Discipline

CHAMPS Behavior Management System Routines Posted to CALIBK12 4/21/12

SInce the end of school year is on our heels, I am wanting to hear from elementary school librarians who had success with their discipline and behavior plans---rules and consequences and rewards/incentives where both good and bad behaviors. simple, clearly defined, supervised/administered. How do elementary school librarians reward : A. individual and B. whole class minus kids who have not earned reward. I have a frustration with not enough time in a given visit fitting some kind of end of grading period ( 6 or 8 weeks) to reward.

True/ tried successes are bound to exisit in / for the elementary world ! YES a hit will get posted. I thought the timing now is great since you know what has / has not been a success.

Many thanks.

BELOW ARE REPLIES

I use THE SHELF ELF by Jackie Mims Hopkins at the beginning of the year for first, second, and kindergarten. The library rules are taken almost exactly out of the book. I have a shelf elf who watches their behavior. Then we count gold bars at the end of the library day. They can earn one for each rule followed by the class (taken directly from the book) and an extra gold bar for anything that shelf elf makes (following a new procedure, using kind words, following multistep directions well or whatever was truly noteworthy). The gold bars for the day go into the teacher's pocket. I have a pocket chart, one pocket for each teacher. When the pocket is full we count the gold bars. The goal is to get 35. If they get 5 per week, then they should get a trophy each week but it doesn't really matter, they get the trophy whenever they reach 35. A pocket that is full usually has 30 gold bars or so. At 35, they get the trophy to take back to the classroom and return to the library the next week. The gold bars are popsicle sticks painted gold. The trophies are from oriental trading company. I try to have more than one for each class so that multiple classes can win and have a trophy at the same time, immediate consequences. I also keep track who has the trophy so I can remind the teacher to return it. I use IQ GOES TO THE LIBRARY to review rules mid year and we practice the rules each week through September to make sure they know the rules. My rule chart has a picture of shelf elf in our library. I also created a digital camera book of our shelf elf doing the rules in our library and read that usually in the first month of school. Grades 3-5, we review the rules on the rule chart. They have not changed in nine years. Also, for any new transitions, procedures, etc. I put picture directions for each step on the white board so that they can go read the picture directions to see what they need to do next. All computer activities have a pathway (picture directions) for whatever they are supposed to be doing. Hope this helps.

2. One thing that has had marginal success this year has been choosing a mystery student. I will pick a student randomly at the beginning of class and watch their behavior. If they behave well then they get a reward. I usually give a sticker, bookmark, free time, etc. If the student does not behave then the mystery student remains a mystery. The children always try to guess who may have missed out. I like this because no one knows who is being watched so they all must behave well. I will say while this worked well in the beginning the excitement did begin to wear off toward the end of the year. I hope you will get many more suggestions that I can use in my library.

3. This year, I started a "Warm and Fuzzy Jar". I took a small jar - could even use a jelly jar, and a bag of colored pompom balls from the local dollar store. I counted the balls and filled the jar. Because I had 25 classes, I couldn't do a jar per class, so I did one jar, explained the concept, and kept tally on a white board in the library.

Concept was this: every time they did something that made me feel all "warm and fuzzy" - like coming in quietly, following directions, answering questions (for my challening kids) and everyone in class returning their books (worth 5 warm & fuzzies) I would add a ball to the jar. Their goal was to get to the half-way mark first - which was 40. The first class with 40 got a "prize" - which was a special foam bookmark I had left-over from another project. (It's small, but "special" and they worked for it.) I used this concept for grades 1-4 - competing within the grade - so I would have 4 winners at the end...

The class who filled the jar first (in each grade, rememember) received a party - I bought cookies for them - and to keep the focus on reading, let them pick a few books from my reward stash for their classroom libraries. This worked great for the little ones - and seeing their class as number one on the board - (I only listed the winning class with their number of "fuzzies") was a huge incentive.

4. Our school did something called Lava LAMPS this year. We made miniture (2") lava lamps and rewarded the lamps to the class for good behavior. This gets placed in the hallway under the homeroom teacher's name. The class or grade level with the most lava lamps (at the end of the month) get a special reward (snow cones, free sitting in the cafeteria, etc.). It was nice too because the students could see the visiual - like a bar chart - going up in the hallway. Of course I give my students 3 strikes before the lava lamp was gone. If they had 0 - 2 strikes, then they kept there lava lamp. This really helped. By the way, LAMPS stands for all the special classes (Library, Art, Music, PE, and Silent Reading Class). You could only earn one lamp per class.

Another thing that really helped was knowing if they followed the directions and had good behavior, they were allowed to have "free computer" time for the last 5 - 10 minutes of class.

