Classroom Management Linky

So excited that the sweet ladies over at What the Teacher Wants decided to host a Classroom Management Linky!  I am always on the lookout for new and exciting things to encourage my kiddos to make good choices.  

 

 

 

Unfortunately I have been SICK as a dog this week.  All stinkin' week.  I should have gone to the doctor sooner but of course at the peak of feeling yucky, I had back to school night Tuesday night.  That was...fun.  To top it off, Andy has an eye infection and he can't exactly do his job (he's a firefighter) with glasses so he's been out of work this week too.  Our house is a hot, hot mess. We need a biohazard sign on the front door.

 

 No worries though, Sawyer has been taking very good care of us. His bedside manner is incredible. ;)

 

 

 

I took a half day Wednesday to go to the doctor and got some antibiotics.  Then, as much as it KILLED me to take a day so early in the year...I broke down and took today off.  I absolutely detest missing a day of school.  I'm glad I did though.  I got some much needed rest and even though I'm far from 100%, I think I'll be able to make it in tomorrow to finish up our apple unit with crockpot applesauce and biscuits as a special treat for my babies!

 

My classroom will smell so yummy, can't wait!

 

My unexpected day off made me realize I need to quit procrastinating and go ahead and put Rachelle's Substitute Survival Kit together!  I've had it for a while and it is fantastic.  I just need to print it out and fix it up with my info....no more procrastinating!  If you don't have some emergency sub plans go ahead and grab her kit and get ready...just in case.

 

OK...here we go.  My classroom management plan is pretty simple, but it works for me.

 

We have a schoolwide program that our fabulous guidance counselor implements that goes along with this sweet book.

 

 

We put marbles in a bucket anytime they make good decisions as a class or an adult catches someone being a bucket filler.  I like to acknowledge when a student helps pick up someone's crayons that fell in the floor, when I hear someone give another student a compliment, or when I see partners working nicely together, etc.

 

When they earn 10 marbles in their bucket...we get a star to display outside of our door.  The colors of the paper stars change each 6 weeks so everyone can keep track of how many stars each class has earned.  I add a little extra "incentive" and tell them that if we earn 3 stars before the colors change, we will have a class celebration (donuts, popsicle party, lunch in the classroom, or something similar!)

 

For an individual classroom management plan, I use these products from my absolute favorite teacher store, Creative Teaching Press.

 

Students collect these tickets:

 And store them in their desk in these cute little library pockets with their names written on them.

 

I give out tickets all...day...long.  There are ALWAYS some in my laundry room closet at home because I just carry them around all day in my pockets...ready to pass out if I "catch" a student doing anything spectacular!  If they are the first one to follow directions, if they are working extra hard, if they use good manners...anything goes!

 

On Fridays, we count our tickets.

 

If a student has 10 tickets, they turn them in and get to write their name on one of these.

 

 

Then, at the end of each month...we have a raffle for prizes and special privileges (lunch in the room with a buddy from ANY first grade class is a favorite!)

 

I use a lot of books (from Scholastic), small toys, coloring books candy etc. for the prizes.  Some are bigger, some are small. 

 

I try to get one or two big things to save for last.  I have a feeling this month, it is going to be one of these guys...

 

 

My kids loooove them some Pete.  They will go bananas over him.  I have one that lives in our classroom and they just adore it.

 

Another way they can earn a ticket is by being picked for "Mystery Walker." I posted about how it works here.

 

 

 

The ticket system keeps everything nice and simple for the most part...and then I just have to get things together for one raffle each month.

 

I prefer to use a positive approach to classroom management, because it helps me stay more positive....but don't you worry.  I take a ticket or two on occasion.  They don't like to lose their tickets, so it's effective.

 

Set aside some time to head over and read the other awesome classroom management tips at What the Teacher Wants.

 

So many awesome ideas. :)

 

Also...don't forget to enter the giveaway for my new Sight Word Super Pack in my previous post. 

 

 

 

Giveaway ends TOMORROW!

