Discipline in the Classroom

Hi C.!
I am a former teacher, I worked for close to 20 years in the education field from preschool(to help pay for my college education) to fifth grade. As for classrooom discipline there are two things to consider 1) what is the school policy and 2) what works for you. The system you metioned is what I used the most. The color chart because that was the schools policy and then the rewards because it worked for me. The students love earning points and do everything they can do earn them. Good luck to you and keep trying until it falls in place.

Positive reinforcement is still probably a better choice at this age. And I agree that keeping unruly kids in at recess will more than likely make them worse. Also, you don't get a break from them, which can be even more important for the over all success of the classroom experience. My son did really well with times table contests his teacher put forth in 3rd grade. He had trouble with impulse controll in K-2nd and having a goal, something he could achieve while everyone watched, was the key to his overcomming that. Indeed, kids are so different, there is a real need for each to achieve some form of the recognition on what they are good at. Usually all of the awards go to the ones who are best at being quiet and attentive. Watching that every day, can make school a dispiriting place for many kids who simply are less mature or not naturally so submissive. The best advice I can give on over all discipline is to give as many kids as possible ways to succeed and be engaged in learning what you have to teach them. Putting as much variety in your teaching style as possible will get you further than a lot of rules at this age. Keep the rules simple and consistant and spend your time trying to figure out ways to make the ciriculum (pretty boring stuff) interesting. It's a big job, and in my mind one of the most important there is. The best of luck to you, Now, go touch the future.

Hi C.,

I, too, used the chart system for several years; however, I made a modification that I felt was really helpful. I added two more colors (blue and purple) so the children had a chance to move up from green. It created a much more positive environment because they had something to aspire towards. I found that I was looking to find more of their positive behaviors than their negative ones. As a mom and a teacher I know how well children thrive in a positive environment.

Please know that once you implement the color chart parents will also be concerned about what color their child landed on for that particular day or week. My nephew is a talker and his teacher used the chart this year. He had one of his worst school years ever because he rarely ended the day on green and his teacher was not mindful about moving the children back up once they moved down. It's much easier for us to see those negative behaviors, but it takes a totally different mindset and commitment to view the color chart as a true behavior scale instead of just for punishment and consequences.

I really hope that you will consider modifying the chart to add more colors. Children are so impressionable and need to be praised for all the good they do in the world. Best of luck to you in the new year. Teaching can be a very rewarding experience! By the way, if you need any other ideas for resources or whatever, please e-mail me at ____@____.com.

-M.

Wow.....that is a lot of tracking and work on your part that may make these discipline techniques a bit overwhelming. But if you can do it......go for it!! In a fifth grade class that I taught, they had behavior charts and everyday would fill in the behavior chart based on what color they were on. I wasn't a big fan of the color chart, but continued it because I took over for another teacher into the school year. Will your students be seated in teams or individually. I always find table points to work because the students encourage eachother to do the right thing. This way you can just give table points randomly for those doing a good job and take away for unwanted behavior. You don't even need a system just make up points whenever you want. I'm also a big fan of simple positive reinforcement. For example, 'Ben, thank you for sitting so nicely and listening. I really like that. Your parents will be happy to hear what a great student you are!'. The kid that is usually misbehaving wises up really quickly. Good luck.......discipline systems can get very overwhelming and often go to the wayside if too complicated.

C.,
I suggest keeping everything simple, yet consistent. For 3rd graders, the card system may not be as big of an incentive as earning "money." So, I suggest just rewarding good behavior and not having any punishment "payment" for negative consequences. This way, you concentrate on the positive behaviors.

Also, this age group should be able to come up with a list of class rules and having a discussion on it during the first days of school would be instrumental in building class culture and having students know what is un/acceptable behavior.

Again, the key thing is to be organized and consistent with your teaching and schedule.

Best of luck,
F.

I wouldn't have them pay a $1 for moving to yellow. Simply losing their daily chance for the raffle is enough. I would save the 10 min detention for orange or red. Yellow should be more of a warning. If you choose to make orange the detention, I would make red a call or note home. Just be sure to use it sparingly. A lot of new teachers use the 'negative' reinforcers so often that the kids (and frankly the parents) just stop caring. The goal should be for everyone to end on green every day, with yellow used as a temporary warning for behavior, orange for loss of rewards due to continued behavior and red for the most egregious or unacceptable behavior. You may also want to give yourself a set time for reassesing levels (like every 10-15 minutes or so). This way you don't accidentally leave someone on yellow for the whole day for one isolated behavior. Most kids are eager to please and will correct their behavior if given the opportunity and correct instruction. Ideally a kid should only get to red maybe once or twice, and they will shape up. Any more often than that and it may be indicative of a larger problem.

Also, make sure that the classroom rules are posted in the classroom and are clearly understandable. Keep them simple and easy to follow. Be consistent in enforcement and in your expectations. Remember that discipline and rules are simply another area of education, and should be addressed as a teaching tool and not as a form of punishment or retaliation. Misbehavior and rule breaking are part of every child's education and are a perfect opportunity to teach them about self-management. And be sure to stay positive. There are no bad kids(well, almost), just ill-educated ones.

