Make a Better Choice

Use this great *visual to redirect a student w/o having to say a word!  Introduce this strategy with a group discussion. Ask the class to list what specific behaviors may constitute using the sign, and what some options for better choices would be.  Reteach the skill as needed after breaks, or as a refresher anytime needed.  

click image for printable version

 *image found on Rock & Teach

Meaningful Work for Students

I had the privilege of listening to Randy Sprick, one of the authors of the CHAMPS program and author of the Safe and Civil Schools series, at a conference.  He spoke about giving students, especially "at risk" students, an opportunity in the buildings to have a meaningful job in school.  These were the students who were being disciplined with traditional methods, with a high rate of repeat offenses.  They resented discipline and didn't own their problems.  The school created a job posting board for students to apply.  A board may look like this one...

Adults volunteered to mentor students that they didn't have in class (this kept the conversations based on things other than schoolwork or something that they did in class).  The mentors would give feedback and value student contributions.  The students participated in problem solving sessions, set goals and celebrated successes.  These jobs were only contingent upon doing the job up to the standards expected, not upon behavior in school. 

One key component of the program's success was that they taught the staff and students exactly what was expected for each job.  For ex. a student who had the job of taking coffee mugs back to the cafeteria was taught, how to enter the classroom, waiting quietly until the teacher was able to pause, and then ask if they had anything for him to take.  The staff was taught to say the student's name and then either no, thanks, maybe tomorrow, or yes, etc.  The rest of the students were hearing the student's name and becoming familiar with them in a positive light.  

The staff at one particular school found that the "at risk" students' behavior completely turned around.  These students wanted to be at school because they didn't want to let anyone down if they weren't there to do their job.  They found that relationships with staff and peers improved as everyone started to see the students in a more positive light.   

To learn more about it, check out Randy's PowerPoint which includes a lengthy list of possible jobs.

Creative Ways To Line Up

Need some ideas for ways to get your students to line up?  Try one of these ideas from I Love 2 Teach.

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Student Shout Outs

The below information was taken from Heidi Stauber's blog Kindness Seeds.

Many schools and universities are creating shout out pages on their websites or via facebook.  These shout out pages allow students to share positive statements or compliments about their classmates in an anonymous way.  Thus, they are a vehicle for acts of kindness to occur. 

  Heidi introduced her third graders to her new Student Shout Out bulletin board at school.  She told them that their shout outs would be kind statements about their classmates that would be made anonymously.  That means that they wouldn't be sharing an act of kindness to get a reward or to earn a "buck" (part of her school-wide positive behavior program) or to get any other kind of recognition.  They would share their act of kindness just for the fabulous feeling that one gets from making another person happy.  
*If necessary, have the class give examples of what may constitute as a "shout out" during the presentation of the concept.

The Student Shout Out box was set up to house Heidi's students' positive statements and ensure secrecy before she posted them on the board. 
      
 Here are some of her favorite shout outs collected from the very first day!

"Thanks for being a great friend!"

"You are an awesome student and a great role model."

"You are doing a great job paying attention during class.  Keep up the hard work!"