Sunday, February 20, 2011

The Clip Chart Classroom Management

I used to use the traditional "Traffic Light" for my classroom management. My students would start out the day on "Green". If they received a warning about behavior, they had to move their light to "Yellow". And so on. I had the kids color in a traffic light in their binders at the end of each day to let their parents know how their day was. I had about 99% of my class on green...99% of the time. Parents of my awesome kiddos were just signing the traffic light page on Monday for the entire week, knowing their kid was going to be on green. I couldn't blame them! It was getting super redundant!

Here's the old school Traffic Light:


Then, over the summer, I found this idea on The 2nd Grade Teacher's Club (love that site!). It is called the Clip Chart. It is very similar to the Traffic Light in the sense that students can move down the clip chart as a consequence for bad choices. However, the big difference that I LOVE about the Clip Chart, is kids can also move up the Clip Chart as a result of good choices!

Here is the new and improved Traffic Light (or Clip Chart):

I am loving this new classroom management tool. I love being able to reward kids for their good choices. It is a great motivator for the other students, too. When I say, "________, please move your clip up for __________! I am so proud of you!", all the other kids suddenly work a little harder. ;) Parents love to see which color their child's clip was on that day. And kids can hardly wait to tell them if they were on "Outstanding"!!!

Speaking of Outstanding, if a kiddo gets all the way to this tippy top section of our Clip Chart, we make a big deal out of it! They get a Happy Note to take home to Mom & Dad, a prize from the Prize Box, and a "gem" on their clothespin. (I just bought sticky gems from Target's Scrapbooking section!) Some of them have gems all the way across their clothespin from all the Outstanding days!

And sometimes, if a kid is having a really Outstanding day, I say they are "off the chart", and I wear their clothespin. Their favorite spot for me to rock these clips lately is in my hair. Beautiful. ;) I love it when I forget to take them out and accidentally head into the staff lounge for lunch with clothespins in my hair.

How do you manage your kids' behavior? Do you use a Clip Chart? If so, how do you reward them for moving up the chart? I'd love to hear others' ideas!


11 comments:

Ms. Durning said...

I use the clipchart too and LOVE it! Yours is super cute ;)
msdurning.blogspot.com

sherrymc62 said...

I love your Smarty Pants hat! Where did you get it?
Sherry

Christie Dalton said...

I use the Clip Chart also! However, our behavior has really started to slip a little lately so...if a child clips up to Outstanding during the week at any point, they get to attend Friday Club! Friday Club is simply the chance to eat lunch in our of the second grade classrooms and watch a short movie rather than eating with the class in the cafeteria. This has been such a huge incentive to our kiddos!

Amanda said...

Thanks Sherry :) I found it online! http://www.smartiesstore.com/Merchandise.html

My Pink Clipboard, I love your Friday Club idea! I bet the kids go crazy over it. Thanks for sharing!

Whitney Morgan said...

Amanda! I love your clip chart! How did you create it?

Amanda said...

Thanks Whitney! I actually just taped together different colors of construction paper. Then I glued the different labels on each color (Ready to Learn, Outstanding, etc.), and laminated it! You can download the labels at my website: http://www.mrswallbank.com/Site/Rules_Rewards_and_Consequences.html

:)

Jill said...

I love your ideas for when students get to the top of the chart!

Magnificent Multiagers!

Learning in Wonderland said...

You inspired me to create this chart and used your "Off the chart" idea!
Mrs. Sheehan
learninginwonderland.blogspot.com

Madison Knall said...

Hi there! I just found your blog and began reading about your classroom management system. I saw your comment about 2nd grade Teacher's Club. Can you send me an invitation for it? My email is madison.knall@gmail.com

lbauer said...

Hello, I also love your blog. I am new to second grade and would love an invite to the Second Grade Teacher's Club.
How can I do this without publically displaying my email info?

Lynda Sweeney said...

I was wondering how you manage kids when they clip down. Once they clip down can they go back up?