Love this new Linky from Head Over Heals For Teaching !! Link up and share what you do in your classroom to help motivate students! I have already stalked some of the blogs that have already linked up and they have the BEST ideas. I have so many things running though my head now! Plus..her button is so cute!
In my class this year I have really been emphasizing kindness. I think it is so important as a class to be a community and work together so that everyone can learn! This starts, I believe, with being kind to one another. I believe one of the best things I can do for my kids outside of teaching them math or language arts is teaching them how to be good community members. Yes even 6 year olds can be good community members =)
In order for me to praise the kindness I see and discipline the not so kind things I see I turn to my Kindness Counts Box! Anytime I see someone being kind I will write that child's name on a kindness counts slip! The slip of paper then goes into my Kindness Counts Box. Other students can write kindness counts slips to other students if they help them. (They do run it by me before they write a slip so one student doesnt write ten slips for the same act of kindness) Each week on Friday I pick a slip and the student who gets picked can choose from the treasure box (pencils, erasers etc) or eating lunch with me, eating lunch with a buddy, bring a stuffed animal to class for the day etc! This has really helped the positivity in my classroom!
The class I have this year has really responded to this method! I do think however not every class might so I am so glad to be getting SO many good ideas from this Linky (in case I get a class that this doesn't work in!!)
What a great idea! I will have to try it out with my class!
ReplyDeleteKaren
An Apple a Day in First Grade
Great idea to build community in your classroom! Simple, but very effective, that's the way I like it! Thank you for your kind words about my button-it is pretty spectacular isn't it??!! hehe Thanks for joining my party!
ReplyDeleteJoanne
Head Over Heels For Teaching
Heya! I too think this is one of the most important things we can teach kids. I work with 10-11 year olds and even they still need a lot of work on this kind of stuff (actually so do a lot of adults!)
ReplyDeleteI love that you've given the kids ownership of it and allowed them to write each other slips- encouraging them to notice positive behavior is so important.
From your latest follower :)
x Serena x
Magic Mistakes & Mayhem