. 

The next day (Monday) was the transformation. Students were involved in activities to learn about different creatures in North America. We learned about echolocation with bats and about bioluminescence with invisible ink and fireflies. We did lots of other animal activities as well. We had an amazing time.

While this transformation was definitely a lot more work, it is something I enjoy doing. Teaching, for me, is not just a job, it is also my hobby. 

Classroom transformations are definitely not a one-size-fits-all activity. You have wiggle room to tailor them to your comfort and time availability. I would say, if you have never done one of these, start small and work your way up as you gain more ideas and confidence. 

Be sure to check out the rest of my summer series posts by clicking on these links and learning more about Classroom Transformations. 

Summer Series: Classroom Transformations: What are They

Summer Series: Classroom Transformations Part 2: Inspiration

Summer Series: Classroom Transformations: Part 3: Linking the Standards

Thinking Through my Classroom Management Plans

This year I wanted to work hard on classroom management. A well-managed class makes teaching a pleasure. So...I set about to research and learn more about classroom management. I wanted to brush up my skills and set up a new system for managing my classroom this year. 

Classroom Management Resources

To help myself along, I picked up a couple of old books that I have that have been sitting on my shelves for many years that have been read or partially read and forgotten. Where did my research lead me first, but the guru Harry Wong. Harry Wong's book, The First Days of School is considered a classic in the teaching world and he is at the top when it comes to educators who can manage a classroom. He is the expert! I read through most of his book in just a couple of days, taking notes along the way on things I wanted to remember or try. I also found an old interview by Harry Wong and listened to that. I checked out his website and several articles he had written through the years. There were so many treasures in his materials. 

Another book I read was called, The Classroom Management Secret by Michael Linsin. This book was so great and basically put the problem of classroom management right in the teacher's lap. being inconsistent is the worst thing you can do when upholding classroom behavior in your classroom. It starts to form a hole in your strategy when you do not consistently hold students accountable and students misbehave more and more. 

One last place I looked to was the teacher Mrs Munch's Munchkins on Instagram and YouTube. She is amazing with lots of fresh ideas. 

My Classroom Management Plan for the School Year

This year I took things from all three of these sources, and others, and added my own spin to create an effective plan for my classroom. 

1. First, we spent a ton of time on procedures, and continue to go back over those procedures on a regular basis as needed. 

2. Next, I spent some time on a plan for whole class behaviors, which are basically the expected procedures for how to do needed things together as a class such as our quiet signals and when we line up or come to our class campground/campsite (circle area). 

    Students are expected to follow procedures for line up or going to the campground like this: 

        a. stand up

        b. get ready (either empty hands or bring what is asked of them)

        c. when I give the secret word, students move silently to line, campground, or desks. 

      For our quiet signal, we do two different ones. I might say, "If you hear me clap once!" The students should clap and turn their eyes my way while remaining quiet. The second option I use is used in the same way, but it is a call and response I believe I learned at Get Your Teach on a few years back. It goes, "Hey, Hey, Hey! Listen up, Listen up!" Students shout it back to me while looking and listening. 

For our procedures, we use a whole class scoreboard. If students follow the procedure correctly, we get a point on our scoreboard under the words "Oh YEAH!" Then I will say, "Let me hear it. 1,2,3..." and they say "Oh YEAH!" If one student does not follow but the rest do, I make that one student show me the correct way to do it, but we do not get or lose a point. If several students to do follow the directions, I will give them an oops point and make them practice correctly. At the end of the day, we look at our points and compare the Oh Yeah points to the oops points. If we have more Oh Yeah points, we reveal a mystery letter to a secret prize. When all letters are revealed, the class earns the prize. If we have 5 more Oh Yeah points than Oops points, we reveal two letters. We reveal no letters if students get more Oops points. The prizes are simple things and do not have to cost anything at all. I use things like extra recess, stinky feet (no shoes for the day), bring a stuffed animal, etc. 

I also have a plan for individual management. This is where our classroom rules and consequences come in. First, I taught my students the four simple rules that I call Our Campground Rules (since we have a camping theme).

 

        1. Respect God

        2. Respect Adults

        3. Respect Students

        4. Respect Property

Under each of the rules, we have simple explanations that show what respect looks like in each situation. I also teach at a private Christian school, so we can have a rule about God. 

