Positive Recognition System
By using a clip chart, classroom points system, and a differentiated points system, my students need a motivation to work towards, which is why I incorporated prizes. Prizes are my motivational drive for my students to work towards and when they attain a prize, they are rewarded for all of their hard work they have put in towards their goal and following the rules correctly. Within my three versions of behavior management in my classroom, different prizes will be incorporated.
Individual (Clip Chart)
The clip chart I plan to implement within my classroom does focus on negative behavior; however, I chose to use it because of the positive reinforcements that are incorporated within it as well. Students can collect behavior points daily when they clip up above “ready to learn”. These behavior points will be collected over a period of time and recorded in a clip chart binder until they reach their “points” goal. When a student reaches their point’s goal, they will be able to receive a prize from the prize box. Within my prize box, I have cards that have various things on them like: “eat lunch with the teacher”, “bring a stuffed animal to school”, “wear a silly hat to school”, or they will be able to pick a prize like a pencil, erasers, Playdough, etc. These prizes are subject to change over the course of the year and the teacher and students will be in collaboration of coming up with different prizes they would like to work towards. As a reminder, if a student lands on the “good choices” section, they will receive two points. The “great job” section is worth 3 points and the “super student” section is worth 4 points. The students have to collect 35 points before they can receive a prize from the prize box. This method of positive reinforcement of good behaviors in the classroom follows best practices because having material incentives for students to work towards is a great motivation for students, as long as the material incentives are not junk food that will impact a child’s health (Everston, 2013).
Whole Class (Points System)
My whole class behavior management system is the “points” system. Three points will be listed on the board starting off the day. If the students show negative behavior as a whole class, a point will be erased. The goal is to keep all 3 points so that they can be added to the class points system to work towards a classroom goal. The points will be added on the board to visually show students their achievement. The teacher and the students will create a classroom goal of how many points the students need in order to win their class prize. The teacher and students will also come up with the classroom prize together. By allowing my students to pick their activity to work towards, best practices are being used because the students have a say in their progress and goal, which leads to a better motivation overall (Evertson, 2013). This points system is to recognize the classroom behavior (not individual behavior), which means that the main focus will be on the whole class and not singling out specific students (that’s what the clip chart is for!). The classroom prize will be an activity that the students and teacher choose, for example: classroom game time, pajama day, technology day, minute to win it game day, short video, etc.
Differentiated (Points)
My behavior management plan designed for my students who need differentiation is based off a points system as well. These students are given a behavior task chart in which they must master a certain percentage of the day in order to receive points towards their individual prizes. I will use the differentiated task chart for students who frequently have behavioral issues within the classroom and need more structure besides the clip chart. These students will have the same prizes as the clip chart students; however, their means of achievement are different. The mastery percentage will be determined between the teacher and student. If the student reaches their mastery percentage for the day, they will earn a point. Once they have reached 15 points, they will be able to receive a prize. Their points will be collected in a log, which includes all of the student’s task cards as references. These students will still be held accountable for the classroom rules and expectations, which will be incorporated within their behavior task chart. This method of differentiation follows best practices because I am supporting my student’s needs and establishing clear expectations to set these particular students up for success (Evertson, 2013). Each student’s mastery percentage is catered to their specific needs, thus setting them up for the greatest success. This method of positive reinforcement provides extrinsic and intrinsic motivation for the students because they are intrinsically being rewarded every time they reach their mastery percentage, while also being extrinsically rewarded when they reach their point’s goal.
Evertson, C. M., & Emmer, E. T. (2013). Classroom management for elementary teachers (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Kagan, S., Kyle, P., & Scott, S. (2004). Win-Win discipline. San Clemente: Kagan Publishing.
Morris, R. (2009). Clip Chart: A Simple Discipline Strategy for Promoting Positive Behavior. San Diego, CA: New Management. Retrieved from http://www.newmanagement.com/ebooks/pdf/clip-chart.pdf
Nelsen, J., Lott, L., & Glenn, H. S. (2013). Positive discipline in the classroom: Developing mutualrespect, cooperation, and responsibility in your classroom (4th ed.). New York, NY: Three Rivers Press.
