Managing Behavior Mid-Year

Tonight's post is a quick behavior management review.  Let's face it: kids need routine and structure and most of our little ones' holiday break didn't involve either!  We are expecting a lot from them as they transition back into a school setting in January.  I believe that it's always a great idea to have a refresher in the winter to remind students of the expectations.  

Back in August, I posted about our school-wide behavior system.   I mentioned in that post that I always try to showcase a few students who are demonstrating exceptional behavior each day.  When I notice this, I tell them they may move their clip up to the blue part of our behavior stick.  They also get to sign their name on the "blue crew" poster.  I have spent a lot of time this past week doing just that. 

To encourage more good behavior in the classroom, I play a "Behavior Game" with my students.  I posted about this in great detail earlier in the year here.  We play the game 2-3 times per day.  We've been playing it all year long, so the game typically lasts anywhere from 15-25 minutes.  If you are just starting, I would recommend only playing it for 3-5 minutes.  The game encourages students to take responsibility for their actions.  They know that their teams are counting on them to do the right thing.  

One of my favorite games that we play as our prize is the "Snowball Fight."  It's super-easy!  I just keep a box of snowballs handy, split the kids into 2 teams, and let them have at it! They can not cross the middle when they throw a ball.  I am the retriever and get the balls back to them.  

I keep all of my prizes in a bucket and pull from it each time someone wins the game.  You can check out my prizes below.  Just click the picture.