what a crazy week!

So life has been a bit crazy here this week I don't feel like I had a chance to slow down, until now.
Monday I taught all day then came back to town only to go to the high school basketball game and run the concession stand. (It's a small town-high school basketball is our entertainment.) I got home and watched some very funny youtube videos. Oh and read some HILARIOUS autocorrects online.
Tuesday I had so much to do before I could be gone on Wednesday. My room was a disaster and so were my kids. I thought just maybe that if I told them I was going to be gone then the sub wouldn't have tears on Wednesday-well instead I got tears from one little guy ALL DAY on Tuesday! It was AWFUL!
Wednesday was AMAZING! I had the opportunity to go back to the school where I did my student teaching to observe their Kindergarten teachers. They teach half day-I teach full day. But they get so much done in that time! And they don't have that hour of afternoon time when the kids are too tired and canky to get anything done. I brought back some awesome ideas for Valentine's day. Which I did! and my kiddos loved it. While at the school on Wednesday I got to visit with my mentor teacher from my student teaching which was FANTASTIC! She was talking about her new behavior system that she had started on Monday and that she had found it on TPT. She was talking about how much it was helping. (Note: I have been SO SO SO frustrated with the color thing and it not working with my kids.) Then after leaving the school I went back to college to talk to this years seniors in the program I graduated from in May. It was great! I got to tell them that getting a job was possible and even got to mention that there are going to be openings in my district :) And it was FABULOUS to get to visit a little bit with 7 of my friends from my cohort that have also gotten jobs. Talking teaching is always fun for me!

Thursday I got to school-and the kids walked in the door tattling, running, pushing, not following directions. (I had already planned to start the new behavior system on Monday-and I had already printed it out) Before recess I sat them all down and said, "Don't talk, just sit on the rug close your eyes and imagine the things that you are hearing in this story." And I proceeded to read the story that came with the download. (if you want to find the download visit Kathleen at http://growingkinders.blogspot.com/ ) They got the story they helped me sort the monster behavior cards to above, below and bottom line. And I took down the color chart and replaced it with our monsters and lines.

THEY ARE SO MUCH BETTER! This system is so much easier to use! I LOVE IT! All I have to say to the kids is "That is below the line." or "What great above the line behavior!" And they get it! If they can't fix their behavior after 2 warnings they have to go sit somewhere else to think about how to put their behavior back above the line.
Did I mention that I LOVE THIS SYSTEM! I did add that if a student can go 5 days with absolutely NO below the line behaviors they are going to get a "self-manager" badge. This means that they will get to head to recess without waiting in line, go to the bathroom when they need to without having to wait, help me when I need things to be taken to the office, etc. I talked about this yesterday afternoon and one of my little lovelies (who was actually the one that put me over the edge and got me to start this on Thursday) said, "YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME! I would have been good!" My response, "Well ______ now you know and you can try next week."

Friday went great with kids trying hard to stay above the line.

I am just going to say that my professional day of observations DEFINITELY paid off!

Here is my question for this post: What kind of behavior system do you have in place in your classroom? Are you happy with it?

Enjoy your weekend! I will be spending my sunday cleaning, making valentines for my kiddos, planning my 100th day and valentines day activities (they fall on Monday and Tuesday-UGH).

~Allyce~