Highs and Lows, Classroom Discipline Plan and... Some WINNERS!

I'm starting off tonight with a fun linky thanks to Katie at Teacher to the Core! I read her post this morning and knew I'd be doing mine tonight! :)

Now for the MEAT! I wanted to share the way I've managed my classroom this year because I tried something new... and I REALLY like it!! I got the idea on Pinterest this summer, and thought I'd give it a try.

The kiddos have a clothes pin with their name on it, and every day, they start out on green (not sounding any different than most, right?) BUT they have the option of moving up or down the chart at any point in the day!

Let me help you with a visual:

I have a beach theme in my room, so I used surfer lingo in the meaning of each color. :)

We'll start with what happens if they get in trouble:

 As I mentioned, everyone starts every day on green- "Hang Ten! Ready To Learn".

If a student is warned and continues the behavior, then they move their clip to yellow- "Catch Another Wave! Conference With The Teacher". When there is time, I will discuss with the student why their behavior was unacceptable and we will come up with an appropriate consequence together. But, teachers, you know this is true: what happens when a student moves their clip first thing in the morning? They give up. They don't try to turn their day around. I believe in second chances, and don't want the kids to think their day is ruined because they moved their clip... so if they are showing me they are trying to turn it around (or to "catch another wave"), I let them move their clip back UP to green. Not only does it help them see they can make a change, it also helps me because the kiddo isn't worthless for the rest of the day! :)

Red- "Wipe Out! Time Out In Another Room (or office referral)" - I think we all know what this means. I will be honest, I haven't been able to move anyone's clip UP from red this year... but then again, it takes a LOT for them to get their clip down there to begin with.

Now for the fun- the more motivating part of my chart!!

Purple - "Radical, Dude! Taking That Extra Step To Be Respectful, Responsible, and Resourceful" (The 3 R's are our school motto.)

Pink - "Cowabunga! Outstanding Behavior! You Are a Role Model!"

To get to these colors, you have to "take the extra step" and BE "a role model!"  If I see a student going above and beyond the norm (or sometimes, what the norm is of that moment), they get to move their clip up... and yes, I have had students move down to yellow, and then all the way up to pink based on several instances of good behavior!!! Here are some sample scenarios of when I tell my kiddos to move their clips up-

Scenario 1: students are standing at the lunchroom door waiting to walk out and at least half of them are turned around talking to each other. Instead of going up to them and making them move their clips DOWN, I go to the quiet ones and in a completely normal tone I say, "you may move your clip up." It's amazing how students can "not" hear you, but the minute they hear someone getting something they aren't, boy can they HEAR!! :) So, those students would move their clips up from wherever they were. (Yellow would get back on green, green to purple, and purple to pink...)

Scenario 2: students know it's Math Calendar time, and I see them pull out their math journal and watch me, waiting for me to tell them to come to the floor EVEN THOUGH I'm on my computer doing attendance! I just point to those kiddos and point to the chart. They know what it means... As they get up, all of a sudden, ALL of my kids have their journals out, ready to go! :)

Scenario 3: Johnny is pulling out his pencil box and it falls out of his desk instead... all crayons, pencils, glue, scissors (you get the point) goes everywhere. A couple students get up to help him pick up his items. "Move your clip up!"

I'm sure you get the point. :)  You can see, it not only helps motivate, but it also helps me with getting everyone on the right page.

At the end of each day, my students mark the color they were on in their agenda books so their parents know daily what they ENDED on. (I say ended because even if they moved to yellow during the day, if they managed to pull it together and move their clip back up, I don't punish them twice. They still have to do the consequence we decided together, but they can show their parents how they ended their day. If it becomes a habit, I will note it in their Friday Folders, but as we know very well, we all make mistakes!

If they get to pink, I write a note in their agenda as well to comment on what a great role model they were. They get so excited about showing their parents a GOOD note. If they get to red, THEY write a note that goes in their agenda and must be signed by a parent and returned the next day. They aren't so excited about that one, LOL!

I don't do it all the time, because I really want them to be more intrinsically motivated than extrinsically (I think 4th graders need to take more ownership anyway...), but every now and then, I will bring kids who have no yellow or red in their agenda for the week to my room for lunch instead of the cafeteria. They really love that, too!

I hope this gives you some ideas in classroom management! Maybe your room needs a new way because your way isn't working... or maybe you just want to file this away for next year... (or PIN IT!! remember that handy dandy Pin Hover Button!!!)

Speaking of pinning... I'm surprised more people didn't get involved in my giveaway because who DOESN'T loooooove Pinterest!? But then I thought, well... I don't quite have 70 followers, and I did the giveaway on a Monday... so maybe I just wasn't reaching enough people. AAAAANYWAY, it made the odds REALLY good for the 5 that commented! LOL So the winners of my new Diving For Decimals Unit are....

I have already emailed you your prize Jennifer and Brandi! Enjoy! :)

And for those of you that didn't get a chance to pin, or didn't win, you can still visit my store and buy the unit! Just click on the picture of the unit below. :)

Happy Wednesday, friends!

P.S. For an AWESOME giveaway, check out Fourth Grade Flipper!! Here's a hint...