Kiss Your Brain & Hug Your Heart

Check out Teaching Maddeness' great idea for rewarding positive behavior!!  I'm sure that we've all noticed that when you reward the positive behaviors, more kiddos start exhibiting them!  This is a great idea!!

KISS YOUR BRAIN and HUG YOUR HEART

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*Teaching Maddeness*: The Early Bird Gets the School Supplies...and a Li...: Well, today I had to get up bright and early for a workshop.  Let me just tell ya that I am NOT going to be happy when that alarm clock has ...

Tell It To Teddy

Tell Teddy all about it!

This is not a new idea, but I posted a picture of a super-interested boxer in my room.  

When kiddos want to tell on someone, I'll ask them to tell it to Teddy.  

Of course we have a conversation about things that I need to hear, such as violence or bullying.

The cutest part is when the kids tell Teddy their problem, and then make up a voice for him to give them advice!

Hope: Jacob won't give me the red crayon!!!

Teddy (Hope's voice):  You have to take turns.

Hope: Okay!

Giggle Giggle

It's the Little Things! Hallway Sign

Check out this hallway sign from Little Priorities!

 

So simple, yet so effective!


Now I won't have to keep reminding a certain someone to quite dancing down the hall!


Run over and pick up yours!

Little Priorities: You'll Want One Too: All my co-workers are giggling at me as I walk down the hall holding my new stop and smiley face sign. I am tired of saying be quiet! 

Heather's Heart: We Care Bag...and a *freebie*

I just love love love this post from Heather's Heart about the "We Care Bag."  I know we all have a kid or kids in our room that could use some extra TLC.  I've always tried to find ways to help my uber angry kid(s) decompress, like sharpening pencils, hanging out in the quiet stations, but this is wonderful!

She reminds us that if kids are in a primal mode, learning bounces right off!

Heather's Heart: We Care Bag...and a *freebie*: One of the things I love about Conscious Discipline is the building of the School Family. Many, many of my kiddos do not have the most nurtu...

Conduct Chart Labels

Whew!  I've survived (and LOVED) my first week of Kindergarten.  It has been a crazy whirlwind of new expectations and experiences.  Each day has been better than the one before it, and we are learning something new every day.

I've made some labels to put inside my kiddos binders for parents to refer to when checking their conduct color.  These correspond to the colors of our conduct chart.


Conduct Chart Blog Post

Grab these labels at my TPT store!

Conduct Chart

I looked and looked for a conduct chart that would fit my needs exactly, and I found a lot that came close.  There were a lot of really cute ones out there, but I wanted mine to have STARS!  So, I went ahead and made it myself.  Here it is:

The levels are Super Star, Awesome, Great Job, Ready to Learn, Slow Down, Teacher's Choice, and Parent Contact.

Everyone will start out on Ready to Learn.  That is the green section which is a bit larger than the rest.  Then, everyone will move up or down throughout the day.

I've seen a few different ideas about what reward a student might get if they end the day on Super Star:
1.  A special sticker in their take home folder.
2.  A sticker on an incentive chart to earn a trip to the treasure box.
3.  A line on their wooden clip, and after 5 or 10 lines they get to trade for a new COLORED clip!

Moving below "Ready to Learn" a child first lands on "Slow Down" and then, "Teacher's Choice."  At this level I will conference with the child about his/her behavior and depending on the actions, decide on an appropriate consequence.  At the level of "Parent Contact," the child's parent will be contacted by note, email, or phone call to discuss the behaviors, and how we can guide him/her back onto the right path.

Grab these here at my TPT store!

Enjoy!

Don't Blame the Lettuce

I always have a picture of a head of lettuce up in my classroom as a reminder to not blame the lettuce.  This sounds funny, but I read a passage in a book called, Peace is Every Step, that really made me think about my perceptions.

Blaming Never Helps- "When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce.  You look for reasons it is not doing well.  It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun.  You never blame the lettuce.  Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person.  But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like lettuce."