Classroom Management: Clip System or Class Dojo???

The key to a VERY successful year is having a meaning classroom management system in place.

 

 

I have tried managing my little ones behavior two different ways. Well, maybe three...

 

 

Two things I have used in the past are the clip system and Class Dojo. Have you every heard of Class Dojo or used it?

 

 

I used Class Dojo my first year when I taught second grade. I was actually going to give it a try again this year until I made my own clip system. I'm going to explain how I have used both in the past and what I "plan" on doing this year. My plan might change depending on the needs of my little ones.

 

 

Classroom Management: The Clip System

 

During the first week of school, I introduce the clip system to my little ones. We go over classroom rules, I show them the clip chart, teach them how to use, and we practice modeling good and bad behavior choices.

 

Once I have gone over my expecations with my little ones, I send home this parent letter. I want to keep them as informed as possible so that they know what my behavior expectations are.

 

Something new that I am going to try out this year is adding the positive reinforcement aspect to the clip system. In the past, all I had was green, yellow, red, and blue. Once one of my little ones moved to a spot they could not move back to green. I was never really a fan of this style.

 

So this year if one of my little ones moves to yellow they have the opportunity to move back to green, but once they move to orange or blue they can not move back to yellow or green. Hopefully that's not too confusing.

 

To keep parents informed and to keep track of my little one's behaviors, they will be given time at the end of each day to fill in their behavior calendar. This is also something new. Last year, my little ones filled in their calendars but the parents didn't see them until grade cards went home. As a grade-level, we decided that it is important for that calendar to go home every night so that our little ones can be held accountable for their behavior and the choices that they make during the school day.

 

Here is an example of the behavior calendar that I will send home nightly.

 

Another option I created is to send home a different calendar each week. I like the monthly version because it saves on paper, but some people/parents prefer a weekly update.

 

 

 

Another thing I am doing differently is adding point values to my good behavior colors. I want to award my little ones for making good choices. Now! I'm not going to just let my little ones move up the chart because of expected behavior. I am going to be looking for the student who goes above and beyond. I am not the teacher that just hands of "treats" for no reason. So most days, my little ones will probably just be on Ready to Learn.

 

If one of my little ones moves to purple or pink, they will get a "good behavior" ticket at the end of the day. I just used the black and white version and printed the tickets on colored paper. The green tickets are worth 1 point, purple is worth 2 points, and pink is worth 1 point. (I already have them printed and cut. I just forgot to take a picture. :/ )

 

If you would like a copy of my Classroom Management: The Clip System pack click the link or the picture below.

 

 Now, have you ever tried Class Dojo???

 

When I taught second grade, my little ones absolutely loved it! I used it one while still using the clip system.

 

It is really pretty cool. If for some reason my little ones don't respond to the clip system I will give this a try.


Here are a couple of features:

1. You can add the names of your students and they can choose their avatars. They are like little cute monsters.

2. The get points for positive behaviors and negative behaviors. You can preset what behaviors your looking for.


3. You can display it one your SMART Board so your little ones can give themselves the points just like they would move their clips.

4. You can use your Droid or iPhone as a remote to control the board.

5. Parents can have access to the website to track their little ones behavior.


6. You can print behavior progress reports to send home to the parents.


7. It keeps a percentiale tracker of how many positive and negative points your giving out. So, I tried to stay 80% positive throughout the entire school year.

8. You can use it to take attendance.

9. There is also a timer you can use.


There are so many more things you can do with this. It is a really great management tool that is fun for you and your little ones. Plus, it's FREE!


(I tried to take screen shots but it wouldn't let me. You'll just have to go and check it out yourself. Click the picture above for the direct link!)

Yours in Teaching,



Organizing All Your New TpT/Pinterest Resources and Planning Long-Term

I am beginning to feel a little overwhelmed with everything that I have going on, everything that I want to do, everything that needs finished, and especially with all the new ideas I want/am/need to implement this coming school year.

How do you deal with all the stress?

