Whatever it is, I consider it a blessing for good choices. What do you do to encourage great behavior? I have a few things in my class that I think help make our day easier.
1. Star Jar: I am always telling my class I am looking for a shining star. This is my version of a treasure box. I just bought a glass cookie jar from Target (love) and filled it will all kinds of goodies.
2. Sweet Treats: I keep this small glass jar, also from Target, filled with seasonal sweets. For example during October, I will fill it with candy corn. It always amazes me what a child will do for ONE m&m or ONE candy heart.
3. Treasure Box: I have a very small metal tin in the shape of a treasure box. I keep it filled with all kinds of stickers. If they get to go to the treasure box, the get to choose one sticker.
4. Swell Smell: I buy different flavors of chapstick and try and keep one in my pocket. This works great especially for in the hall. I will tell them to put their hand on their head and rub the chapstick on their hand so the can smell it. It’s always great to stock up on these during the after Christmas sales because they have tons at WalMart for stocking stuffers for the holidays. The kids LOVE them!
5. Green Fish Lunch: At our school, we “flip fish” when kids are in trouble. If you go the entire six weeks without flipping more than one green fish (because everyone has a bad day), you get to have lunch with me in the classroom while we enjoy a movie. The kids can’t wait for this!
I don’t have a chart or anything in particular that says when you get to this point, you get …. but I think I will this next year. I really just pick out when children are doing exceptionally well or when a student who maybe doesn’t do what they are supposed to and is doing really well they get a certain treat. I know for some kids it is hard to do well at school all day so I try to break down the day and help them achieve smaller goals and work their way up to the entire day. I don’t believe in bribery but I do think it is important to reward good choices and by doing it at various times and with various things I think it keeps kids on their toes.
Just found your darling blog!! I love all of these incentives or bribes. I think we all do it and they kids love new ones all the time!! Thanks for a great list!!
BusyBees
SUCH GREAT IDEASSSSSSS! I LOVE REWARDING POSITIVE BEHAVIORS! Thank you for the awesome ideas!
You're awesome!
~gina
Thanks friends!
Crystal,
I love your blog and you have been on my blog roll for a long time! =)
We have helpful hearts. These are heart beads I got at Hobby Lobby. We have a bucket that we try and fill after we read the Bucket Fillers book. The kiddos notice who is being kind and helpful and THEY get to go add that child a helpful heart. At the beginning of the year, I add them and do a lot of modeling. Now they are in complete control over it and it is amazing the things they notice each other doing. It has also been great for developing language and speaking in complete sentences. They have to go to the friend and say "I am going to add you a helpful heart for ___________________." The child then answers back "Thank you for noticing that."
At the end of the year, each child makes a heart bracelet to remind them of being helpful. It is one of the sweetest things ever!
I would love for you to come visit and read more about it. I also have the School Family Job of the Cheerleader who celebrates good choices by blowing a party horn. I have a bubble necklace I wear to celebrate the kiddos…this ROCKS their world having bubbles blown on them! =)
Heather
Heather's Heart