Changes

During the week of Thanksgiving, we had two days of in-service. One issue that came up is that our school doesn't want us to take away a positive reinforcement. If there is something given as a reward for good behavior, bad behavior shouldn't take that same something away.

In my classroom, one of my big attention getting techniques is to count down. I start at 3, and if I get down to zero we would lose a marble. My classes have always been really good at making sure that I rarely get to 1, and it is by far my most effective technique. Be that as it may, school policies mean it must be changed.

So I decided that I also can't do the 10 marbles to get to a party either. If I can only give this reward, and never take it away, then they would get there too quickly. I decided that a jar that needs to be filled is a good alternative, though it isn't marbles, it is a layered system of popcorn kernels, beans, and pasta.

My idea is that they will know they are getting closer as we switch from each kind of filler. That way instead of having to fill a big container full of popcorn, they can be excited when we use all of our popcorn, and have to go to the beans, and then again when we have to go to pasta, and once our pasta is all used, then we get the party.

I figure that I will keep my counting down, with the instructions to the class that if they quiet down before I get to 1, I will put a scoop of our incentive in... I need to come up with a name for what I am doing, ... hrm... probably "party popcorn" for the first layer, then party beans and party pasta. ...

Anyways, if they quiet down during my countdown time they will earn some party popcorn, but if they don't get quiet in that time, I will go over to my container, wait, and then tell them sorry, we didn't earn it that time, maybe next time. This way, I am following both the letter and the intent of the rules by not taking away a positive, they just didn't earn it.

My one issue with this is that I am somewhat rewarding them for being loud in that I count down when it is too loud, and if they get quiet when I count down, then I am giving them a reward simply because they were loud and got quiet, not because they were quiet, but I really need my countdown to have value.

I have a feeling though, that I will be gravitating more towards other attention getting techniques like hand clapping or having my hand up because I don't want to reward them for talking.

The other news from the in-service is that my coordinator would like us all to be on the same page, and give team points.

I do have a globe that is on the table of the team that is doing the best, but she asked for team points, so I need to institute them in my class.

I am planning on starting both of these when we get back from Thanksgiving break, and we will see how things fare with both new systems.

Coming up...
First week of December I should be observing other teachers for more ideas.
Some time in December I plan to video the class so I can analyze it later.