In my first placement, my FM used Class Dojo, which I actually loved. For anyone who doesn't know about Dojo, it's a website and iPhone app through which you can give and take points from students. the fact that there is an app is really handy because you don't have to be in the classroom to have them clip up/clip down or anything like that. It also keeps track of WHAT they're getting and losing points for (you have to select "no homework" "helping others" "talking out of turn" "perseverance" or whatever; the teacher can choose which options they want). Dojo keeps track of the percentage of students' points that are positive and negative (our class needed 70% positive each week to participate in "Fun Friday"), and it keeps track of how many positive vs. negative points the teacher is giving (so the teacher can notice like, "Wow, I've taken lots of points today, maybe I should look for more positive behavior."). Also, you could select more than one student or even the full class if you wanted to give/take points from several students for the same thing. One of the best things about Dojo, in my opinion, is that parents can make accounts through the website, so they can easily see how their child is doing behaviorally. Overall, I thought Class Dojo worked really well for that class.
However, although the app feature is really handy, I really didn't like using my phone in front of students. I also didn't like that the students had to ask me to see their percentages every time they wanted to know how they were doing (rather than just looking at a behavior chart on the wall or something). And, although I think it's awesome that parents can make accounts, many of the students didn't have computers at home, which seriously limited the number of parents who could make accounts. Even if they had computers, that didn't mean the parents would necessarily choose to create accounts. This feature would probably be more effective at a school that already had lots of parent involvement.
My new placement, which is in kindergarten, uses the traditional clip up/clip down system. I know everyone's familiar with this one so to quickly summarize my opinions...
- Pros: easy for students to see how they're doing; students clip themselves up and down (I think this is important, rather than the teacher doing it)
- Cons: not portable (there is a clipboard that goes to lunch and specials with them, but my FM doesn't make students clip down in the classroom if they get clipped down somewhere else); I feel bad when students have to clip down in front of everyone else :(; the students take home a calendar that says what color they were on at the end of each day, but that doesn't show parents why they were on that color
I'm sure there are more pros and cons that I'm not thinking of, but that's my short list!
What are the most effective behavior systems y'all have seen in your placements? (practicums too!) How do your FMs reward/motivate good behavior? How do they handle discipline? Do you know what kind of system you want to use in your own classroom?
My classroom also has the same clip up/clip down system, but my teacher has also added in a lot of positive behavior reinforcements. The students receive a ticket when they clip up, and they can trade-in 10 tickets for something from the treasure box. She doesn’t clip students up super often, so it means they are doing something above expectations. The classroom is also set up in groups. The groups can earn points for being on task and following directions. After a group gets five points, they earn a Popsicle at recess. Also, the whole class can earn points for getting complements from other teachers in the school, such as substitutes or related arts teacher. If the class gets 20 complements, they earn a class party.
ReplyDeleteI like that the classroom focuses more on good behavior from the students. Some of the aspects reward students for “ready to learn” behavior, but many of the rewards are for times when the students are working above normal expectations. I think this is good because it encourages them to strive to be even better, and shows that the teacher always expects good behavior, but great behavior is something to be rewarded.
These methods seem to be working because the students are very well behaved. I know this behavior didn’t happen immediately, but it seems to be a good method to manage behavior over the course of the year.
I’m in the same school as Ilana for our second placement, so my field mentor uses the same clip up/down system – it’s a school wide system, and their class boards travel with them to related arts, bathroom, cafeteria, recess, etc. I have actually never been in a classroom with this behavior management system before (somehow!), but I have seen it be very successful in my field mentor’s classroom. I have also experienced a classroom that uses Class Dojo in a previous practicum placement. However, it was at a school that had more affluent and involved parents so they were able to and likely to check their students’ “dojo” online at home. I loved how my field mentor at the time used that system as well—and the students thought it was fun! Obviously the specifics of even a school-wide behavior system are up to the discretion of individual teachers.
ReplyDeleteOne aspect of Mrs. Farmer’s use of the clip system is that for every “clip up” or “clip down” she gives, she is sure to ask that student (whether appropriate in the moment or at a later time) why they think she asked them to clip up or down. After they respond, she acknowledges their answer and then directly links that behavior to one of the four classroom rules: “We will … (1) listen and follow directions, (2) keep hands, feet, and objects to ourselves, (3) use kind words, and (4) be the best we can be!” I think that this linking behavior rewards and consequences to specific classroom expectations, procedures and rules is a way to make any behavior system meaningful and about more than just what is sent home to parents, or like Ilana mentioned, their percent at the end of the day.
I'm at the same placement as Ilana and Mary Lloyd, and my mentor teacher also uses the clip chart. I agree with a lot of the same pros and cons as Ilana, and it was fascinating to read about how Mrs. Farmer links those behaviors with the class expectations, Mary Lloyd! I agree that that really makes the clip chart a lot more meaningful, and probably more effective, too. My mentor teacher is pretty inconsistent with the clip chart as well, and it does not correspond to the students' behavior outside of the classroom, either (as I think Ilana mentioned). At my first placement, the students carried the class clip chart wherever they went (related arts, library, lunch, etc) and the whole staff was on board with its use. This seemed a little more effective to me, but my first placement had about 20 teachers total, so I imagine it was probably easier to implement such a uniform and consistent strategy.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to the clip chart, my mentor teacher recently implemented a "100 square board" - this is a board with one hundred squares (duh) and each time the whole class is modeling good behavior, they cover one of the square. The goal is to get five squares in a row, and with this they will earn 10 minutes of extra recess time. The only problem I have seen with this is that it is being implemented inconsistently and pretty late in the school year. The kids don't have a lot of time to adjust to this new incentive, and it's not made easier by the inconsistency. The mentor teacher also does not fully explain why students earn a square when they do - and often it is used as a threat or a punishment instead of a reward, i.e. "You won't earn a square if you continue to behave this way" or "I was going to give you a square but not I'm not".
I was talking to my Mentor Teacher today about some new behavior management plans. She is creating a Brownie Points Chart. What this is, is a cookie sheet that she is going to mount in the room. Then, she is going to make little paper brownies with magnets on the back. When the students get a compliment about their behavior while they are walking in the hallway, in specials, or on the playground, they will get a "brownie point." When they reach 10, they are going to have a brownie party! I think it is such a cute idea.
ReplyDeleteI seriously have a problem with the clip board method, though. The students are either unaffected by it or break down because they aren't used to getting scolded. I find myself holding off on clipping those who have fits down because I don't want to deal with it. I also find myself clipping the same people down every day, this shows that they aren't learning.