For the first week, after teaching my rules, I did not enforce consequences. This was a period to get used to these new rules for the year. I would remind students of which rule they broke and what the consequence would be in a few days. As students got used to the rules, I introduced the following consequences:

        1. Warning (verbal warning of the rule broken)

        2. Time Away ( either time away from friends in class or a time out during recess)

        3. Note Home

         4. Principal

While students understand that these are the consequences, they also know that the level of consequence can be skipped if the degree of rule breaking is serious. 

That pretty much sums up my classroom management plan. I do try to communicate with parents and build great communication. If you are interested in getting some ideas for parent communication and making your year run smoother in that aspect, check out that post over here. Here is another fun way to help with behavior management...click here.

My Newly Found Classroom Management Tip

If you are anything like me, when students need help, it is usually several students at the same time. The line beside my desk can grow quite long and surprisingly noisy and a bit fidgety. I was always getting frustrated trying to keep that line...well... in line (bad joke, I know). But seriously, it was very frustrating trying to manage the line, keep students working, and still have time to help students one on one. 

Last year, I discovered a magical way to solve this whole issue and it has been wonderful. OK, it isn't really magic, but it sure feels like it, because it has completely changed how my classroom manages themselves, allowing me to help students in peace. 

What is a Teacher Waiting Room

Let me introduce you to the Teacher Waiting Room.  I know, it sounds super official doesn't it? It is truly as great as it sounds. I created a set of tags. Last year I used clothespins and a bin with my tags. This year I stuck magnets on the back and have them on the whiteboard. Both work just about as well as the other. 

How to Use a Teacher Waiting Room

Using a teacher waiting room is simple. Instead of allowing your students to form a line for help, you will have them take the first available number instead. Students will then return to their seats and work on something else that they do not need help with until it is their turn. Students will work quietly, allowing you to quickly help other students. 

When I am ready to call a student for help, I simply call out their numbers in order, one at a time. Once their number is called, they will return their number, then they will come to see me for help. I will continue calling numbers as needed. 

My Teacher Waiting Room has Saved my Sanity

Now, instead of experiencing chaos, helping students is easy and they know exactly what to do and how to do it. It has turned a burden into a joy. I will never go back. This truly is the best thing since sliced bread! 

Be sure to click the link below to check out this resource. 

Rewards in the Classroom

Do you believe in giving your students rewards in the classroom? What are your thoughts on prize boxes, sticker charts, classroom coupons, and all the rest? Teachers have strong opinions one way or the other, and often those opinions are passionate. But what about research? What does research say? And, how does what we do in the classroom create a microcosm of the workplaces that these students will one day find themselves in? 

Rewards

There are so many trends for using rewards in the classroom. I have seen the "dreaded" clip chart where students move up and down the ladder of "goodness" based on decisions they make in class and those who have been good all week go to prize box. These, often cute, themed charts tie into the perfect classroom decor and are front and center for all in class to see, whisper about, and know who's been naughty and who's been nice. There are no secrets here. Parents are often sent a note at the end of every day showing how their child behaved in class during the past 7-8 hours they were away from them. At the end of the week, those who did good, went to prize box, and those who didn't well...that's another story. The same children generally climb the ladder, while the less-disciplined few tank every single day. I wonder about the self-esteem of those who never get above the first rung on the ladder. The constant reminder that they have been "bad" must have some effect. And, allowing it to be proclaimed in a prominent spot for all to see is, well, rather embarrassing, to say the least. 

At one point, I jumped on the bandwagon with these seemingly popular scales of goodness...or badness, but I have long-since packed them away in file 13. 

Another system I tried was the red, yellow, and green cards. Everyone starts on green at the beginning of the day, but before long, little Johnny has tripped someone and that starts the downward spiral from green to yellow, and before long, red. There is no moving up once you hit rock bottom and getting there everyday is no surprise for some of the children who have a hard time with self regulation. Again, day after day, parents receive a note showing the color of the day. Some, tired with the constant negative behavior, don't even check the sheet anymore. It is just too discouraging. And, once again, the prize box is pulled out at the end of every week and students are rewarded for superb behavior, while the rest are left behind. 

