I have loved looking through the teachers that have linked up with this management linky! I got so lucky with my class last year, and behavior was hardly ever an issue. I know am hoping that I will be more prepared next year, in case it is an issue. So I am getting tons of new ideas, and sharing some of my thoughts for next year!
Now some people are going to completely disagree with some of the things I say in this post, but hopefully it will lead some to think about whether their clip chart is a positive addition to their room or not.
Does this look familiar?
I think nearly every teacher in my school had this last year. And honestly, I never thought twice about having one. I mean, if they're all over my school, Pinterest, and teacher blogs, how bad can they be?
Earlier this summer, I spent the week at a training about a behavior model many schools in my district use. The thing that caught my attention the most--they think clip charts do more harm than good!? At first, I thought they were CRAZY. But they made some good points.
When a child clips down, they probably feel singled out. I know if it were me, I would sit there thinking about clipping down for a while, instead of focusing on learning. (Just imagine having a clip chart for teachers posted in the teacher's lounge?! I would hate that.)
Then I started to think about how it effects the students after school. Do I want the parents' first question when they get in the car to be, "what color were you on today?" No! I want them to ask about what they learned or what friends they played with or what books they got from the library!
For the most part, any problem in my room, is taken care of then and there. If a student and I have already talked about the issue, then do they also need to have the same conversation with their parents 7 hours later? If there is a problem severe enough that I thought the parents needed to know about, I call them to talk about it anyway.
Of course, my first thought was--if there's no clip chart, what will I do?! Maybe a clip chart only I can see? I'm thinking a clip board with magnets. (We all have those kids that we have to document somehow). Or maybe just track positive behavior? Warm fuzzies with prizes?
Now I am honestly not 100% sure what our behavior management will look like next year, but I do know it will not involve a public clip chart!
Any suggestions of things that have worked for you?