Who Did it Better?
Goal: Who can get to five tally marks first - students or teacher?
When it comes to classroom management, I have tried all the things. There are some years classes push my limits of patience. Do you ever find yourself in this predicament? Yes? You're in the right place!
In my last post, I shared one classroom management strategy. I'm here to share another strategy with you today. This one is a bit different in that it doesn't require anything except your whiteboard and a marker. That's all!
This management strategy is from Whole Brain Teaching. If you ever get an opportunity to attend a training, GO! It is well worth your time to attend this training! Plus, when I attended, it was FREE. Hopefully, it still is free.
Here's how this approach goes:
Pick a behavior you want students to reinforce. Let's say you expect everyone to give you their eyes the first time you signal them. Make sure everyone understands this "game" before you begin. They're going to think of it as a game no matter what you call it. There are several things you can say. If someone isn't ready when you signal. Here are a few things you can say:
"Oh, no. I noticed someone had a tough time getting his eyes ready to listen. Maybe next time everyone will be ready. Remember, when I signal, everyone's eyes should be on me." Give a point to the teacher.
"Wow! Almost everyone was ready. Next time, I think everyone's eyes will be on me. Way to hustle!" Give a point to the teacher.
"Awww, you almost made it. I noticed a few people got distracted when they tried to tell someone to look at me. It's great you were trying to help." Give a point to the teacher.
Notice, I gave positive comments and gave the teacher the point. I am really picky because I expect everyone to display the behavior consistently. If I have a student who struggles to maintain eye contact, I take that into consideration and make allowances especially if there is an IEP in place. There are always exceptions when IEPs are in place.
If the students display the behavior, I congratulate them and give them their point. I do not make a huge deal about it. Why not? I don't make a huge deal because the behavior is what is expected of them on a daily basis. It is not above and beyond what is expected of them.
When they get five points before I do, they get a small celebration -- one minute of free time to get a drink of water, go to the restroom, talk softly with their friends, dance, or take a nap. Yes, they may do any of these things for one full minute. I set a timer and let them have their free time. When the minute is over, we get back to work. You can choose what the celebration is or allow the children to help you choose.
Sometimes, it's a smaller celebration like a cheer or a quick song. It doesn't have to be a grand thing. It might be an extra five minutes added to recess once a week if they consistently beat me. The most important thing is to be consistent in holding students accountable with the behaviors I choose to reinforce on a daily basis.
If you have comments, please leave them below. If you have questions, please reach out to me -- msezzelltpt@gmail.com.
Happy and Healthy Teaching!