Classroom Management Hack #1
Raise your hand if you are teacher tired! It’s that time of year again when students have more challenges with self control and it becomes more difficult to manage those little ones. Positive reinforcement is an effective management strategy used by many teachers around the world.
Let’s REFRESH the classroom and give students routine and structure that will SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS. Hack #1 is to implement behavior punch cards. You can display these somewhere in the classroom or keep them hidden, that is up to you. I don’t like any kind of system that shows off someones good behavior and makes other students embarrassed for not so good behavior. But, I do display these, because students go through them quickly, so none of them keep track of who is on their 2nd, 3rd, or 10th punch card. My students all just focus on theirs and they encourage each other when one of them finishes a card!
This builds excitement, pride, and ownership in their behavior. When the kiddos are showing leadership skills or making smart choices, they have the opportunity to get punches on their cards. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. of my students WANT to get punches on their cards. Because when they finish the card, they get to take it home and show their families that they have been making smart choices at school. This usually leads to praise and pride at home. Then, I put a new card out for them and the process starts all over again.
If the class is particularly chatty or silly, I simply say “I am looking to give out some punches on your cards” and a wave of quiet working washes over my classroom. Like magic.
It’s worked so well for me, that I decided to share this with you all! Click below to check out my punch cards!
