Behaviour Management Chart

When I started teaching K, I felt like I was in a completely different world when it came to time and behaviour management.  I came from Grade 6 after all, that practically is a continuum away!  I tried several systems before I found one that really works for us.  I read somewhere that you should have an individual goal and a group goal, so that's what I tried.

We have a behaviour management system called Jumping for Good Behaviour.  I think I got the idea somewhere online, and then adapted it and twisted it to fit me and my class.  We have a part of a bulletin board with three lines - green, yellow, and red.  Everyone has a frog with their name on it, and it starts on green everyday, regardless of what happened the previous day.  I think its important for kids to know everyday is a fresh start. 

Whenever someone breaks one of our rules (the basic respect each other, be nice, keep your hands to yourself, etc) they get a warning first.  Then, if they continue to break rules, their frog moves down a line.  Yellow is 5 minutes missed of centre playtime, and if you break a rule again and land on red, its 10 minutes.  If it happens again, you get to have a visit with our principal.  I have only had a couple of students ever get to yellow and no one has ever got to red.  (And to move them around, I enlisted the help of my very best friend, Mr. Velcro!)

As an extra incentive, this chart is on the board next to my desk:

Each student has an index card with their name on it, and for everyday that they stay on green, they get a sticker.  Once they reach 30 stickers on their index card, they get to pick a treat from the treasure box, which is filled with stuff like colored pens, bubbles, or little sticker books.  They are so excited once they get near 30.  (I make rows of 10 as well, and they gain a number sense, since they know three full rows make 30). 

Our group goal is a daily process.  Each day we pick one goal not to break.  If everyone works together as a team, everyone gets a small prize - a sticker or a candy from the candy jar.  This one is actually much harder to reach than the individual goal, because it usually involves everyone working together.  But we are getting there!  Our class goal is written on a piece of froggy paper that I laminated so I could use white erase markers on it.  You will see it in the corner of the picture with our frogs.

Anyway, thats how my Kinders and I work our classroom management, and it seems to be working great.  I'm sure that every year it will be adjusted to fit the new group of kiddos that I have, but I'm glad I found something that works this year!