Classroom Behavior Plans & Management Tips: Part II

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I have a 3 part system.

Whole group: for rewarding the class as a whole for behavior I put one marble in a jar every time the whole class has good behavior (example walking through the halls quietly). Then when the jar is full the class gets a cupcake party.

Table groups: I have charts hanging up in the front of the room for table stars. I use it to get them to get all their books out quickly, keep the area clean, stay quiet, etc. When the group gets 25 stars they each get a prize sticker, candy).

Individual: It is important for the students that are always doing the right thing and to encourage the others, I tape a 25 grid chart on the top of each desk. I give each student a star with my colored sharpie when they complete work, for staying quiet, etc. I let them know before an activity that it is worth a star. When they fill the 25 grid they get a prize. They like the individual one the most because it cannot be messed up by other students meaning if they are the only one at their table to complete their work their table will not get a star but they still will.

Mrs. Moody's Moolah The following is an explanation of the behavior management system we will use in our classroom this year. This is a new token economy system I have created, so there may be changes as the year progresses.

What is a token economy? A token economy is a system that gives students the opportunity to earn or lose tokens for both positive and negative behaviors. In a token economy, the student is always aware of the specific behaviors that will lead to the gain or loss of tokens. Token economies are beneficial in elementary classrooms because they teach the students that they are responsible for their behavior and that the behavior choices they make can lead to rewards or consequences.

How does the Moolah system work? Students will begin each day with four beans (20 beans per week). The beans will be stored in cups attached to each student's desk. Throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to earn beans for positive behaviors. Beans may also be lost for inappropriate behavior. Verbal warnings or Shh! Tokens will be given before each bean is taken.

At the end of the week, each student will fill out a Bean Banking sheet and visit the Moody Market to redeem beans.

What are the consequences? Shh! Tokens: These tokens will be given when students talk out of turn during large or small group instruction. The following is a list of Shh! Token consequences:

• 1 Shh! Token: Warning
• 2 Shh! Tokens: Student loses 1 bean
• 3 Shh! Tokens: Student loses second bean and is moved away from the group or loses 5 minutes free play.

* For behaviors other than talking, a verbal warning will be given before beans are taken.

The following is a list of consequences for losing beans:

• 1 bean: No Consequence (other than not being able to purchase certain items at the Moody Market)
• 2 beans: Student loses 5 minutes Free Play
• 3 beans: Note Home outlining why each bean was lost, Student signs Behavior Log
• 4 beans: Call home, notify Lower School Head.

What are the rewards? During the first week of school, the students will have the opportunity to create a list of rewards they would like to have in the Moody Market. Rewards may be items such as treasure box toys, tickets for special privileges (ex: 10 minutes free computer play, or school supplies (ex: pencils, erasers, journals). I am always grateful for donations to the Moody Market!

I teach 6th and 7th grade Special Education (Emotional Support). I work on a 20 point a day system. Everyone has a chance to earn 20 pts/day for a 100% day. Everyone has their own chart and it is on my desk. The points earned are converted into "classroom cash" and everyone has their own checking account.

At the end of the marking periods we go shopping at my store. I have a prize tub with all new or almost new items ranging from school supplies, to toys, to backpacks and students have to shop, write checks, balance their checkbooks etc. This is a great incentive and everyone knows the guidelines for earning or not earning points throughout the day.

We have respect, work ethics, and behavior in and out of my room at the top of our list. If someone has not earned a point, I explain why and we go over our % at the end of every day so everyone knows where they stand.

What they don't know is how much $ they may receive. We change the point=$ quite often so they need to stay on their toes. Sometimes the highest earnings receives "bank" dividends for continual good behavior as well.

I use several reinforcement techniques and time-outs to manage behavior. I teach emotionally and behaviorally disordered.

First we have a behavior sheet that goes home every day and must be signed by parents. The behavior sheet has 14 smile faces across that may be highlighted or not (each is worth 1/2 hour of time. Students may also earn an extra smile for getting homework done.

Daily Reward: At the end of the day if a student has a successful day (13-15 smiles) then a smile face is stamped onto a calendar (on their desk) and they may borrow a video/dvd or book from the teacher. I always write down the item borrowed on the behavior sheet and check if it is returned the next day. They may borrow each day that they are successful and have brought back the item from the day before. My kids love to borrow and many borrow books to take home every day.

