I began the year with the following chart laminated and taped to the top of each students' desk.
I use a Sharpie to mark the good and bad choices under the appropriate column. All I have to do is use some rubbing alcohol to remove the Sharpie, and the chart is good as new.
For the past 3 years, this has worked like a charm. Until recently, when a self-incriminatingly honest child told me that the students had figured out how to use their dry-erase markers to erase the Sharpie. Huh, you don't say. Who'd have thought?
After I got over the fact that this class has some major dishonesty issues, I was compelled to come up with a different method. I thought back to my student teaching days. My cooperating teacher used colored poker chips to tell the level of warning the student was on. Green was good, yellow was "warning," and red meant "consequence." Each one was attached to the desk with poster putty. If a chip needed changing, the student had to bring it to the teacher and exchange it for the next color.
These are $15.50 for 600 (100 of each color). I'll only be using the green, yellow, and red for the behavior management. I can use the other colors as counters or game pieces. The cool thing is that they are stackable.
I also recently came across a post that inspired me on Dandelions and Dragonflies blog:
She had a file folder with a chart of expected behaviors stapled inside. If the student is not exhibiting an expected behavior, they "pull their folder." The teacher puts a check beside the behavior and sends a report home at the end of the 9 weeks.
I think I will use her file folder idea along with the chips for a visual reminder for the student. I will also be continuing my "Weekly Progress Report" (see below). My parents tend to want to know more often than just report card time. I can add any behavior concerns to that.
