Classroom Behaviour Charts
Behaviour Management in the Primary Classroom
Reinforce positive behavior utilizing a behavior classroom management chart.
Before you can educate students, you need to get their attention. Often, a teacher will have the majority of the students focused on the lessons but usually there are one or two students who are will disrupt the lesson with their behaviors. Frequently, a teacher will have to address the behaviors of an individual student before she can continue with the lesson.
Maintaining control of the class is crucial if the teacher is to succeed in educating her class. A teacher who has to repeatedly stop and start a lesson will begin to lose the interest of her other students. A behavior management plan is essential for the students and teacher to have a successful learning year.
Classroom Behavior Management Chart
Create a classroom behavior management chart to record your students' behaviors during the day. Take a piece of poster board and glue a pocket on the board for each student. Pockets can be book card holders or the teacher can make one by gluing piece of square paper down on three sides, keeping the top side unglued to form a pocket.
Teacher will cut strips of green, yellow, and red cards. Each card is assigned a number. Green is 1 point, yellow is -1, and a red is -5. Students are given cards dependent on their behavior.
Green, Yellow, and Red Card Distribution
At the beginning of the day, the teacher will place agreen card in each child’s slot. Each day, is a new beginning and it is important for all students to get a fresh start.
During the day, the teacher will reinforce positive behavior by giving students a green card. Sometimes the card is quietly places in the student’s holder, while at other times the teacher will remark on a student’s good behavior. It is especially important to make a big deal out of good behavior by a student who continually acts out, and to be generous with the green cards when the teacher is modeling a positive behavior.
Most students will engage in behavior that is not acceptable for the classroom from time to time. It is important for students to be aware of unacceptable behavior. Create a list of classroom behavior that is not acceptable. Talking during instruction, calling out an answer are just a few examples. Inform the students that they will receive a yellow card for talking during instruction which means they lose a point from their total.
Distributing yellow cards can be done quietly, with a silent acknowledgement to the student, or the teacher can stop the class and ask what behavior is not acceptable at this time in the class. Students will begin to assist other students with appropriate behavior.
Red cards are serious cards to receive. Red cards are for behavior that is not tolerated. Shoving another student or continually talking out are a few examples of red card behavior. Students who receive a red card are not adhering to the classroom rules and will need to have a discussion with the teacher about how to improve their behavior. Do not stop the class to discuss this card, but rather discuss it with the student when the other students are doing seat work. It is important for the teacher and student to discuss a plan to assist the student from disengaging in the activity.
Calculation of Classroom Behavior Points
Each day, assign two students to calculate points. Students will have to add points for green cards and subtract points for yellow or red cards. The teacher or a student will record the totals. At the end of the month or week, the teacher may give each student their points to calculate. Calculating points will reinforce addition and subtraction skills. Most students will double check their answer if the points are worth something.
Classroom Behavior Points=Prizes
Students work hard in the class and rewarding them with a prize will reinforce good behaviors. A prize may be free time for the older kids or dollar store toys for the younger and older kids. Buy party favors in packs to sell to students. Each point can represent a dollar, 10¢ or 1¢. By having the points represent money the teacher can reinforce money skills. Money is a difficult concept to learn, why not reinforce it on a monthly basis. As well, you may wish to have an auction for the older students.
