We've been in school for a little over a month now (Yeah, we started EARLY!) Using the level one scoreboard has been going fairly well - class gets 1 minute of a dance party song to listen/dance to for a win (which they've gotten 4 times). This week, I think I'll change to more/less recess.

Here's my issue: I have 3 or 4 students who often times during the day don't sit correctly in their chair (sit on knees, kneel and place feet on back of chair, etc.) and a few others who have problems with Rule 2 and Rule 3 (They want to get up and walk over TO me to ask questions). I'm contemplating moving to level 2 and starting the use of white practice cards, but I'm thinking it's still a little early in the year to do so.

If I don't move to level 2, what can I do to work on these Fence-sitters and their problems? If I do move to level 2, I have a question about the practing. The students with sitting issues would be Rule 4 Make Smart Choices - how do they practice Rule 4? Which Rule would my "get-up to ask-ers" practice since they are in a way breaking 2 rules?

Southern Teacher...
I'm in the same boat that you are...starting week 5 on the 13th. I also have three or four rule three breakers, and of course rule 2. For this time in between Level 1 and Level 2 I start by calling out the rule, and the class then chants it out. For example, if Bobby gets up and starts walking around with out permission, I'll just say "Rule 3", everyone in the class chants this rule, and Bobby walks back to his seat. There is no loss of time or anything, just a reminder of the rules. It takes three seconds and everyone is back to work. Of course we rehearse this so that when it happens for real, we know what to do.

Now Southern Teacher...some may say, "Well gosh...Bobby is going to get his feelings hurt." No he's not, he wants the attention so we're giving it to him, it's just that it's positive and reminding him about the rules. By the way...he knows that he is breaking it, he's just waiting for us to call him on it. This same practice works for all 5 rules.

Try it on for size and see if it can buy you some more time before the intro to Level 2.

Chris

I started using WBT in the last quarter or so of the school year last year and I know I missed the boat because I basically moved to the cards almost right away and didn't utilize the scoreboard as I should have. This year, I started from square one, but I do have a more challenging group, so I'm glad that I have been able to go as long as I have with just the scoreboard.

Well, here I am now a few weeks later and some of the same behaviors I mentioned in the earlier post still exist. I have some impulsive kids who act first, think later. I also have many who don't like to wait for directions to begin work. Of course that's on top of the same 2-3 students having problems remembering to sit correctly. I have been verbally reminding students of rules and even asking them to tell me a rule when they are breaking it. Ex. John, what's Rule 4? John replies Make Smart Choices, then sits correctly, but a few minutes later, he's sitting on his feet again.

I've been using the scoreboard to give more/less recess time and I've even moved to having the students mark the Spooky/BooHoo (my Halloween Smilies/frownies) when they get them. Though they get excited about extra recess, losing recess doesn't seem to bother them much.

Is it time for me to move to the first round of practice cards or something else before those? Should I try a different reward/punishment with the scoreboard first? Being that I'm only 55 days in, there's still a lot more school left. This coming week, I'll be having a week long partner project assignment using some laptops and I want to have a good handle on my classroom so things don't get chaotic.

Southern Teacher,

I totally understand the "when do I start" feeling!! But alas...it's your classroom! The joy of WBT is that you have the different levels. For example...

I teach kindergarten and just finished our first quarter. I could have probably switched to the practice cards with two weeks left in the quarter because I already knew who the practice cards were really going to target. HOWEVER, I chose to tough it out until PT conferences and give myself the opportunity to "teach" the parents again about the practice card system. So I had PT conferences on the 14th and 15th and explained the procedures and introduced Practice Cards on the 19th. Now...since the "pocket chart" had been up all year...they were so stoked to finally find out what the PRACTICE GAME was. That's right...practice GAME!!! We introduced it..spent about 30 min really "practicing" the game...and believe it or not I had a few of my top students who don't break the rules come to me and say..."Mrs. Shipley that isn't really a game is it?" I just laughed and thought they are too smart for their own good!

Now...the practice cards are going good...I have at least one student...possible 2 (we will wait and see) that I will have to move to the next level at some point...but I am holding out till at least Thanksgiving...possibly after Christmas...we will see.

I think the biggest help in all of this has been the "scoring system" that Biffle describes in the manual...down loadable here on this site. Use that to score your class each week. If you are seeing progress...even a little...then you are heading in the right direction. And just like Chris said...PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!! I too have kinders that get up and come to my desk and when they are walking my way I immediately say "RULE #3" and the class recites it...and AMAZINGLY that student quickly gets back to his/her seat...and usually raises his/her hand to ask me a question. GOAL ACCOMPLISHED!!!! And yes it is usually the same child each time! But some need more practice than others!

HTH

Farrah Shipley