Does it make a difference? Do those who are on the "naughty list" determine to change based on these rewards? 

  

Research on using Rewards in the Classroom

Much of what research has to say about classroom rewards is not great. Many researchers find that rewards tend to make students less self-disciplined. They say that it stunts a child's intrinsic motivation. After all, don't we WANT students to want to do the right thing simply because it is the right thing and not because of the promise of a reward? But how do we get students to the point that they want to do right? This is definitely the debate and challenge in every school. Even though rewards tend to be looked down on, there are some things you can do to encourage the positive behaviors every teacher dreams of.  

Practical Ways to Use Rewards 

One way I like to use rewards is through positive notes home. With positive notes, the intent shifts from naughty to nice. I want students to be given kudos when they do something right. It takes the focus away from the not-so-nice things they do and refocuses everything on the positive. I suggest making a list of students and rotating through (secretly of course). Each day give out two or three positive notes. Keep the students guessing about who will be next. One thing I would do is look for that student who is known for negative behavior. They are going to need even more positive praise to help in turning their bad behavior around. I would try to send something positive home with that student once a week if possible. The effect of this type of reward is the child leaving the classroom feeling great about the positive actions they took. 

Here's how I suggest you plan it out. Print out some easy positive note templates. These can be as simple as notes that you just need to check the positive behavior on instead of writing an actual note, but shake it up from time to time. After you print a stack, fill out one with each child's name, leaving the positive characteristic blank. When you see a behavior you want to reinforce, check the box next to the trait and at the end of the day, make an announcement about the notes. Build it up. Tell the students you have been looking for positive behavior and that you have 3 (or however many) notes to send home today for students who have demonstrated it. Then read out the names and have each child come and receive their note...this is one note that ALWAYS makes it home, you can be sure of that!

Another reward system that I have enjoyed using in the pass is a classroom economy. Basically, it works like the real world. Work, get paid. Don't work, don't get paid. At the beginning of the year (or whenever you begin) tell students that we are going to run our classroom like a mini society. You'll probably have to explain this a bit, since that vocabulary may be new to some. Tell students that they will earn classroom money (no, not the real deal) for completing assignments, doing classroom jobs, etc. Different jobs have varying pay based on the difficulty of the job. Generally, I suggest paying them every week, biweekly, or monthly like an actual business does. I found that it takes a bit of time, so really think about the pay schedule before you commit. Another thing I did was have my students pay expenses. I created a list of expenses that people in the "real world" have to think about...things like electricity, water, house, and car. The desks represented their houses and the chairs represented their cars.  Students in my classroom had the option to rent or buy their houses. If they chose to rent, they would pay each month a certain fee for their "house." Those who chose to buy, would have to rent until they could save up enough to pay for their house. Anyone who purchased their house could then save up to purchase other houses of any classmates who were renting. If a child purchased their house, they did not have to pay rent for the rest of the year. Once someone purchased their own house, they could then save up to buy someone else's house and become a landlord, receiving the monthly house payment from the tenant. 

The fun part of the mini society is of course shopping. I had a store for the students to shop at on our pay day. Sometimes I had small items like what you could purchase from Oriental Trading, or gently used items I thought the students would love. We had tasty treats that could be purchased as well. It is also fun (and free) to include coupons for students to earn privileges for the classroom. 

Another fun thing you can do with mini societies are that you could have a classroom auction. What I like about auctions are that those who save or work hard to earn more have a chance to get even bigger prizes. You could even ask for donations for an auction. It is really a lot of fun and a great life experience!

Rewards

Rewards can be done in many ways and after being in the classroom for twenty-five years, I have to say that research is just a small piece. You know your own classroom better than any other. What you need to do in your classroom may not be right for another class or teacher, but if it works for you and your kids, who's to stop you? I would just caution that you look at your system as a whole. Is it focusing more on the negative, or is it encouraging students to grow and show the positive behaviors more and more that you want in your class. Cause we all know managing a classroom can be a challenge and positive behavior is what we want.   

If you are looking for ways to bring positivity into your classroom, check out some of my positive classroom notes (click on the pictures below). You will love how easy they are to use!