I have seen so many amazing ideas out in blogland this summer. My mind is constantly spinning with new ideas and how I can implement them in my classroom.

After talking to my bestest teacher friend last night, I finally think I have something that will help ease all my fears.

Today's post is going to focus on all the new teaching elements I will add to my classroom this year, plus how I plan on organizing my ideas/brain.

Here is goes....

First, here are all the resources I have worked on over the summer to get my littles started on the right foot. I wanted to get as much completed this summer as possible. Now that I am a new mom, I know I won't have as much time once I get home from school to work on grading and creating as much I have been able to do in the past.

 

These question cards will be printed on colored card stock, laminated, and placed at my guided reading table. We will use them during reading groups to check for understanding of the texts that we read.

I am trying a more positive classroom management tool this year. This year my little ones will be able to move up or down the clip chart depending on their behavior. They will be able to win good behavior tickets to pick out of a coupon book I purchased on Tpt (see below).

 

Our first grade team has always implemented interactive writing. I just jazzed it up a bit. I added writing sheets for each student to follow along. I only have the fall set ready to go. Each student will have a folder where they place the pre-typed writing or their writing piece in the folder. Just depends on how it's going.

 

My Grammar and Punctuation Rule Book worked wonders for introducing/practicing grammar rules. It only took 15 minutes, one day per week to implement this. I plan on doing it again this year. I just changed the font and some wording for this year.

 

Making Words is something that our first grade team did as well. I just made homework practice sheet with the letters all ready to go. Last year, I didn't send this home for homework, but this year I plan on sending it home every Wednesday night for homework, then on Thursday we may or may not do it again together in class. Just depends on how the week is going and what else we are doing in the classroom.

 

I can't wait to try out my Pirate vs. Princess Book Study Unit. This is something I did during student teaching. Now, I just have all the resources ready to go. I plan on implementing this sometime in September to get my little ones really into reading fiction books.

 

In first grade we spend some time learning about pumpkins. Last year I didn't have the resources I would have liked to have so I created many graphic organizers and activities to do during that time.

 

These Reading Response Sheets will be a great addition to reading groups and homework. I plan on teaching my little ones how to use the response sheet in reading group then I will occasionally send them home for extra comprehension homework.

 

My school purchased a new math curriculum for us this year. I made this pack of resources to go along with the first two chapters of the Go! Math series. I am adding a math focus board to my room this year. It is behind my guided reading table which will also be used for guided math. On the board, I will put these essential question cards and vocabulary cards. There are also several activities to be used during partner time when we have whole group math.

 

As part of my writing block, I created a writing keepsake. I will use this for monitoring my little ones writing and to send home at the end of the year to their parents. This is something that my little ones will complete on the last day of each month.

 

Writing has probably been my biggest change so far. Before our writing block only consisted of writing prompts and whole class writing. I hated it! So this year, I am doing writing workshop. I have purchased several different writing resources on TpT (see below) that I plan on using to jazz up my writing block.

Here is one of my last big changes. My littles ones will have a word work menu that they will use during Daily 5.

This is by no means a promotion of my products. I just thought with being overwhelmed it would be a good to reflect on everything by writing and sharing it with other teachers.

Second, here are all the amazing resources I have purchased from other amazing teachers out there. If you click on the pictures it will take to that product for you to get for yourself.



I plan on using this resource from Laura Martin as independent practice during my math groups.





These guided reading and math starter sticks from A Modern Teacher will be used for just what they say...to get my little ones started at guided reading and guided math.

(For some reason I can't find the link to these resources. I will keep checking.)



These classroom coupons will be used as a companion to my classroom management clip system.



This writing pack is my biggest addition to writing. I plan on having my little ones choose what they want to write about once narrative, informative, and opinion writing as been introduced to them.





I've already blogged about they two resources, but they will be used during Daily 5 at Work on Writing.

 

Lastly, here is what I am currently working on at the moment. I created these blank calendars and long term planning sheets to help me organize all the new resources that I have gotten over the summer and to plan long-term for lesson units and the Common Core Standards.

