Tips Archive » Managing Your Classroom » Behavior Control

• Noise Control (10 tips)
• Staying On Task (6 tips)
• Transforming Behavior (10 tips)
• Tracking Behavior (11 tips)
• Discipline Referrals (4 tips)
• Safety Issues (15 tips)

Noise Control

Quiet Points

From Janie Allan, an elementary teacher at SonShine Christian Academy:

"My students have a hard time staying quiet so I came up with a point system. Each period is worth 20 points. If a student disobeys the quiet rule, the points are subtracted in increments. First they are left with 10 points and then 5 points. After the final infraction, they have 0 points left. At the end of the period, I record a running total of points on a section of the board. They like to see how many they can collect. They can spend them on extra computer time, stickers and treats but I set the prices high enough to ensure that I don't go bankrupt."

Quiet Lights

From Rajini Devi, a teacher at Swiss Cottage Primary School in Singapore:

"When my class gets too noisy, I switch off all the classroom lights and fans. Once the children find that the room has suddenly turned dim, they look around them. When they see me at the switch plate with my finger on my lips, which is our quiet signal, they know that they have been making lots of noise and it's time to be quiet and carry on with their task. Don't do it too often or it won't be as effective. I like this method because I don't have to bring in an extra resource such as a bell or chime to keep the class quiet."

V for Victory

From Raylene Wauda, an English teacher at Madison Middle School in Appleton, Wisconsin:

"Rather than yelling at my students to be quiet, they know to quiet down when I hold up my hand and use the V for victory sign. As soon as they see me, they make the signal too until the entire class is quiet. This is as effective in quieting an entire team of students in the auditorium as in the classroom setting."

Cooperative Colored Circles

From Elaine Wargo, a fourth grade teacher at Perry Elementary in Perry, Ohio:

"When working with cooperative groups, I keep the noise level under control by using colored circles. If a group is on task and using quiet voices, I give them a green circle. If I need to remind them about the noise level, I give them a yellow circle. If a group is way off task, I give them a red circle and step in to give them assistance. This is a great way to model appropriate behavior when I am just beginning to establish groups and ground rules. It also saves time because I don't have to interrupt the entire class to get one group back on track."

Getting Students' Attention with Chimes

From Pamela White, a third grade teacher at Parker Elementary School in Oakland, California:

"Since many teachers are having classroom management difficulties, I now use a chime to get children to settle down. They love the beautiful sound and it is a way to indirectly teach a little music."

Appropriate Talking Times

From Wendy Duvall, an eighth grade American History teacher at Coopertown Elementary School in Springfield, Tennessee:

"Students love to have time to talk and to share gossip. In order to keep them from doing it during instruction, I apply 'My Time'. During 'My Time', they must pay attention. They can not talk nor disturb others who are trying to learn and to pay attention. At the end of class, 'Their Time' is the last five minutes. The students want to have a few minutes to talk and to share amongst themselves."

Lowering Noise Levels

From Brenda Hutchinson, a retired second grade teacher from Oscar Adams Elementary in Gadsden, Alabama:

"To remind children of excess noise, I would raise both my hands in the air and wait for the children to do the same. They would respond until everyone in the class raised both of their hands. This was done with a smile and with a reminder of the appropriate noise level."

Noise Thermometer

From Susan Reich, a second grade teacher at Parkview Elementary in Rangely, Colorado:

"Last year as a first-year teacher, I tried what I call a 'noise thermometer' that my students keep their eyes on to monitor their own noise level. The tool worked so well that it will be a permanent fixture in my room. My noise thermometer looks like a three-foot thermometer with red Velcro that acts as the mercury. I number increments from zero (no noise) to ten (extreme noise/out of control). The thermometer starts at zero each morning. When my class gets louder I raise the thermometer to a level that matches their noise level. I never have to say a word. They see me near it and the room immediately becomes quieter! If it hits five, the class loses two minutes off recess and as it is raised even higher, they lose more time. This has proven to be an effective way for students to monitor themselves and work cooperatively to keep noise down. Last year, my class got to five only three times. I hate to use lost recess as a consequence, but losing six minutes all year isn't a bad trade-off for a relatively calm classroom."

Awesome Noise Control

From Deborah Allen, a fourth grade teacher at Valmead Elementary School in Lenoir, North Carolina:

"I used to have difficulty getting the class quiet. Nothing short of screaming 'shut up!' seemed to make any difference. Then I wrote the word 'awesome' on the board. When I had to speak to the entire class, I erased a letter beginning with the final letter. If the class made it to lunch time with the word intact, they sat where they liked. If not, they had assigned seats. If they lost the entire word by the end of the day, the following day they had silent lunch. If the entire word was intact at the end of the day, they were rewarded with 15 extra minutes of PE the next day. The first two days the class was at 'awe' by lunch time and they had an 'a' left at the end of the day. Each day they improved. This past week they had the word intact at lunch two days out of five. It worked for me when all else failed."

