Never Nag the Kids, Instead Brag About Great Classroom Behavior

I will not nag my students ever again.  Instead I will brag about the amazing things I see.  You know what will happen next! The good will build upon the good.

How It Works For Me:

Sometimes I am a wealth of joy and praise, and I make it rain affirmations and rewards.

Sometimes... my compassion has fatigued and I just want to show a movie every day for the rest of the week.  

So here is what I do daily so that the kids are affirmed not matter how I "feel". I shot a video  for you. 

Put in your ear phones or better yet - go hide in the bathroom with your phone and have a few moments of peace and enjoy a video! 

This video:

• shot in a real classroom
• real kids 
• real teacher 
• real solutions for affirming your students quickly and easily
• shows implementation, organization, and a real in-class 30 second awards ceremony

Awarding Kids / 30 Second Awards Ceremony:

Just in case the video isn't working, I thought I might explain as well:

Writing out the awards

1. During last recess,  I start pulling notes from a pocket chart (my friend uses a shoe holder) 
2. I write names on 5 mini awards.
3. I choose 1 person from each table group (I have 5 table groups)
4. I cross their name off my seating chart.
5. By the end of the week I have systematically affirmed every child in my class.
6. Because their are 85 notes to choose from, the affirmation has been genuine. Some kids are harder to enjoy. Let's be real. If you have a nose picker in your class you know what I mean.  But every single child does something right and these awards help us see that. The nose picker child, keeps a clean nose and a clean desk... See what I mean.

The 30 Second Ceremony:
In the last 10 minutes, as the kids finish packing up, they come to the carpet wearing their packs.  We have a 30 second classroom awards ceremony. 

1. I call out a name 
2. I say what the award is for 
3. They stand, come forward, and I shake their hand. 
4. They take their award.
5. They stand in front of the group. 

I award 5-7 kids. ( See graphic below) 

It looks something like this…

The Audience: 

• The “audience kids” take out their imaginary cameras
• They make picture taking sounds "click-click"
• Then they shout in unison, “You’re FAMOUS!” 
• The audience learns to support and encourage the recipients who are are beaming, blossoming, and making me tear up almost every day.  

Results:  

• The awarded kids go soaring out the door and their first words when they get in the car are…
• “MRS KNIGHT GAVE ME A CLASSROOM AWARD TODAY! ! !” 
• The mother kisses her elated child, and she feels her child was "seen" and loved on at school.
• Her child feels loved by me and like a star.
• They feel valued and important.
• No matter how I "felt" that day, I was an encouragement
• We never know what a child can become with extra encouragement.  
• Maya Angelou loved words! And once she found her voice, she shared it with the world! Her grandmother was the biggest encouragement in her life! Imagine if her teacher had also been a great encouragement.

 

Maybe someday one of my students will come back and say, “Thanks for the encouragement notes Mrs. Knight. It made a difference!”

Subs need to praise the kids too- 

• I leave a series of 4 notes for my sub to hand out at the end of the day for the kids who helped her most. 
• My last sub begged me for a copy of the notes. 
• She plans to use them from now on because being a guest teacher is tough. 

Organizing is easy!

You can run full page copies or the 1/4 page ones like I do.  I keep 20 of each award on hand at all times. I keep mine in a pocket chart. But if wall space is an issue, here are other ideas.

• an index card file
• a shoe hanger
• clear sleeves in a folder
• or just stacks standing on end in a drawer.  

Getting Started:

• Start with 1 kind of award

1. I recommend starting with the "Printing Prince" and "Printing Princess" award. It's so easy to see who deserves it and so easy for the rest of the class to try for.  Award 2 kids a day during that 1st week.
2. Week 2 I recommend adding the "Peacemakers" award. Now you are awarding neat printers and peacemakers.
3. The 3rd week add the "Awesome Improvement" award because by now the kids are so hungry to please you, they have all improved in huge ways. 
4. By week 4 you are ready to fly! 

Keeping Track: 
I included lots of 

• management tips
• check off sheets 
• a complete table of contents in the unit
• everything included helps you be organized and stay positive!

So are you ready to:

• change the dynamic in your classroom?
• end the day as well as you start it?
• have the children blossom and the parents adore you?
• Then join me! Click { HERE } or on the image below

Find this unit and Parent Reminders on TpT! 

Easy, organized, print, copy and go Parent Communication is another great strategy to stay happy and organized all year!