A Couple More Behavior Ideas…

This is an idea that I learned from my wonderful friend, Kim Adsit!  She spoke about it at the Minnesota Early Childhood Conference that I attended last summer.

It’s super simple, all you need are some wooden cut outs like this:

You can find them at Michael’s or Wal-Mart, they are about $1 each, I think.  I bought 5 because that’s how many they had! You’ll want all of the same design.  You will also need a cookie sheet, and some magnetic tape (or magnets).

Put the magnets on the back of your cutouts and place them on the cookie sheet in your teaching area.  (I put some velcro on the back of the cookie sheet and stuck it to my easel!) Focus on one behavior at a time.  I needed to focus {BIG TIME} on blurting and interrupting.  These behaviors got really bad from when I was out on sick leave. ugh.  Each time someone does the negative behavior, you simply take one piece off of the cookie sheet.  I started with all 5 pieces on the cookie sheet, and as they continued to end each day  (or lesson) with pieces left, I started taking them away.  The behavior was improving, so they were getting fewer chances to blurt.

If they kept all 5 smiley’s on the cookie sheet, they got to add a piece to Mr. Potato Head!

When Mr. Potato head had all of his pieces, the whole class received some sort of incentive – extra recess, extra free choice, a special treat, etc. I found this fun idea {here!}

Kim wrote a post about this system back in September.  You can read it {here}

Two other ideas I use to reinforce positive behavior are Happy Rocks and Power Pellets!  Kim and I must have been on the same wave length with Happy Rocks – I have been using them before I even saw them on her blog! I saw the idea for Power Pellets on Rachelle’s blog! You can read about those {here}.

Here are my versions:

The power pellets are just skittles ;)  I like to use the sour ones! I just used a paint pen to decorate the jar.

I use glass gems for the Happy Rocks.  Again, i use a paint pen and just draw a smiley face on them.  There is a LOT of gems in a bag, but it goes really fast to add the smiley face.  If a child is caught doing the right thing, or going above and beyond, he gets to take a Happy Rock home!  The kids LOVE collecting them!  Next year, I think I’ll buy them in seasonal colors!

I’m also IN LOVE with this idea from Katie over at Little Kinder Warriors.

She uses these awesome Scentos Scented Bubbles:

 

and a bubble blaster:

and blasts her kiddos with bubbles when the whole class is doing the right thing! HOW FUN IS THAT?!!  I am heading to Michaels TOMORROW to pick up some scented bubbles!