Behavior/Management Plans
Throughout my teaching, I have implemented a few different behavior plans to help build classroom community. I also held a peacemaker's summit to stress the importance of respect. These behavior plans worked incredibly well for my students and my classes have made huge strides in building relationships with each another and showing respect. Below is information on each of these plans.
Good Deeds Journals
To promote the importance of good behavior, each student received a good deed's journal. Anytime throughout the day when I saw students doing the right thing and following our class rules (do the right thing, be safe, respect each other, and do your work) a sticker would be awarded from them to keep in their journal. Students would also write next to the sticker why they received it (e.g. listening, quick transition, etc). A few times each quarter, students would then be able to trade in their stickers for different prizes during a class party. For one behavior party, students were able to watch the Polar Express and use their stickers to purchase fruit, juice boxes, and popcorn. Each item was worth a different amount of stickers.
Students also had Team Accomplishment Journals. These journals, similar to the good deed journal, focused on group work. Since the desks were situated in groups, students would earn stickers throughout the day for positive behavior towards their group members. One person was in charge of keeping the team accomplishment journal and updating it with the stickers earned. These stickers could also be used towards our class party.
The Four Focuses of Room 205
In my classroom there were four different issues that I felt prevented my students from getting along and building strong, healthy relationships with one another. There was a huge lack of respect between the students and many of the students were bullies. I decided that to help build a classroom community, my students needed to see four statements on a daily basis to remind them of how they should be acting. Those four statements are:
Each time I saw a student promote one of these statements through their actions the class received a sticker. Each week the class would vote on a goal and they would try and get as many stickers as their goal. If at the end of the week they reached their goal they were rewarded with something of their choice (either free time, drawing time, or extra recess time). Most of the time, students chose to receive extra recess time. It was very beneficial for my students to see these posters each day because they were reminded daily of how they should be acting. This behavior plan has helped my students to become more caring and responsible citizens.
- We are patient.
- We use nice words.
- We help each other.
- We listen to each other.
Each time I saw a student promote one of these statements through their actions the class received a sticker. Each week the class would vote on a goal and they would try and get as many stickers as their goal. If at the end of the week they reached their goal they were rewarded with something of their choice (either free time, drawing time, or extra recess time). Most of the time, students chose to receive extra recess time. It was very beneficial for my students to see these posters each day because they were reminded daily of how they should be acting. This behavior plan has helped my students to become more caring and responsible citizens.
Peacemakers Summit 2010
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To help my students see the importance of respect and being able to work with each other in a positive way, I held a Peacemakers Summit in Room 205. I was having a very hard time getting my students to see the importance of this so I decided to invite a guest speaker to come talk with my students. He talked about his own personal struggles and how the choices he's made has helped him to succeed. He then related the information onto my students who were able to share stories of people they know who have made wrong choices and people who have made the right choices. At the end of the summit my students wrote in a journal two goals that they had for the rest of the school year with their behavior. Almost all of my students have held true to their promises and have changed their behavior for the better. We ended the summit with a toast for change and the signing of our classes "Kind Reaper Bill of Rights." We also began a new tradition in our classroom because of the summit. Each morning we read our "Credo of Kindness" to remind students how their behavior affects people.