5. Clearly state expectations and expect students to follow them.

Have students feel they own the library. Small school - 130 ish students. Each third, fourth, fifth grader has bookshelves they are responsible for checking at least once each week to make sure neat and orderly.

Really misbehave -have to stand and look at a bookcase and not participate. Usually just the idea is enough to prevent misbehavior.

Quick rewards for younger students, stamps on the hand as they go out the door.

Special reading spot in our library - clawfoot bathtub with pillows. Each week two children - same sex (younger grades)/one child (older grades) get to sit and read in the bath tub after checking out. Keep track of whose turn in my grade book. Any misbehavior, overdue books.... you miss your turn. Reliable students get to read on beanbags throughout the library.

Two upholstered chairs are for the king and queen of AR. At the end of each 9 weeks, I tabulate a list of the highest girl and boy AR point earners for the previous nine weeks. I print a list. The next 9 weeks, the king and queen of AR get to sit in their upholstered chair after checking out. Was given two boxes of material book covers by Walmart. I always buy bookmarks, erasers, pencils.... from Scholastic at bookfair. I give these out as prizes. Students who win Almania, various contests, hard workers... get a book cover. Right now I have more than I can even give out but the kids love them! Teachers have been helpful. The large size fits over textbooks.

Main key - is to have the students WANT to be good. Then it is easy.

6.One thing I did, especially for the K-2, was to have students raise their index finger if they needed to use the bathroom (seems like after the walk to the library they have to go). I do not need to interrupt my reading to ask what a student needs if they just need/want to go to the bathroom.

7. Consistency! Pure and simple. Decide on procedures and stick to your guns. Yes, kids and staff will always push there envelop as much as you can stand, but if your procedures remain you will be successful.

We have a small library, two small classrooms converted into a library space. A space I am still trying to make more user friendly all of the time. So there isn't a great deal of wiggle room. Classes enter one way and exit usually out of the same door, it's just a matter of where the classes line up. Sometimes there have to be accommodations made but this is always proceeded by clear instructions, followed by a check for understanding.

There are the occasional misunderstanding, but that is remedied quickly with redirection. I give every student a bookmark if they're account is clear when checking out. If not, inquests are made, rules such a "bring your books back every day!" are repeated. I have a saying for every infraction, or I make one up. Bring your books back every day! Then there are no excuses. Treat your books better than a baby. They can at least cry when mistreated, or follow you when you leave them alone. All of the normal, criss cross applesauce hands in your lap, or even better, your hair can't read, neither can your ear. If you break a school rule you lose your privilege this week, and don't ask for a book after school either.

I try to recognize the top reader with a gift bag of books at the end of the school year. We hold other reading celebrations throughout the year, but these are by earned invitation only, and if you decide not to follow classroom procedures, you forfeit your invitation.

I am flexible for everything but breaking rules. My schedule is different EVERY week, so, if you need something you only have to ask. I often say No, but usually accommodate anyway. My staff understand I love my job, them, and our students. My tolerance level is not what it used to be, but my goal is a book for every reader. Expect excellence and that is what you will receive. BTW, my kids shelve their own books, not perfectly, but close enough.

8. classdojo.com Allows you to give postive and negative points I have found the GREATEST ever online behavior management - www.classdojo.com -- You can pay to upgrade, but the free product is super and no ads. I enter all of the kids names and they have an avatar - when they do something great, I click on the name and they earn a point OR lose a point for breaking rules. I have 6 reward behaviors and 6 negative behaviors. I also have an airliner so I can walk around and reward students as long as I can see the smartboard.

I've done the same thing by giving points on an excel sheet -- when students got to 25 points (5 pts. each class), they got to have a game day in the library. Have dance revolution, plus computers could be used with games (appropriate). The kids who earned some points got to do something like crafts, and if you earned 0 points, you had to write how you could improve your behavior for next time.

Whatever it is, find something you can manage pretty easily and make the rewards very available. My treats for class dojo are a free paperback book, 10 minutes of free time on the computer, changing their avatar, or checkingout their own books.

9. Individual worked best for me. Discipline means to teach. In a nutshell: I photocopy the seating charts, and give stars on the chart for students who are doing the right thing: Choosing a book quietly, helping another student find a book, sitting and reading, etc. I put checks by names for those kids who need a warning: running/chasing each other, etc. One check... a warning, two checks= sit down and can't check out the book, but I will reserve book for them till next time. 3 checks .. over the top behavior... fighting. = to the office. At the end of the time with me, I announce... Maria, John and Jose have four stars and they may line up first. Bobby, Susie and Janelle have two stars, they may line up next... One star Name, name, name, name, name. etc. When they are lined up, I look around, looking for the quietest table and announce, table three may line up, etc. I hand the seating chart to the teacher so that she may incorporate the behavior into her own reward/ discipline system. I have already informed the students that I was concerned that so many students are always doing the right thing, and since their behavior in the library is part of their citizenship grade, I came up with a way of passing what I see, on to their teacher. The minute I pick up my clipboard with the seating chart, they all notice, and quiet down, etc. It worked wonders for a really, really awful class.

