Classroom Management Part 2: Reward System

Hello again!
Today we continue to talk about Classroom Management, but this time we will focus on the reward system. What ways have you used before to reward your students in school?

In the past years I have used conduct calendars to go along with popsicles, treasure box, and even collecting "money." Truth to be told, I was never able to keep up with some of them! There was always so much to do in the classroom, which lead to say "tomorrow will do the shopping day" more often every school year period.

I really loved buying the cute stuff at Oriental Trading and at Target for my kiddos, but honestly, there were so many things that I thought they were so cool and they did not care much about them! Of course, the happy meal prices were always a hit, but there was so much happy meals I could eat in order to keep up!

This year I would really like to change it up and challenge myself on doing different things! I want a system that 1. I can keep up throughout the school year and 2. something that is not gonna break my bank account! and most importantly 3. Something that my kids are motivated to keep working hard!

REWARD COUPONS

The first thing I am planning on using are the classroom reward coupons.
These are fulfilling my three requirements from above!
1.something I could keep up
2.No cost and
3.Something my kids will enjoy working for.
It is important to point out that these will only be the ones I will be using for the first half of the school year. I am working on the other half with a list of different rewards. In addition, I want to interview my kids throughout the first half of the school year and find out what they like about the reward couopns and what other coupons they would like to see!

The coupons are perfect if you want to use a bead container or something similar to that. I got mine at Hobby Lobby because I wanted to use my coupon. However, you can find these at Walmart or any other craft store :)

The coupons are available in English and Spanish, as usual. They come in color and black/white version to save some ink!

How would I use them in my classroom?
I used a behavior calendar at a previous district and I found it to work great in order to inform my parents about their kids. We have a calendar for every 6 weeks and a list of marks students might have. They get a sticker daily if their behavior has been great, but if they have misbehave in class, they get a number (they get chances before they get a number on their calendar).
I am planning to use these coupons after the student has gotten 15 consecutive stickers.at a previous district I was replacing these coupons instead of getting them a popsicle (I used to do this in my previous years.) The student will be able to pick a reward coupon to use at any time. They need to write their name on the back of the coupon in order to be able to "cash it out" whenever they are ready.

I would need to make a clear point that if they loose their coupon or they never wrote their name on it, then I am not responsible to replace that coupon. This is the part when I have a change to teach them about being on second grade and being responsible with our things. I am not planning on trying to keep up with whom gets what coupon and how many times the student picked the same coupon. I know I will have a million more things to worry and focus. Students will be entitled to choose whatever coupon they would like and be free to use it at any time!

Students keep these calendar on their binder. I provide the binder as a beggining of the school gift from me to them. If you would like to know more about this binder, please click HERE.

The alternative use from the Behavior Calendar:
If the calendar behavior is not an option for you, then you might want to see this alternative option. I added a punch card into to the reward coupons product. After 20 hole punches, the student gets to pick a reward card. On my example above, my students have to have 15 consecutive stickers. On this punch card, students can collect the hole punches no matter how many days pass by or maybe you have your own rules, so go for it! These are only suggestions :) Remember, YOU DO YOU!

I hope these tips have been helpful to you! I realized my link has been broken for several months now, so I am sorry if you tried to refer to this previously and it didn't work!

As always, I am only a message away, FOLLOW me on IG @brincaintobilingual 

Classroom Management Part 1: Classroom Expectations

Welcome back!
I am planning on sharing with some of my Classroom Management tips and products I use in my classroom!!
I am sure most of you already have a system or your school lets you know what procedures are needed to take for classroom management. In my case, I have been trained and I was required to use CHAMPS. I honestly did not really know what to do with it, except using the things my school already provided for me to use. However, one day I had a teacher asking me if I could make some posters for her in the Dual Program. So I thought "Duh! of course I could use these and place them all around my classroom!"
So I created 5 CHAMPS POSTERS in both English and Spanish. Then, I had a request on my TPT to add one for writing and/or independent practice, but leaving it blank, so I added that!
So the final product comes with 7 CHAMPS posters (Centers, Group Work, Line, Class, Carpet Time, and 2 blank posters with students are their desk working). About the Blank Posters: Google docs do not have a portrait option, so be aware that the editable document is in a landscape position. Please see the instructions in the beginning of the document to edit the document. One poster contains a student at a desk (can be used for tests or independent work) and the second poster contains two students working at their desk (can be used for reading/writing time). PLEASE know that you cannot edit the fancy/big font or the clip art due to copyrights.
Click HERE if you would like to check it out :)

 

This same school district was very strong about implementing CHAMPS, so after a year of using it, I came up with an interactive bulletin board in my classroom. I created this for a foam board, but you can honestly just put some magnets on the back and have it up on your dry-erase board.

At the beginning of the school year (maybe the first 3/4 months), I was mainly the one who used this board. We would use this board ALL THE TIME. For every activity, including: independent practice (I would just say independent practice and clarify with my students what kind of independent practice we are working on. In that way, we are not having illustrations for every specific activity), cooperative groups, carpet time, centers, and tests. However, after those months I would start choosing students to do it and the rest of the class would participate on answering what was expected. When they realized I started asking students, they all wanted to be "the teacher." I didn't expect them to want that since they were in third grade, but they just loved it!! 

