Several posts in the general education forum (especially “Scoreboard: A-Ha moment” and “Rotations?!?” ) have been very helpful and given me some new ideas about how to work with WBT in the situation I am currently in which is quite different from the U.S. So I thought I would describe my situation and see if someone has some more suggestions.
I am an EFL teacher teaching in a public school in the north of Brazil (grades 5-8). I have ten different classes in two different schools – two hours a week in each classroom. In one school the two hours are back to back, in the other school the two hours are on different days. Unlike the U.S. the students do not rotate from class to class – the teachers do – so whatever material I want to use with my students I must lug around with me. I can put things on the wall, but there is no guarantee that they will be there when I come back to give my next class, besides that would involve making 10 copies of everything which would get rather expensive. Some signs I have pasted onto cardboard. I set them on the chalk tray when I want to use them (there are no bulletin boards or cork strips). I started using WBT this year during the 2nd quarter including the scoreboard, but have slacked off this quarter (3rd quarter began in august), especially the scoreboard because I wasn’t having the desired result and it was too hard to keep track of what rewards/negative consequences I had promised to which class. (I have two classes in which I can't seem to find consequences - either positive or negative - which motivate them.) What I am really interested in is suggestions of how to use the scoreboard in this situation.

Glad to hear you are trying WBT in Brazil! Maybe you could put your signs on rings, or in clear sheet protectors, and use it like a flip chart. This would negate the need for ten sets of signs, and it would be easy to take it with you from room to room. You might also want to use a portable whiteboard for your scoreboard. Keep your rewards frequent and quick. If the smilies are ahead, 1 minute of free friend chat, 1 minute music or computers, mind soccer, or less homework, etc. The point is, if you keep the rewards tied directly to that specific class, you do not need to keep track of it over several days...because they earn it, you do it, and "Voila!!"
Hope this helps!
Deb Weigel
WBT Intern

For my scoreboard I just use post it notes. This way I can move them or put them anywhere I want around the room. I would laminate the signs and maybe put them in a binder so they are easy to move from place to place. Keep your rewards small and easy. Deb had some great ideas!

I'm going to agree with the small, simple, immediate rewards. In general, that rule is best anyway. But when it comes to managing multiple classes, it's even more important so that it doesn't become a tracking nightmare for you. In general, though, you'll find it's more effective when students receive their reward immediately. You'd be surprised how hard they will work for such small deviations from the everyday grind.

Thanks! These are great suggestions. I had thought of putting the signs in clear sheet folders or flip chart style - laminating is not an option - I will try that.
Toni_garcia8 I don't quite understand how you use the post it notes. Could you elaborate a bit on that?
For the time being the portable whiteboard will have to wait, besides that would be one more thing to lug around with me (I ride the bike to school). Maybe I will try that next year if I am working in only one school and can leave it in my locker over night.

I was thinking a small personal sized whiteboard might be easily carried around as you travel. Maybe an 8" x 10" size would work. You don't need something super huge...just big enough for the students to be able to see the score.
Let us know how it goes with the immediate rewards!
Deb Weigel
WBT Intern

Hi there!
Let me start out with a "ten finger rolling woo" for your innovation in a less than ordinary situation:)!
I truly think that the Rules and the scoreboard are going to be your best bet for classroom control~ which is something important to have down so that you can use gestures, mirrors, and the TEach! Okay! to increase students retention and learning.
I think that the sheet protectors will be your best bet if laminating is not available. If worse comes to worse, you could always use a piece of paper in a sheet protector and write on it with a Vis~Vis marker (do they have those there? that's a wet erase marker that you would use for and overhead projector. It wipes off quite easily from a sheet protector).
BUT~ let me ask you this: is there a board in the room? If so~ then use that:)! As Deb said: using the daily rewards is better for motivation for the students and for you since you won't have to keep track of anything. PLUS: you can erase the scoreboard each time you leave:)! Deb's suggestions for immediate motivators are great! U can even use it for PAT time (preferred activity time~ of course within your boundaries). You would be surprised how hard students will work just to have one or two minutes of "free time" or time to sit by their friend and chat, etc. Change it up whenever their motivation seems to dip. And if you want a fun, motivating, and competitive game that reviews core concepts~ mind soccer is always awesome! Remember~ YOU are in charge of the game (it is rigged) so you are not having to give out rewards all the time. Most of the time it is a tie game~ where they came in close and you kept them on their toes, of course. Then there's the days they lose (they needed that extra assignment that day anyway, didn't they???) and then every once in a while~ it's a winning day:)! All that work for just a minute or two of reward??? Pretty stinkin awesome, I would say:)!!!!!
Andrea

josefafsgm,

One teacher I worked with in an ESL environment put up small patches of self adhesive Velcro in her rooms then would bring her signs or games or whatever and put them up for the class period and take them to her next class. I thought the school would be upset about the black patches of Velcro on the walls but she told me none of the schools ever said anything about it.

Her signs were laminated with the Velcro on the back and she just carried an inexpensive portfolio that was easy to handle on a motorbike.

josefafsgm
I have read some helpful responses here so I'll just stick with the Scoreboard concerns that you had. First of all, for the classes that you can't seem to find the right consequences or rewards you just need to see what they like. Most kids at that age really just want sit around and talk. So, to begin with, make that the reward. If they win, they get to talk with their friends for two minutes at the end of the alloted time. (In the class where you are with them for two hours, this game could be played twice, the first hour and then start over again for the second hour.) If they don't win, nothing negative happens, they just don't win the talking time.

Later as the year goes on, play some of our educational games with the content that you are teaching. Since you are in the soccer capital of the world, they'll love Mind Soccer...you can check it out in the video pull down menu above.

The key to the scoreboard game is that you need to keep it close. See the article in the levels pull down menu...this will help you out a ton.

If you have more questions, please ask, that's why we're all here.

Power to the Teacher!

Chris

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions. Sorry I haven't been able to respond to each one. We have been without internet access since the beginning of October. I have been using the scoreboard since the second quarter of the school year (around the begining of May). My biggest problem is consistency. Thanks for ChrisRekstad for you rewards suggestions. I have been doing something similar to that lately. It seems to help. I have also been using extra credit dextra credit which also seems to be an incentive for quite a few of them.

As for putting up velcro strips, I think it would have the same result as putting up the posters themselves - they wouldn't be there when I returned the next week. Not that the school would ahve anything against it - the students can't resist taking it down just because it's there - maybe not the kids in my class period, but each classroom is used by 2 or 3 classes at different times of the day - one group in the morning, one in the afternoon, and in one school another group at night. (Fortunately I only teach in the morning. )

I have been using Teach-OK on occasion, but would like to get into to using it regularly. Maybe next year.

Lately I have been using some of the activities and techniques in The Writing Game. It has been a life saver! I wish I had had it at the beginning of the year! Any ideas for teaching verb tenses?
I tried playing Mind Soccer with them several months ago. They weren't ready for it, but now after having used the Writing Game I think I will try it again.

Gratefully,
Sister M. Josefa