Behavior Management Chart

The first thing that I would like to share is something that was ALL OVER Pinterest last fall... this behavior chart.

But really, it was ALL OVER Pinterest for a very good reason -- it's totally awesome.  (Please say that in your very best surfer-dude voice.)

My school used a demerit system for behavior -- for each infraction, points are subtracted from the weekly conduct grade.  There are green, yellow, and red infractions, and a different number of points are subtracted for each color.  In first grade, the students moved strips of colored construction paper to their pocket to represent any infractions received that day.

I really wasn't fond of this system.  It didn't allow for visual warnings, and there wasn't a logical way to "take back" the infraction if the student's behavior improved.  I tried a few different adjustments, but after I saw this on Pinterest for the 47th time, I knew I had to give it a shot.

The original idea used clothes pins and a poster, but I used some empty space on the board and made foam magnets for each student.

Here is how it works:  everyone starts on green each morning.  I move magnets up or down as necessary throughout the day.  If someone moves down, they know that a good choice will move them back up. (I keep an eye out for those good choices.)

Anyone who ends the day on 'Parent Contact' gets an infraction written in their folder with a note to a parent.  Several infractions in a short period of time will turn into a parent conference.

Now for the fun part -- anyone who ends on 'Outstanding' gets to add two dots to the back of their magnet at the end of the day.  'Role Model' will earn you one dot.  Once a student earns five dots they get to upgrade their magnet color (in rainbow order).  Upgrading magnet color is a real source of pride for the kiddos!  (The above picture was taken early in the year - the magnets were very colorful by May!)

There are a few reasons I loved this:

1. It really helped my more difficult students.  At the beginning of the year, one infraction could ruin the whole day.  This helped them realize that it's okay to make mistakes.
2. The indicators -- ready to learn, working hard, thinking about it, etc. -- are easy for the students to understand.  My students would say things like, "I'm trying to be a role model!" and "Wow, that's outstanding!"
3. It's very positive.  Moving magnets down was somewhat rare.  Whenever I needed to get students back on task, I found some well-behaved students and moved a few magnets UP.  Anyone off-task came to attention very quickly when they realized magnets were being moved.
4. It's hassle-free -- there aren't any prizes or tickets or anything like that to manage, just changing magnet colors.  The students just love to be recognized for their good behavior -- they don't need candy or knickknacks as a reward.

I'm planning on using this same system in my new classroom, and I hope that it will be just as successful.