 

Click here to get your long-term planning calendars and the blank calendar so you can start planning out how your going to implement all your new ideas this school year.

 

 

Now, I can't wait until school starts so I can finally put everything into action. Once the school year starts I will be putting up more classroom happening pictures.

 

 

Yours in Teaching,

Classroom Behavior Management: The Clip System

So, I have never really been to fond of the clip system. The school I work at uses it but you can only move your clip down and there is nothing positive about it.

 

 

 Last year, I used a combination of the green, yellow, and red clip chart, and I also gave out stickers for positive behavior. The "sticker winners" system worked wonders. But this upcoming year I want to make a change to how I manage my student's behavior.

 

 

My goal is to combine the clip system with positive reinforcement like "sticker winners". I have done tons of searching on some great blogs and finally came up with a system that I think will work for myself and my students.

 

 

First, I needed to update my clip chart. I want my students to be able to move up for great behavior but still have them move down for bad behavior choices.

 

Here is a glimpse at what my behavior chart will work like. On the side of the picture is what my chart will end up looking like.

 

 

 

My chart has six different spots that my little ones can move to. Everyone will start on green (Ready to Learn). Then it is up them on where they will move to. I am a stickler for good behavior. I DO NOT just hand out prizes, stickers, rewards, etc. for little things. My students have to really show me that they are making the best choices possible. The same goes for bad behavior choices. I don't let my little ones slack. I hold them accountable for all the choices they make. (Wow, I sound like a meanie!) I'm really not that tough, but my students learn how things roll in our classroom. :)

 

 

My students can move up to purple (Great Day) and pink (Outstanding), which is the highest spot possible. They can also move down to yellow (warning), orange (Think About It), and blue (Teachers Choice).

 

I do like rewarding my students for their good choices and behavior. I have opted out of doing "sticker winners" this year. Instead, I have recently purchased Laura Martin's Classroom Rewards Coupons to Reward and Inspire from Peace, Love, and First Grade. I absolutely love these coupons. It was exactly what I had in mind and she saved me tons of time in creating for everyone to use! 

 

 

Just today, I purchased a great binder to place all the coupons in and I finished my Classroom Behavior Management: The Clip System Packet. I am well on my way to being behavior managementized! All I need to do it print, laminate, and make! (I am waiting until August to start putting things together.)

 

Here is my fabulous polka dot binder I bought from Wal-Mart. (BTW...I went to the store to get some things for my little man and BAM! school supplies were out! I about had a heart attack. Needless to say, I walked out of the store spending $50 more than I had planned. Oops)

 

 

 

In my behavior management packet, you will find tickets that I have created to give to my students who have made good behavior choices. These are the black and white version. There are also colored tickets to use too.

 

 

 

Here is my plan:

 

1. Any student who is on green, pink, or purple will get a ticket at the end of each day.

 

2. I am going to use my blank and white version of the tickets to save on color printing.

 

3. If a student is on green they will get one ticket. If they are on purple they will get two tickets. If they are on pink they will get 3 tickets. {Remember, I have very high expectation so they will have to work really hard to be on purple and pink.}

 

4. On Fridays, my students will have the opportunity to "cash in" their tickets for rewards.

 

5. I will have a "treasure box" with prizes that value 5 tickets each.

 

6. The classroom coupons will start at 10 coupons and go up.

 

7. Behavior calendars will go home each night in their take-home folders. (I was really bad about having them color in their behavior each day.)

 

 

 

8. I will keep track of why students moved their clips up or down for conferences sake.

 

I am also going to send home my family letter that explains my classroom's behavior management system.

 

 

There is also another version of the family letter that does not include the reward system if you do not implement that in your classroom.

 

I am really hoping that this system works and that my little ones will really enjoy it and thrive in my classroom.

Click on the picture to get our own Classroom Behavior Management: The Clip System packet.

 

 

 

Don't forget about my Just Because Giveaway! I will pick a winner to choose any item from my TpT store Friday morning.

 

 



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