We all know that Color Coded Behavior charts are ALL the rage!
What are your thoughts do you use them or not?
What are your thoughts do you use them or not?
So here are my thoughts...
I started teaching when I was 30 years old (stayed home with my boys). I am now 37 and I have modified my Behavior Management techniques a few times.
As a teacher I knew from the get go that I would not use the stoplight method. In case you aren't familiar with that method it is the green, yellow, and red cards. Students start on green, then yellow, and lastly the DREADED red. I like to call this the 3 strikes (oops...I mean 2 strikes) your out method. Really...2 strikes and your day is done. WOW! I know that in some schools notes get sent home when students are on red. I wonder, does anything get sent home when students are on green for the entire day?
Lets put ourselves in the shoes of the student. It is 10:30 I am already on red. Red=DOOMED. No moving off that DREADED color - I am stuck. EWWW, maybe if I am lucky I will get one of those nifty notes sent home! (SARCASM) Well, my destiny has already been determined so guess what today is a free for all! Why would a student change their behavior? I know I wouldn't.
In my classroom I wanted to create a positive environment. One where students know its okay to make mistakes because we all do it. An environment where their day isn't determined to be good or bad by 10:30. So this is what I decided during my first year teaching kindergarten.
I used popsicle sticks, little library pockets, and sticker charts. On the first day of school I gave every student 3 popsicle sticks with their name on them. They got to color them anyway they wanted. Each student then had a pocket with their name on it taped beneath a stick chart. Once the popsicle sticks were colored they got to put them in their pocket.
The popsicle sticks were then used in place of the stoplight cards. After a few warnings if a student continued to misbehave he/she would have to pull a popsicle stick. (For example if the student continued to shout out after several warnings they would have to pull a stick.) As the day went on if the student changed the unwanted behavior he/she could put their stick back. Ultimately the idea of Behavior Management is to teach students to make the right choices. Making mistakes is a part of life...we all do it. I stress to my class that making mistakes is okay as long as you learn from them. So mistakes can be made, but we can also change our behavior for a positive outcome.
If a student looses all of their popsicle sticks then they have a time out for a part of recess . I truly don't believe that recess should be taken often away and definitely not all of recess! But if I need to take away a few minutes every once in a while then I feel that's okay. If you have a student that is constantly loosing all of their popsicle sticks then you need to find a new method for that student. If you are taking away a students recess (all or part) everyday than your method is not working and more than likely that student is a child that needs to get out and run off some of that energy! As a teacher I want every student in my class to be successful. Sometimes that means that I have to try different options. Remember fair does not always mean equal.
At the end of the day the students who still had all 3 of their popsicle sticks or the ones who earned back the lost sticks would get a sticker on their sticker chart. Students start fresh with 3 popsicle sticks everyday. After their chart is full they get something from the treasure chest.
Their have been years that I have had 5 different behavior plans going on. It was hectic but it worked. Another thing that I have learned just because one plan works for a while does not mean it will work all year and you may need to change it up. I have used popsicle sticks, balloon charts (student color in a certain number of balloons to earn a reward), smiley face charts, modifies sticker charts, and certificates.
Although I was happy with the popsicle stick method I wanted something that really encouraged positive behavior. I felt that my students who were always making good choices where getting left out so I added a few things. This is where the modified color coded behavior chart was introduced in my classroom. I am sure that you are all familiar with these charts...start at ready to learn, move up to great job, then outstanding, or move down from ready to learn to think about it, teacher consequence, then parent contact. Really once again 3 strikes your out. Could you imagine if real life was 3 strikes your out? How successful would we be. Plus we are dealing with kids here! 5 year olds in my case.
Well in my room this chart looks a little different. There is no teacher consequence or parent contact.
So after ready to learn I have think about it. Once you have moved down to think about it you then have your three popsicle sticks that you can lose and earn back if you have modified your behavior. You can also still move back up the chart you aren't stuck. My class is about getting chances and focusing on the positive.
You can earn rewards two different ways in my class. That way the kiddos who are always doing their best don't get overlooked. If you finish the day with all 3 of your sticks you get a sticker on your chart. If you have all 3 sticks and have moved up to the top of the color chart you get a sticker on your chart and you get either a behavior buck (classroom money) or an iPad buck (used for free iPad time). I will explain how I use behavior bucks on the next post.
Get Free Behavior Bucks Here
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Behavior-Bucks-Positive-Reward-Coupons-1908050
Get Free iPad Bucks Here
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/iPad-Bucks-1784753
With this method all students have a chance to be successful and I am focusing on the positive.
If a student looses all of their popsicle sticks then they have a time out for a part of recess . I truly don't believe that recess should be taken often away and definitely not all of recess! But if I need to take away a few minutes every once in a while then I feel that's okay. If you have a student that is constantly loosing all of their popsicle sticks then you need to find a new method for that student. If you are taking away a students recess (all or part) everyday than your method is not working and more than likely that student is a child that needs to get out and run off some of that energy! As a teacher I want every student in my class to be successful. Sometimes that means that I have to try different options. Remember fair does not always mean equal.
At the end of the day the students who still had all 3 of their popsicle sticks or the ones who earned back the lost sticks would get a sticker on their sticker chart. Students start fresh with 3 popsicle sticks everyday. After their chart is full they get something from the treasure chest.
Their have been years that I have had 5 different behavior plans going on. It was hectic but it worked. Another thing that I have learned just because one plan works for a while does not mean it will work all year and you may need to change it up. I have used popsicle sticks, balloon charts (student color in a certain number of balloons to earn a reward), smiley face charts, modifies sticker charts, and certificates.
Although I was happy with the popsicle stick method I wanted something that really encouraged positive behavior. I felt that my students who were always making good choices where getting left out so I added a few things. This is where the modified color coded behavior chart was introduced in my classroom. I am sure that you are all familiar with these charts...start at ready to learn, move up to great job, then outstanding, or move down from ready to learn to think about it, teacher consequence, then parent contact. Really once again 3 strikes your out. Could you imagine if real life was 3 strikes your out? How successful would we be. Plus we are dealing with kids here! 5 year olds in my case.
Well in my room this chart looks a little different. There is no teacher consequence or parent contact.
So after ready to learn I have think about it. Once you have moved down to think about it you then have your three popsicle sticks that you can lose and earn back if you have modified your behavior. You can also still move back up the chart you aren't stuck. My class is about getting chances and focusing on the positive.
You can earn rewards two different ways in my class. That way the kiddos who are always doing their best don't get overlooked. If you finish the day with all 3 of your sticks you get a sticker on your chart. If you have all 3 sticks and have moved up to the top of the color chart you get a sticker on your chart and you get either a behavior buck (classroom money) or an iPad buck (used for free iPad time). I will explain how I use behavior bucks on the next post.
Get Free Behavior Bucks Here
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Behavior-Bucks-Positive-Reward-Coupons-1908050
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/iPad-Bucks-1784753
With this method all students have a chance to be successful and I am focusing on the positive.
Check out my Color Coded Behavior Charts at my TPT store.
Don't worry they are the full chart but feel free to try it out with out the bottom two colors and add in a few popsicle sticks!
Don't worry they are the full chart but feel free to try it out with out the bottom two colors and add in a few popsicle sticks!
Let me know if you have any questions about my behavior management technique.
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