Secret Message

Using A "Secret Message" To Promote Appropriate Group Behavior

The report below was submitted by Catherine Teh while she was a graduate student in the Department of Special Education at Hunter College of the City University of New York. 

Implementation:

            I began implementing the "Secret Message" technique at the beginning of the week.  I gathered all my students on the rug and voiced my concern about how much I would love to see a change in their hallway behavior.  I acted enthusiastically about having a secret message in mind and how I could not wait to share it with them.  The room was in complete silence.  My students were so eager to find out about the secret message, we could hear a pin drop on the rug.  I further said that the only way they could figure out the secret message is to display appropriate behavior while walking down the hallway.  One of my students raised her hand and asked to clarify the behavior I wished to see from the class.  Another student jumped in and replied that the class would have to be quiet while walking in two straight lines.  For every trip we successfully attempted, the class would be rewarded a letter.  If the students did a great job, they could be rewarded up to four letters a day.  The students all agreed to play the "game" and they worked together cooperatively while walking down the hallway quietly as a class. 

Outcome/Result:

            The result was great.  I do not think I can come up with another strategy that worked as effectively as the secret message.  They were so excited that almost all of them started guessing what the whole message was every time when I added a new letter up on the board.  By the end of the week, the students had earned my secret message that said, "Let's watch a movie together."  We had a great time watching the movie about the ocean.  They enjoyed the movie and they were ready to start a new secret message for the next reward.