Weekly Reward: Also at the end of the week we have a menu of rewards depending on how many smiles they earned on their calendar that week. One of the things my students love to earn is free time or time that they may be spent doing one of several activities available. This gives them a break from "work" and rewards on-task behavior and getting work done. This correlates quite well with the behavior sheet.

Monthly Reward: Students who manage to earn all their smile faces for a month, earn a free meal of their choice (fast food coupons or I will actually go get what they want).

Time-Out: If a student has to do a time-out an appropriate amount of a smile face is marked off of the behavior sheet. In the past I have kept track of the minutes missed by using a small card for each student and highlighting minutes earned and x-ing out minutes lost. This however, can be time consuming and is usually managed with the help of an aide. If homework is not done I x-out the homework smile face.

I use a combined system since I teach a self-contained class with fourth and fifth graders.

The first part of my system is utilizing Marvin Marshall's Levels of Discipline. My students are instructed on the 4 levels and recognizing what the appropriate behavior looks like for those levels.

Along with the different levels I also reward them with Cooperative Bucks. They can earn these in a variety of ways. At the end of the day each student does a self-evaluation and then conferences with me to discuss how to improve tomorrow. The self evaluation sheets are targeted at the best thing they did for the day and the area that they had difficulty and what they can do to improve.

For the very difficult students I work on one key behavior at a time so the student feels like they are making progress and are not overwhelmed.

I use a seating chart on a clipboard to keep track of student behavior. I take attendance, mark participation, document missing materials, note prohibited behavior, etc. When students see me pick up the clipboard, they know to get on task if they are not. At the end of the week I can easily calculate participation grades.

I teach elementary Special Education. Since I work with a variety of ages and levels, I wanted a system that I could use with all of my students.

They can earn tickets (blue raffle type) for good work and good behavior. They earn them each time I work with them. They save their tickets in their own envelope that they decorated earlier in the year.

Then, on Fridays they may use their tickets to buy prizes from my 5, 10, 20, or even 50 tickets prizes. This teaches them to save, buy something they may really want, and also to not always be able to get things you may want right away (if someone else buys it before them). It's a great low-maintenance, easy to implement system which seems to be successful for the students.

Picture Perfect Behaviors: I take pictures of all of my smiling students. The pictures are laminated and a magnetic strip is placed on the back. The pictures are placed on the chalkboard for smiling good behavior. When a student misbehaves he/she must remove their picture and place it on his/her desk. When the behavior is corrected, the picture is placed back on the board.

I've broken down the behavior in my class into five distinct categories:

1. Tardy
2. Disrespect
3. Materials
4. Not Following Directions
5. Bathroom

I teach my students during the first week of school what each of these expected behavior categories look like.

For example, I teach my students how to listen following three simple steps- stop what you're doing, look at the person speaking, be still and quiet until the person finishes speaking. I do the same with how to get the teacher's attention. I even break down how to follow directions. I demonstrate what being on time looks like so that there is no question. I cover the behaviors that are considered disrespect. We talk about how this system helps everyone be successful in the classroom, including the teacher.

Then, as the week goes on, I reinforce these behaviors. When someone doesn't follow these clear directions, I give them a mark for "not following directions" or whichever category the behavior might fall under. Students can always take a mark to go to the bathroom. This encourages them to determine if they really need to go or not.

At the end of the week, my team (middle school) runs a "Fun Friday" schedule. For all students who didn't receive three marks, we take the last 30 minutes for fun time. We offer outside time, video games, listening to music, or playing in the gym time.

Students who receive too many marks get "Frown Friday" where they simply read or get caught up on homework. The marks are scalable in that if a student gets more than three marks, the consequences become more intense. Five marks is after school detention. Seven marks is an office referral.

As the student begins working his or her way up the marks scale, I always call home to warn the parent that future consequences might be coming unless the student changes his or her behavior. This system works like magic as long as the teacher consistently enforces it. It helps insulate the teacher from student behavior, removing those explosive power struggles so many of us are familiar with. It helps students regulate their own behavior, giving them many opportunities to change the actions. It also helps me form positive relationships with my students, even when he or she has trouble meeting expected behavior.

Continue reading MORE great classroom management strategies!

• Classroom Management Tips Part 1 of 3
• Elementary Classroom Management Part 2 of 3 (You are here.)
• Classroom Management Strategies Part 3 of 3