Awesome Behavior You'll Treasure!

Doesn’t it make you feel good when someone gives you a compliment?  Do you literally feel “better” when somebody says a few encouraging words?

I know I do!  Imagine what a few kind words do for a student, especially when they hear justified praise from a teacher.

In a critical and often cruel world, it’s especially important to build a child’s self-esteem.

Catching students “being good” and then praising their efforts, reinforces correct behavior and has other children wanting to model it.

When I wanted to gain control of a noisy bunch during story time, I never said: “Johnny and Jose stop disrupting the group.” Instead, a big smile and:  “I love how Alesha and Graham are sitting quietly.  Thank you so much!” Did wonders and Johnny, Jose and the rest of my students, were quick to copy the desired behavior.

Happy grams were also affective and a fun way to teach responsibility.

You can pass out a happy gram or awesome behavior/work card for a variety of reasons.

Do you need students to raise their hands more?  Is getting children to listen quietly in a large group or during story time getting to be a problem? 

Make a happy gram or awesome card for that behavior, or pass out a few cards during that time and watch students shine.

Students keep them in their school box in their desk, and when they collect a designated number they can cash them in for a trip to the treasure box.  Younger students keep them in a Baggie in their backpack or cubby.

When I taught first grade, I had “Treasure Tubs”. The various tubs had different values.

The better prizes required more awesome cards.  Every Friday, at the end of the day,  was “shopping day”.

My students loved this and I felt it really did improve behavior.

A letter home each month explaining the program, and requesting donations, really helped out.  Surprisingly, “used” “cool stuff” was just as much sought after by students as new items.

I also had treasures that were  non “thing” stuff too, like coupons for 1 skipped homework assignment, lunch with the teacher, get out of class to help another teacher for an hour, or a chance to be the student helper, or student line leader for the day etc.

A graph on the wall kept track of Super Star Student behavior, with a grand prize going to the male and female student at the end of the year, who had collected the most awesome cards.

Likewise, if you want to use them as a deterent for poor behavior, list infractions that will “cost” a student an awesome card as well.

Make sure you review the rules for earning as well as losing the cards and post them on the wall.

Use my templates and print off cards on white construction paper.  Laminate them and then cut them out.

I also bought blank business cards and put stickers on them, as well as labels that I made that said “Awesome Card” typing in various behavior that students earned them for.

Keep the cards handy so that you can pass them out for whatever behavior you decide earns happy-gram/awesome cards. Brainstorm ideas with your students.

Tuck special ones in your sub folder with an explanation.

You might want to allow students to give out a few, if they notice special behavior as well, or have children nominate a student at the end of the day for something that they did that you weren’t aware of.

I hope you enjoy including this tip in your behavior bag of tricks.  A teacher can never have too many!

Click on the link to view/download Encouragement Cards behavior modification Idea.

Do you have one that you can share?  I’d enjoy hearing from you. diane@teachwithme.com or feel free to comment here, especially if you use one of my ideas .  PIN anything you think others might enjoy as well.

Thanks for visiting, and do pop in tomorrow for some more apple bytes.