Many experts recommend a system of rewards and consequences to encourage students to stay on task and on their best behavior. Here are some ideas that have been tried successfully by teachers.
Sybil Humphries: I saw a great reward system in use this year while I was observing a second-year teacher. The teacher had a kitchen timer and each time the class started to get unruly or loud, or took too much time getting settled, she held up the timer and said, “The timer is on.” When the students got themselves settled, she stopped the timer and recorded the number of seconds it took on the chalkboard. At the end of each calendar month, she added up the time and subtracted it from 15 minutes. The class got to decide on a special activity for the amount of time that was left.
Patti Fawver, Bristol (Wisconsin) School: Each child in the class receives a “checkbook” with a specific amount of money — say $200 — deposited in it. If a student doesn’t complete a homework assignment, he or she might have to write a “check” for $50. If a student breaks a classroom rule, perhaps he or she will owe $25. You can use any behavior you’d like to encourage. At the end of the week, students purchase privileges based on the amount of money they have left.
Gretchen Lee (San Jose, CA): One technique I use with my 6th and 7th graders is to bring in a stopwatch — the bigger, the better. I announce that they’re going to be given 2 minutes to talk. For every additional minute, they will lose 5 minutes of their lunch period. I start the stopwatch as soon as the students come in or any time during the day they when get out of hand. I just peer at it very dramatically until someone notices and calls out “She’s timing!” I keep timing until they settle down. In the six years I’ve used it, I’ve rarely had to keep a class in for lunch more than once.
Mary Haas, Professor of Educational Theory and Practice at West Virginia University: If a particular class is very noisy or disruptive, you might try bringing in a tape recorder and placing it where it can be seen by the students. Turn the recorder on and record the class. You can use the recording in a number of ways: 1. Analyze it to find out who is causing the problem. 2. Give the class a quiz, see how they score, then let them hear the tape of the class and have them make suggestions to improve learning. 3. With your “evidence,” talk to individual students or their parents.
Lorie Schaefer (Seeliger Elementary School; Carson City, Nevada): The system I used with 3rd graders was this: I placed their desks in pods of 4-5 and designated each pod by a color. On the chalkboard, I kept a weekly chart with tally marks for each group. Throughout the week I rewarded the groups with tally marks for quiet work, cleaning up, cooperation, whatever. At the end of the week, I rewarded the group with the most points with a small treat.
Ellie Depew: When you’ve had a successful day with students on task, reserve the last 10 or 25 minutes for games. (If you like, you can gradually work to a game once a week.) Winners can be rewarded with points or small prizes. The trick is that they have to earn this activity, and one person’s misbehavior can cause the rest of the class to forfeit it. Of course, the games should reflect your subject matter.
Sally Gill (Kingston Primary School, Tasmania, Australia): Over the past six years, I’ve run a very effective program in my class. Each child carries a card on which he or she records stamps awarded for great work, wonderful ideas, manners, friendliness, bringing things from home, anything. When they get 5 stamps, they can trade the card in for a treat. These “treats” are agreed upon at the beginning of the term and might include an item from the treat bag, permission to change seats, game time with a friend, or extra art or computer time. If a student breaks a class rule, he or she is given an X on the card. If a student gets two X’s, I contact the parents. Three X’s result in an after school detention. The good news is that students can trade in 3 stamps and eliminate one X! I teach 11 and 12 year olds and it works like a dream.
Susan Wailes (Texas): Buy 2 yardsticks and paint them in graduated amounts in these colors: green (about 12″), yellow (about 8″), red (about 4″), and black (about 4″). Hang the yardsticks in your classroom where they are visible to students. The colors represent grades for conduct and completing work. (Green=excellent, yellow=above average, blue=satisfactory, red=needs improvement, black=unsatisfactory.) Then buy a bag of clothespins and write each child’s name on 2 clothespins with a black marker. At the beginning of the week, each child’s clothespin is clipped to the green part of the yardstick. If homework is not completed, the clothespin on the ‘Completing Work’ yardstick is moved down one increment. If a student talks too much or disobeys a classroom rule, the clothespin on the ‘Conduct’ yardstick is moved down. When a clothespin reaches the red area, that student misses recess for the remainder of the week. When a clothespin reaches the black area, the student’s parents are notified. For rewards, each child has a 3″x4″ card. When a student is “caught being good,” the edge of his or her card is punched with a heart-shaped holepunch. Students use their cards to buy things from their teacher. For example, lunch with the teacher might “cost” 30 punches, bringing a boombox to recess is 25 punches, wearing a hat in class is 10 punches, and a pencil or eraser costs 5 punches. The items are all free or inexpensive and the kids love it when we have a “Punch Sale.”
Lindemarie Crawford, South Middle School, Morgantown, West Virginia: In the middle school I teach at, all classrooms are part of the Responsible Student Program (RSP). Under that program, students receive “violations” for not fulfilling the written plan for responsibility:
Being prepared — coming to class with all necessary materials.
Being respectful of others — includes verbal respect, not disrupting the learning environment, and proper etiquette.
Being prompt.
Each team decides how many violations they can receive before losing the nine-week reward. The nine-week rewards, determined by the team, can include a pizza party, class picnic, free time, a video, and so on. In addition, at the 6th grade level we give a weekly reward of 20-25 minutes of free time each Friday for students reaching weekly goals. Students who do not earn rewards must stay in a monitored classroom. Students soon learn that responsibility and respect have their rewards!
Source: www.education-world.com.
Stay tuned for more ideas and management techniques in the next posting.
