Behavior Management

[FLAteacher]

Post your bevhavior management that you used or that you have seen and it works. I teach K and the color changing "pulling the colored cards" are not working for my students. I need wonderful ideas!!
:)

[mopar]

That might be a little advanced for many kindergartens. Have you tried the stop light idea? It is similar to colors but with a stop light. Green is all good. Yellow is a warning. Red is a consequence-call home...etc. Each child has a clothes pin and you move it depending on their behavior.

I have also seen sticker charts to reward good behavior. Put one on each child's desk-could be a note card. When they fill it with stickers, they can pick from the treasure chest. Great way to reward positives.
Or try a marble jar. When its full they get a party. Things that take awhile to fill or something big.

[Mollie143]

My kindergarter uses the red,yellow and green light method. It works for her class and she knows exactly what it means too.
I'd try this one first. The stickers are ok, but they need something a bit more exciting and all kids love to "GO"

[Boxcar]

I like the stoplight idea too.

I'd also try some other things as well.

First, make as few rules as possible. I like multi-purpose ones like: We don't hurt others. That covers a lot, and it is easy to remember.

Next, make consequences immediate and have them fit the "crime". If a student pushes another, s/he needs to apologize. Calling home is fine as a follow-up, but the students need to see the connection between the act and the consequence.

Finally, I'd try to set up the classroom to avoid problems. Give the children transition warnings, have reasonable amount of materials, and encourage the children to problem-solve with you.

[mopar]

Try to make your rules show the good behavior.
Instead of don't hurt others try keep your hands and feet to yourself. It reminds the students of what they should do and replaces the negative behavior with a positive one.

[Boxcar]

I agree. Postive rules are best. That was my bad phrasing in that example.

[eyd]

One of my former colleagues had a special word that she would use and it meant for everyone to stop and look at her. It depends how many students you have sometimes what works for a small class does not work for a big class. I have a big class so I need something that everyone will see or hear. I flick the lights on and off.

I also try singing. I make it up and believe me I am horrible.

For the rule above "We keep our hands and our feet to ourselves, to ourselves." Just keep repeating it. My students get a kick out of hearing me sing. But they follow the rule.

Also I had a problem with students walking out of the line and just walking as a big group. So I started singing it "When we walk in line we walk one behind the other, one behind the other, the boys with the boys, the girls with the girls. One behind the other, one behind the other, the boys with the boys, the girls with the girls. Just keep repeating it until you get to where you are going.

Hope this helps. If I think of something else I will post.

[mopar]

We also did "clap once if you can hear my voice" then "clap twice if you can hear my voice." You just keep going until all the kids are quiet. It doesn't take long.
For line walking, I teach my students to walk on the third tile from the wall. Then they all know exactly what behind the other means.