The dreaded behavior chart (ooooooooh.)

[hai_kah_uhk]

My son's teacher has implemented personal behavior charts. She wanted to make one big behavior chart for the classroom, but another teacher talked her out of it - publicly tracking kids' behavior turns it into a competition and rewards the kids who are good at behaving well, whle humiliating the kids who need the most behavioral support. So we have

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[hai_kah_uhk]

Thanks! :)

[stress_kitten]

In general, I don't use them. People should be internally motivated, and that puts all the motivation for behaviour outside of the person whose behaviour is being scrutinized.

That said... I have one for my biggest behaviour challenge in my class. But we're at the realm of "if you go through a day without hitting or kicking someone, you get a sticker" and that's in Grade 3... so, I'm feeling like creating a safe classroom environment is step one on a FAR larger scale than using an indoor voice and paying attention in class.

[hai_kah_uhk]

Yeah, I kinda feel like there's some of the ol' housefly/sledgehammer thing going on, but I know that kids have been told to stop goofing off and pay attention since time immemorial. Even I had that problem once or twice! And I know that the teachers and kids all have additional struggles with culture shock and administrative weirdness, and since I'm not there, I'm never exactly sure what's going on.

[moth2fic]

Jamie has a behaviour chart with red and green traffic lights instead of smiley faces. I don't think all the class have them, just the ones who have problems. The original idea was that over 25 out of a possible 35 in the week would result in a 'prize'. He learnt quite quickly to calculate how many he would need for an end-of-week treat and then if by Wednesday he thought he wouldn't manage it his behaviour deteriorated alarmingly. So now every day he gets a chocolate button for each green light, and then at the end of the week if it has been an excellent week he gets a small toy. It's quite amazing how many more green lights he gets now that his teachers have worked out some better strategies for handling him... For example, in the playground at lunch time there are organised games. Jamie and organised games are a poor match. Now they send him to junior computer club instead. Result - green light for lunch time and a calmer afternoon. I sometimes wonder if it's the staff who should get the treats!! I like your idea of drawing on the

I hate these things....

[gythiawulfie]

I did not have them growing up but my daughter did