4 Easy Tips for Effective Behavior Management

Do you have your kids marching right along? It takes me about 30 days to feel like I can breathe again.  Working on those transitions and routines can be exhausting! Here are some of my favorite behavior tips.
I don't think any of us know all of the answers when it comes to managing behavior. If we did, we would all be doing the same thing. Sometimes the things we do work for most of the children, but not for everyone. We are constantly changing and trying new things to have a classroom environment that is conducive to learning.  Here ae some of the ideas that I like the best. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite classroom management strategies.

Clean Up Time!

When it is time for the kids to clean up, I play a song on my device.  I don't have a special clean up  song, the kids just know when the music comes on...clean up! If they clean up before the song is over, we add a piece to the Mr. Potato Head.

Every few months, change what they are building.  For example, in the fall you might build a scarecrow. In the winter, you might build a snowman. Or, in the spring you might build a flower pot.

Group Time

Whenever the kids are working in small groups, they have the opportunity to earn a piece for their team board. If they have worked well together...they earn a piece.  For example, they are earning the tools for their tool box!

Again, change it up during the year. Here are a few others that I have used.

Target Rule

Do you ever get tired of the kids breaking the same rule over and over again? Do you get tired of telling them over and over again not to do something? I know I did! You might want to try this! It worked super with our kids!

Collect 5 (or more) object to display in front of your kids. I am using clip art with magnets on a cookie sheet.  Select your target rule...mine was to raise your hand instead of yelling out the answer.  Anytime one of the children "break" the target rule, remove one of the displayed objects. DON'T say anything! This is a visual reminder! If it is a REAL problem, you will want to have more objects. You don't want to run out before the session is over.  Return all of the objects each time you begin a new carpet time.  Any that we have left at the end of the time, earn us happy rocks.

Happy Rocks

I made "Happy Rocks" with the smooth glass rocks from the Dollar Tree. They have one flat side and one curved side. On the flat side, I drew a face. 

 Happy rocks are "earned" either as a class or as individuals. Either way, they go into the same jar. We are working together to fill the jar. At the beginning of the year, reward frequently. Spotlight desirable behaviors as ones that are helping the class. It isn't about reward a child, it is about rewarding a behavior.

What's the Reward?

That's the question, right? What do they get when they build the potato head, or fill up their team board, or fill the happy rock jar? I once heard the saying,
"You can have a well managed class with crazy, fun activities OR you can have managed activities with a crazy class!" The desire is to build that intrinsic motivation to do the right thing. When we do the right thing, we have more fun with each other! BUT, even as teachers we like a reward. Let's hear it for a jeans day! The rewards don't consist of candy or dollar store treats! It's really simple. In kindergarten, we plan great activities--cooking, sidewalk chalk letter writing, shaving cream word writing, etc! These are the rewards! It sounds like this, "I am so proud of the team work I see in this room.  It is great when we work as a team, we all win. I have decided that we need to have a little fun, so today during writing time, we are going to go outside and write with chalk on the sidewalk! How fun will that be!?"
Classroom management is essential...it maximizes teaching time! Be sure and share your favorite tip in the comments!
The ideas in this post are from the Tackling Transitions Unit.