     

Alright, this board works like this:

I would go letter by letter "C is for conversation (I would expect the students to answer after months of doing this)" Then I would say "What voice level are we on? Level 1 (Expect students to answer). Then I would say, show me what level 1 sound like (this level is whispering so students would start whispering to me). Then I would go letter by letter until we finish the word CHAMPS.

If you would like a copy of this, please click HERE to take you to my store. The only items that this product doesn't contained is the border that I used to decorate the foam board and the foam board. On the product, I included more pictures of how the board looks like and the illustrations come with labels so you know what they are used for. I also included a video on how to use the board, if  you are more of a visual person like I am :)

Thank you for stopping by my blog today! Feel free to coment or to send me an email if you have questions! :)

Organization Part 2: How to Organize Data and Important papers

Welcome back friends! I hope you are having a fantastic week so far! I know most of you must be very busy trying to get your classroom organized and decorated for this upcoming school year. I also know most of you are finding new stuff to add as you keep scrolling down on Instagram or Facebook!! lol I know! I am one of you, too!

This post will be short, but I wanted to share with you the last part of my Organization Blog posts! This time I would like to talk to you about Organizing Data and important papers. Very important post so you can stay organized and keep your sanity! (Whooppp!!)

Reading Groups Binder

I know there are hundreds of different TPT products you can find that has to do with small reading groups. I have seen them and most of them have so many sheets and so much information you can keep on your binder, and I LOVE IT! However, I will be honest with you. I know I would never been able to keep up with the forms. They are all so helpful, but the more overwhelmed I felt. So I decided to simplify my life! Something simple and yet highly important that I will be able to keep doing throughout the school year.

So I created my own simple Reading Groups Binder!

Inside this product you will find:
1. the Guided Reading Groups Sheet - This will be helpful for you to keep organize your groups. It is designed to use with post-its so you can keep writing and changing students to different groups. Note on the picture, I use tabs to separate my groups. This is just a suggestion to keep your papers organize, but if you have a different method, go for it! :)

2. Guided Reading and Running Records Schedule Chart - On this sheet you can plan what groups you'll see for the week and how many running records you need to schedule for the week as well.
3. Guided Reading Group Books - On this sheet you will write down the book you'll be reading with a specific group and other information about the book. You can keep track of how many fiction or Non-fiction books you are reading to mix up the genre in the group. It is also helpful so you don't bring a book that you have already given them.
*After the Group Tabs, I have an Avery Index Table of Contents dividers. I use the following sheets and place them under the first letter of my student's last name.*
4. Student's Personal Note sheet - On this sheet I keep all my notes about my student. All my students have one or more throughout the school year. Things my students need to improve and things they are successfull.
5. Reading level progress sheet - This sheet contains the levels of beginning, Middle, and End of the Year. This are great to see the student as a whole. To remember how they came, how much they have improved, and how much they have accomplished by the end of the school year. This sheet is great to use during Parent-Teacher Conferences!
6. Running Records Progress - All the running records results I have given to my student.

I think this is a great binder that will help you and will help ME for this upcoming school year! I have included the link above (above of th first picture shows), but if you missed it, please click HERE to take you to my store!

Parent Conversation Log

This is another important thing to do in order to stay organized! Create a Parent Conversation Log binder! Mine is very simple! I bought some Avery Index Table of Contents dividers and put some blank writing paper inside of each divider. Every time I had a conversation over the phone with a parent, I would write down the important things we said or agreed during our conversation! Maybe you are wondering why I do this. Well maybe, just maybe, one day there is a missunderstanding and misscommunication with a parent. You will have your log to remember and show what was said and what was agreed. I have learned the hard way, that we can't remember it all and that you need to have a proof of something. This log is a life saver to keep information! I would also use this for important information during Parent-Teacher conferences. My parents used to like it when I wrote important things they were saying about their child. We all need to establish good communication with parents from the beginning!

File Hanging Folders

Last, but not least! Where do you keep important tests, forms, letters, etc.? I have a simple way to do this! Many teachers loveee binders and I do too! But I have so many binders for other things that I really want to make this as simple as possible. The answer is "Manila folders in hanging folders!!." My school kind of makes you have a teacher desk (like the old ones), so I take advantage of my heavy-old friend by using its drawers. In there I keep a hanging folder for each of my students. I keep al important information there. Something that I can just pull when having a Parent-Teacher conference or having to meet with someone regarding that student.
Maybe you don't have a file cabinet. Crates are perfect for hanging folders as well! Remember these folder contain personal information for each of your students. So if I had a crate, then I would keep it under my desk so my students or any other person would not get the attention of the folders.

My friends this is all for today! I hope you have learned something new and something important! Hope you are very motivated to try new things so you can be more organized! Stay tuned become up next will be all about classroom management and rewards!!!