 

Happy Friday to you!

 

FUN Hallway Behavior Management Idea

 

 

Fun Friday Linky Party...on a Sunday night?

Better late than never I hope.

 

I had a post planned for Friday to link up with sweet Kelly over at Teaching Fourth but when I got home from school Friday I was all kinds of exhausted.  Seriously wiped out.

 

And then yesterday got off to a productive start.  We went to the grocery store EARLY and put groceries away, cleaned a little, and walked the dog all by 10 am.  Then...I participated in a little retail therapy with my momma at the Loft (30% off  everything...yes please!).

 

After that...the productivity came to a screeching halt.

 

The rest of the day consisted of football, buffalo chicken dip, and naps. 

 

So today I have been extra busy preparing for next week!

 

Last week was a giant success.  I love my new students.  They are sweet as sugar and excited about EVERYTHING.  The jitter juice was definitely a favorite but they were seriously thrilled about everything we did. One sweetie actually said..."Yay! A sheet!"  When I passed out a little dot to dot paper.

 

  I love it.

 

I wish I could share more pictures (especially their giant smiles while they were drinking jitter juice) but I was too busy snapping photos of their cute faces that I forgot to take many that I could share on my blog.

 

Here they are playing "Roll it to the Top."

 

Never have I ever introduced a math game on the second day of school but I thought they could handle it...and I was right!

 

 

You can download "Roll it to the Top" for FREE from my TPT store.

 

It is part of a Back to School Math Game Pack with lots of other games that you can play at the very beginning of the year with your first graders (or all year long with your kindergarten kids!)

 

Click here to check it out.

 

We also made these cute Chicka Chicka Boom Boom trees with our names.

 

 

 

And to top it off...their parents rock. 

 

I got all "beginning of the year" forms back and signed on the first day along with their take-home folders and homework sheets signed each day.  This is not the norm for me so I was giddy!! 

 

There are a few cuties definitely testing the boundaries but overall I am pretty darn excited to spend the next 176 days with these sweet kids!

 

OK...now for some more FUN!

 

I just wanted to share a quick, easy hallway behavior management system I use that really works!

 

I went ahead and introduced this at the beginning of the year, but this is also a great thing to pull out after Christmas break or something when hallway manners start to "slip" a little.

 

Let me introduce you to the "Mystery Walker."

 

 

On a little shelf beside the door, I keep a box of plastic counting chips (bought them at Staples in the "teacher section"...but you could use anything) with the kids names' on them. 

 

Anytime we go out in the hall, I pull one out (reaaaallll sneaky-like and dramatic of course) look at, it and put it in my pocket....except on those days when I wear things with no pockets in which case I almost always lay it down by the copier or in the lunchroom and lose it. 

 

If I DO have pockets, they usually end up on my washing machine at home because I forget to take them out at the end of the day.

 

I suggest having some back-ups for such occasions.

 

This person is my "mystery walker" all the way to our destination and back.  I am watching this person to see if they have perfect hallway maners.  The beauty of it is that all of the kids think it is them every time so they do a pretty darn good job of walking in the hall (usually).

 

When we get back to the room...they all are dying to find out who the mystery walker was and I only tell them IF the person did a perfect job. And if they did, they earn a "ticket" which is what I use for my behavior management system. 

These are from Creative Teaching Press.

 

Anytime the kids are "caught being good" in some way, shape or form...they earn tickets. 

 

If the person did not earn a ticket, I don't call them out...because, well, that just seems kinda harsh.  I just say something very teacher-ish like...

 

"Well...unfortunately my mystery walker had a hard time keeping their hands to themselves and their voices off in the hall.  That's too bad.  I really wanted to give them a ticket. I hope they'll do a better job next time..."

 

Or some sort of similar guilt trip.

 

And sometimes I forget who my mystery walker was because I'm just scatterbrained like that. 

 

So I make it up. Yes I do.

 

Shhh. Don't tell.

 

Have a fabulous week.  Happy teaching to you!