That sounds great, kids do love those incentives. However, you do want to mimimize the times they could get in trouble. I do not allow anyone to sharpen their pencils at the sharpener, I have 1 monitor a week sharpen a bucket of pencils twice daily, morning and afternoon and they just trade. I also do not allow them to get into backpacks except during recess time. Having them pay you back money might be difficult. Maybe you could tell them everyone gets a ticket to be in the raffle, except the students who are not back on their green cards by Friday. You will learn what works with your students as you get to know them better and what doesn't. I have been teaching for 8 years now and I always change and learn something new every year! Good luck.

I teach high school, but my daughter has had some awesome teachers 1-3. The token economy works well in general. Some kids need to give you IOUs. You may want to create extra chores for them to earn back some $ to pay off IOUs. It can also depend on the kids. Also it depends on the policies of the private school. Public schools in CA are no longer allowed to use FOOD(candy, treats, etc) Who will be paying for the prizes for the raffles? You or the school? I don't think you realize how much money teachers often end up spending on students. Good luck for an awesome year (translation: SURVIVAL, It takes a few years to perfect everything.)

The chart sounds good-but to mnay rules to keep track of. recess loss you will pay for-your kids need to get that energy OUT! i would reward only-but if kids are moved down to the bottom a note goes home. Maybe start new everyday. If you are above what ever you get a small candy. The whole money thing sounds like a pain.

I've been teaching in LAUSD for about 8 years now, and we use the card system almost school wide. Next to the card changing chart, we post the consequences. Here is the order we use:

Green= Excellent behavior
Blue= Warning
Orange= Time out
Yellow= note home
Red= call home and/or office visit

I almost never have anyone on red. Its a very rare occasion. for positive reinforcement, I use just raffle tickets at random time. I walk around with them in my pocket and give them out when someone is doing their work, behaving appropriately, exhibiting good citizenship, etc. Then on a weekly basis, I draw names for fun activities, such a free time, a homework pass, first to use the computers, team leader, and occasionally I have prizes like pencils, sharpeners, etc. I prefer to have activities as the rewards, because its easier for me. You need to make sure your drawings are on a consistent basis, and weekly is best, otherwise it will fall apart.

A very good resource for classroom management is Harry Wong's First Days of School. I reread it almost every year. Classroom management takes years to master, but having routines and procedures for everything will help get you off to a good start. I can email you my book of procedures if you like. Just send me a message through mamasource.

Hi C., I'm a school counselor (formerly in k-6, now in 7-8).

IMO, 3rd grade is too old for color cards or color system. But I think it's the cut-off age (btw in 2nd and 3rd) so you could still use it.

Also, seems like you have 3 different things going on here- the color system, the raffle, and the token economy. I would narrow it down or you will make yourself crazy.

Token economy is highly structured and works great with kids who need that (SpEd, Emotional Disability, etc). It is a good tool for keeping serious behaviors in check. Since you probably have a Gen Ed classroom, you won't be focused so much on controlling or modifying their behavior as you are on just plain teaching them. I think you will get tired fast of running weekly auctions (and pricing items appropriately!) It will take a lot of work throughout the day to hand out money and then find time for an sale every few weeks... so I would consider running with one of your other ideas. Unless you are entering a "tough" school where kids are known for bad behavior or disrespect. Since you said private I am guessing that is not the case.

The color system- can work well, and it should just melt into the background of your classroom culture. I agree to adding one extra color above green. Here is an idea for you I have seen working well in 2nd grade: You have a big long strip on the wall with sections- Purple at top, green, than yellow and at the bottom red. Each kid has a clothespin with their name written on it. All kids start with their name clipped at green each morning. When they misbehave, they are asked to go move their clip down to yellow (the warning zone, or however you want to do it) From there it takes a positive behavior (or at least an obvious correction of the previous neg behavior) to move them back up. Of course if it gets worse, it goes to red, which is phone call home or discipline referral or whatever you decide to make it. The thing I liked about this is the small sense of personal responsibility for their actions that it instilled when they had to go move the clip down themself. And of course, kids would be so proud to go move their clip up to purple if they did something stellar that day. Save the purple for really "above and beyond" stuff, and maybe that means double tickets into the raffle that day.

I have also seen something in 1st grade, more simple, where the teacher had a big cloud with a lightening bolt coming out of it on her whiteboard. Throughout the day, if the kids did something wonderful, they got their name put in the clouds as a "brainiac". A misbehavior sent them into the lightening bolt. Can't remember the exact logistics but it was simple and cute. Probably 3rd grade is too old for that.

I like the idea about the weekly raffle. That should be pretty easy to incorporate into whatever daily system you have. The only issues- it's hard because a kids name may come out on a Friday that they happen to have spent the whole day in yellow zone or whatever... or a kid who had a total turnaround halfway through the year may never get the raffle because they just didn't get enough tickets banked in there compared to everyone else... Honestly, I used to run a weekly raffle and I would rig it. Strange as it sounds, the results being left up to chance just allowed for too many repeats and not enough chances for many "middle of the road" kids. Just something to think about.

Good luck, it is an exciting time of year! Whatever you decide to do just STICK TO IT, (maybe modify slightly if it truly is bombing), but if you switch systems, kids will never know what to expect and will never invest in any of it.

Have a great year!
S.

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K.