10. We have a school wide point system so I don't have to worry about the individual as much. I do have a whole group incentive that I use. Each week when the students come to library class if I do not have to take a point from anyone then they earn a letter. Their goal is to spell the word "read". They never lose a letter but sometimes it takes a few weeks to earn the next letter. After they earn the letter "D" then the following week they get an extra checkout. Then they start over earning their letters again and go back to their regular 2 checkouts. This has worked very well for me. They work hard to get the letter. There are times when I fudge a little and give them the letter if I took a point from a student who is a constant behavior problem. I don't think it is right for one child to ruin it for everyone else.

11. Discipline can be tough in the library, because you see so many students from so many classes in so short of a time. Here is what works for me.

Set rules and procedures early in the school year. Post the rules where the students will see them to review. I review frequently. My rules are

Don't over remind students. I only give one warning, and then sit the students out for 3 minutes or give a natural consequence (No voices).
 * 1) Stay on task
 * 2) 6 " voices (The hardest to keep)
 * 3) Leave things as you find them

I don't do a lot of rewards, but here are some that work

12. My most successful whole-class incentive has been the "Golden Shelf Elf" award. I use Skoob, the library shelf elf character, to encourage good library manners. The class with the best library manners each week gets to host the biggest, gaudiest real trophy I could buy in their classroom for an entire week. The class' name is announced on each Monday's edition of our in-school tv show along with what the class did that was so extraordinary. The class also gets a certificate that is displayed in the classroom. At the end of the year the class with the most certificates wins an ice cream sundae party that can be held during the class' normal lunch period. It is amazing what classmates will do to encourage each other to behave in order to win the coveted trophy. Teachers also compete with each other for bragging rights.
 * with K and 1st I sing a little tune (I'm looking for good readers) and give out a sticker or ink stamp. Watch out for latex allergies.
 * with older students I save the sports cards and give them out saying I like the way you are reading. (Tell the students they don't get one for asking only if I catch them)
 * Also, a plain old verbal reward goes a LONG way.
 * for storytime I would give a good listener certificate. I will mention during the story that so and so is being a good listener, but not give the certificate till the end. Track who gets one so the same student isn't getting it all the time.
 * When I was in the urban setting I used a visual consequence when the students were doing work at a table and broke rules. I had a stack of notes with the rules on it. I would put the note in front of the student with the broken rule checked. If the student continued I would hand them a pencil to put their name on it. If it continued still, I would take up the note to give to their teacher. Worked like a charm for even the toughest kids.

13. I use a couple of things for behavior assistance. The first thing I suggest is check with the classroom teacher. Most have their own behavior modification strategies that they use. For example, our k kids actually use money. They have money cups that the students have on their desks. They earn pennies (and can trade up for nickels, dimes, and quarters) for good behavior, so I follow that model for them. For first grade and third, my teachers use good time tickets. Students earn good time tickets (small raffle tickets) that the students put their names on. At the end of the day, the teacher pulls a few out of the bucket for classroom rewards. My fourth grade use "Scholar Dollars" which works similarly to the k program but with run off money. There are fines (forty dollars for overdue books, 20 for answers blurted out, etc) and rewards (20 dollars for correct answers or quiet reading after checkout, etc). For my whole class program, I use Shelf Elves (before I used golden books, which were discarded books that were spray painted gold). The class starts with 12 tally marks. They loose marks for misbehaviors and overdue books (one tally mark for each child with an overdue). At the end of the grading period, the class with the most points gets to checkout an EXTRA book for the entire following grading period. This helps boost my circ. stats and encourages reading. I do allow the class to earn back points and even bonus points if they do something remarkable (like last week we had a fire drill with a sub and when I returned to the library the class was calm and seated, just waiting for me---I don't supervise my library students, the assistant does). Hope this helps. As far as rules, our school has a behavior matrix of expectations for each location. I don't have it memorized but it basically is 2 or 3 rules under each of these headings: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, AND SAFETY. For example, under responsibility for the library, one of the rules is to use and return all materials. Under safety, it is walk at all times. Under respect it is something like be active listeners (look at the speaker).