Teacher Week: Taming the Wild!

I didn't get a chance to link up yesterday because vacation got in the way.  Sad story, right? :)

I'm back bright and early this morning, though, and I promise I do have some posts lined up to show you lots of instructional organization so just check back in the near future.  I am especially excited to show you my new organization for word study sorts!

But today...is "taming the wild" day! Ha! Love it!  Classroom management is one of my favorite topics and (I think) one of my strengths.  I believe in setting high expectations for behavior and I find that my kiddos usually follow.  When everything is under control and everyone is being NICE...then we can have FUN and be silly!

Here are some of my tips and tricks for classroom management.  I usually keep a few things in place all year and just add in some others when we need something fresh and exciting...or when I find something on Pinterest that I have to try! ;)

Our guidance counselor is pretty much AWESOME and supports a school wide bucket filling program to go along with this book.

I seriously love this book.  I'm sure you've seen it...but if, by chance, you haven't...it is a MUST read!

Any time I want to reward the entire class for good choices and "bucket filling" behavior, I put marbles in their bucket. Our counselor takes care of awarding stars for full buckets and rewarding them in small ways.

I'm going to focus my post on what I do in the classroom.

First of all...I only have 3 rules in my classroom.  I can fit anything under one of these rules!

Check out this post to find our more about my rules and grab a free copy of them.

I pass out these tickets from Creative Teaching Press all day long for good behavior. Especially at the beginning of the year...ANYTHING positive gets a ticket.

And I mean anything.   The kids collect these tickets (cute container pictures to come!) and each week...if they have 10 tickets, they get to trade in their 10 tickets for one of these red tickets and they write their name on it and put it in our "raffle basket."

Each month, we do a big raffle drawing with the red tickets for prizes.  The prizes range anywhere from Dollar Tree junk treasures to "lunch bunch" and "bring a stuffed animal to school day" coupons to free books from Scholastic bonus points, etc.

I have just collected ideas from YOUR blogs and Pinterest for ideas that will work in my classroom for the drawings.  My kids' favorite things to win are things that don't cost me any money...like "stinky feet" coupons where they get to take their shoes off all day in the classroom.  Works for me!

I think they key to this kind of classroom management system is to be very liberal with the tickets at first and make a HUGE deal about it when they are dispersed.  They really like earning tickets and keeping count of them. I keep some in my pocket to hand out, but I also have them loose in a basket near my desk so if I'm working with a small group and see one teeny tiny little sweet soul doing what they're supposed to be doing while the rest of the class acts like wild hyenas...I can very sweetly say "Oh...wow! Look at Austin sitting quietly and setting up his math game for his partner.  Austin...go get yourself a ticket.  THANK YOU!"

And I don't have to get up.  Which is good.

 I also LOVE the math that I hear going on as they collect them too.

"I have 6, so I need 4 more to make 10."

YES! YES! YES!

I know you're wondering...and YES, I do take the tickets occasionally for negative behaviors.

'Cause I'm a big fat meanie.

I don't take them often, but sometimes it's absolutely necessary...and sometimes I'm in a bad mood.  There. I said it.

The other thing I like about this kind of system is that their whole day isn't judged by where they are on a chart or what "color" they landed on at the end of the day.  That totally works for a lot of classrooms and I have been itching to make a cute clipchart and give it a whirl...but if it ain't broke...don't fix it...right?? And this works for me!

So what else can my little darlings do to earn tickets?

Wellllll....check out this post to get more info on "Mystery Walker" and "Secret Student" AND to get your free copy of these posters for your classroom.

Both of these ideas work basically the same way.  One is for hallway behavior and the other is for any ol' thing.  I've even used "secret student" for school assemblies and field trip.

You choose a student's name and don't tell anyone who it is.  You watch that person closely...and they only get their ticket if they did a PERFECT job on whatever task you were watching.  

And lastly, a NEW thing I'm trying this year are "quiet critters."  I'm sure you've seen a version of this on Pinterest, and I have no idea where the original source came from...but if you search for "quiet critters" on Pinterest you will find tons of ideas!  I can't stand constantly saying "Shhh" but sometimes it's important that my kids work silently...especially if I'm doing testing, etc. with another student.

Most of the pictures I've seen on Pinterest use little pom poms for critters...but I found these ADORABLE little plush monsters on Amazon that I am going to use.  Click the picture for the link.

I'm going to use these little monsters for times when the kids truly must be silent.  Everybody gets a quiet critter to start with, and if they make noise...bye bye monster.  Sad!

At the end of the activity, whoever has a monster left on their desk will get a ticket.

I will let you know how this works since this is new for me...if anyone else has tried it...how does it work?

OK...beach time!

Happy Teacher Week!  Can't wait to read up and find some new ideas. :)

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!