1-2-3 Come Make a Social Contract & Some Classroom Rules With Me

A classroom social contract is quick, easy and fun for your kiddos.  By having a say in making up the rules, (even though they will turn out to be the same as a teacher would think of) makes things seem more “fair” and students more accountable.

I love social contracts. I made one up each year no matter what grade I taught.  I simply listed my rules on a poster.

We discussed why they were important. Then I had everyone raise their right hand and say “I promise to obey our rules.” 

Older students can simply sign another sheet of paper, to be hung up under the poster, but for younger elementary, I liked to have them trace & cut out their hand print, then write their name on top.

Promising, and then signing their name, makes students feel important. 

It also makes them accountable and more responsible for their actions. 

Promises are big deals to children, so a social contract gives you a lot of behavior modification leverage. 

All you have to do when a child gets off track and is breaking the class’s terms of agreement, is to ask, “Did you promise not to do that? Did you sign our contract? How should you act? What should you do?"

Sometimes I didn’t even say anything.  As a gentle reminder, I’d give the “rule breaker” the proverbial “teachers stare”. 

Once I made eye contact, I’d point to the contract. They’d follow my glance to the poster and I’d simply pat their name. 

This gentle reminder, worked wonders. 

I didn’t call attention to negative behavior, the child wasn’t embarrassed, and the gentle reminder got them back on track.

Periodically I’d review our contract, especially after long weekends, and vacations.

You can have a whole-group discussion, and ask children to reflect on how they think they’ve done, and ask if you should make additions or changes. 

Because my social contract has been so successful in my classroom, I decided to share it in my latest creation for TpT. 

The contract snowballed into a 65-page "School Rules Classroom Management" packet.

I think you'll find very useful, as it's "kid-tested & teacher approved" so these positive behavior modification techniques really work, plus they're quick, easy & fun for your kiddos.

I've included 4 social contract poster options.

Choose one & mount the poster on construction paper, glue it to the center of a piece of tag board.

Make a frame of student hand prints either with paint, or by tracing & cutting them out.,

Because accountability is so important, have children write their name over their print.

Besides the social contract posters, the packet is chock full of a variety of ideas & activities for your classroom rules, ensuring a safe, warm, and respectful environment, and includes the following:

• 2, emergent-reader rule booklets (For more personal accountability there's one with girl graphics as well as one for boys, which students enjoy coloring.)
  
• A matching social contract mini poster, and personal “I promise” bookmark.
• 51 pocket chart promise cards, giving you a broad selection of rule cards to choose from.
• 15 (rule-oriented motivational) posters
• 3 options for “Ready-Set-Write the Rules” to help reinforce what you’ve just shared.
• Several notes home from the children.

“I promised!” slap bracelets. My kiddos LOVE them! Using a square of Scotch tape, I fasten them on at the end of our day. 

This is a quick, easy and super-fun way to reinforce the rules, as parents will be prompted to ask: "What did you promise?"

“Actions have consequences” bookmark
Mindful of our “P’s & Q” poster & writing prompt

My personal favorite: "I have rights; I have responsibilities” posters, plus
“We’ve got SWAG” posters, along with matching "I've got SWAG" mini ones.  Both are suitable for older students.

I hope you find this social contract idea and the rule packet as helpful and successful for your class, as it was for mine. 

In celebration for getting ready to go back to school, the packet is currently on sale in my TpT shop for just $4.95.  Click on the link to pop on over. 

As always, I have not one, but several FREEBIES for you today! I pulled 10 posters from the packet and rolled them into a Back To School Poster Packet for you.  Click on the link to grab these fun FREEBIES today.

Well that's it for now.  Thanks for stopping by.  I'll be watching 2 of my grandchildren today (Kaiden 2 & Kaitlyn 8 months) which is such a joy.

There's nothing like the awesome enthusiasm of a child and seeing the world through their adventurous and delighted eyes.

Wishing you a love-filled day filled with precious moments.

"There are not Seven Wonders of the World in the eyes of a child; there are seven million." -Unknown

1-2-3 Come Do Some Super-Fun End-of-the-Year Stuff With Me

My students LOVE Laura Numeroff’s books: “If You Take A Mouse To School” and “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.”  With those stories in mind, I designed the “Nice Mice Advice” packet.

It will help you check off some “To Do” activities for next year, with the help of this year’s kiddos!

The packet is loaded with fun end-of the-year activities that will keep your students happily engaged, while helping you make some special things for the fall.

There are 4 class-made “Advice” booklets for you to choose from.  
Pick one and have your students write advice to the in-coming children.  Collect & collate.  

 This year’s kiddos can share their page when you read the book aloud, then tuck it away to share with your new class in the fall. 

My personal favorite is the circle-shaped Cookie Book. 

It's a perfect go-along with the "If You Give A Mouse a Cookie" story, and includes advice from the teacher, principal and each student.  For that finishing touch, add a school photo.  I've included a sample page to help explain things to your kiddos.

If you'd like each of your students to make a mini-advice booklet for your new students, then you'll like the small, advice- flip booklet, with 2 different cover options in black & white, plus color, with 4 inside writing-promt pages. 

The other two class book options feature the creative clip art of Scrappin Doodles and D. J. Inkers. 

As you can see there are plenty of options.  You can choose, or show the samples and have your students vote on which one they'd like to do. 

Since a lot of advice has to do with following the rules, this is an interesting and fun way to present them.

Check another thing off your list.  I've included a set of 25 "Advice Rules!" pocket chart cards that you can use as well, plus a blank set for you to program with whatever.

 I've also included an advice definition poster incase your students are not familiar with this word, along with a sweet "If you give a kid some advice, they should take it." poster to start things off.

Do you give your students a little treat on the first day?  Cross that off your list too because I’ve included several “treats” they can make as well. 

There is an assortment of bookmarks and a lollipop-nosed mouse: (“A sweet treat for someone they’d like to meet.”)
The bookmarks come in black and white, as well as full color.

There are several for this year's kiddos, as well as one for them to color and give to the in-coming cuties, along with a sweet "peek over" mouse bookmark that you can make and use as a pointer when you read Numeroff's stories.

The mouse, writing-prompt craftivity makes an adorable back-to-school bulletin board. so check that off your list as well. 

Simply run off the super-simple mouse pattern on a variety of colors of construction paper.

Students trim, fold the "head" section over and write some "nice mice advice" under the "flap". For that finishing touch, add some ears, wiggle eyes, a pom pom nose, and a yarn "tail".

The packet also includes:

• A “Hip Hip Hooray! We’ll follow the good advice each day” poster contract. Students feel important signing their name, which makes them more accountable too.
• A “Tips and Tidbits” poster.  Review what students have learned and jot down the highlights.
• 2 “If you take a mouse to school he’ll want to give you some advice!” posters. And . . .
  
• A mouse, reading pointer bookmark craft.

Finally, there's a "welcome card" that everyone signs. What fun ways to help your in-coming students feel special and chase away those first day jitters.

This 58-page packet is on sale in my TpT store for just $3.95.  Click on the link to pop on over to my shop.  I still can't believe that I have a little store.  Hopefully I'll make enough to help pay for all of the clip art and fonts that I buy!  That would definitely make my husband happy. 

And now for the FREEBIES  from this packet.  I've included the "Mice Advice" writing prompt mouse craft, several bookmarks, and a poster. Click on the link to grab them.

Well that's it for today.  Thanks for stopping by. It's going to be in the 80's this afternoon, so it's time to take my grandbabies swimming. 

Wishing you a delightful day filled with everything you enjoy the most. 

"Sometimes you never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory." -Unknown