Silent Noise

From Susan Swenson, an art specialist at Kohl Elementary School in Boulder Valley, Colorado:

"Particularly useful at the start of the school year or on days near special events when students are talking during introductory instructions, I tell them they can keep talking, just without sound. It usually catches their attention quickly. Then I explain that when so many are talking all at once in the room, it just takes my words away. Trying to figure out the directives is hard when only my lips are moving and it usually gets the class quiet so that I can continue with directives."

Quieting Rambunctious Students

From Janet Shlegle, a special education and kindergarten teacher at Benjamin Banneker School in Loveville, Maryland:

"Quieting a rambunctious group can be a challenge, but I've had success in several primary grades with these simple tricks. I teach the children to copycat movement patterns, saying 'do what I do' while moving my arms up and down, patting my head, touching my nose, etc. Initially I do one movement, and then switch movements about every 5 seconds. Later, I will do a pattern of movements. Children need to watch and tend to stop talking as they concentrate on imitating. I praise children for copying quietly. In addition to getting their attention, this gives them a simple movement break, and if I combine activities that cross and uncross the midline it helps their sensory systems and improves their thinking skills.

"Another trick, especially for a noisier group, is to clap patterns and have them imitate. I teach the game during group time first and then from anywhere in the room, I can clap a pattern, and children begin imitating. I continue the same or varied patterns until everyone is quiet and joins the game. This strategy practices sensory processing as well as auditory attention and memory.

"Moving in the hall can be hard, but I have achieved almost silence by having the children 'Put a Bubble in Their Mouth.' They puff up their cheeks and close their lips. If they talk, they have popped their bubble. (Just watch that they don't hold their breath!) When we arrive at our destination, we all get to pop our bubbles. I remind them that bubbles don't make noise when they pop. We practice with real bubbles before the first time."

Noise Level Music

From Alan Pilkenton, a K-8 art teacher at Mid-Michigan Public School Academy in Lansing, Michigan:

"To get the attention of my students, I blow a harmonica. When the students hear the harmonica, they know that they are to stop what they are doing, look at me and listen quietly. I have the kindergarten and first grade students put their hands on their heads as well which they think is fun. I wear the harmonica around my neck at all times and use it with all my students, K-8."

Staying On Task

Raining Management

From Debra Shelton, a seventh grade special education teacher at Roblyer Middle School in El Reno, Oklahoma:

"In my class, there are many activities, projects and lessons going on all at once. In order to allow each student the freedom to move about as needed, yet stay on task; I use a rainstick to gain the attention of the class back to me. When I need to speak to the class as a whole or have the groups change activities, all I have to do is turn the rainstick over. The students automatically freeze and turn their attention toward me. It's the best thing I've ever done to maintain classroom management."

Wait Cards

From Linda Golomb, a second and third grade teacher at Cedarcreek School in Valencia, California:

"I use numbered cards to organize students who need my individual attention. I laminate the kind of cards made for classroom calendars and put them in order in a basket. When I am busy talking to someone, a student can come up and take a card. They take the card back to their seat instead of waiting in line. When I finish with one student, I call on the next number and a hand goes up to show me who I will conference with next."

Keeping Students On Task

From Gwenn Quirk, a third grade teacher at Dulles Elementary School in La Mirada, California:

"A nice addition to my bag of tricks has been a small kitchen timer for use in getting students to pay attention to the task at hand and not waste time. I set a specific time limit on many tasks and I've noticed a great improvement in finished work. I also recently borrowed an idea from on of my colleagues. I use a class set of highlighter pens when reading something such as a Weekly Reader. I let my students highlight specific words and phrases. It really keeps them on task. This also assists some students in reading and learning vocabulary."

Safekeeping Box

From Heather Greenwood, a Youth Behavior Specialist for grades K-5 at Sugar Grove Elementary School in Houston, Texas:

"Sometimes children bring things from home to play with, which makes it harder for them to pay attention. I decided to resolve this problem by creating a Safekeeping Box. I found a medium-sized box with a lid, decorated it, and put a label on the box that said 'Items in Safekeeping, To Be Returned Later'. When I see children playing with something that is distracting them, I ask them to put it in the Safekeeping Box and let them know that they can retrieve their item at the end of the day. This validates their important personal treasures and assures them they will be returned. Additionally, it cuts down on the distractions in the classroom, as the students learn quickly to avoid having things put into the box."

Ouchies

From Stephanie Urlage, a 4th grade teacher at White Hall Elementary School in Richmond, Kentucky:

"When I started my first year of teaching last year, I discovered it was popular for my fourth graders to go to the nurse's office for a band-aid or a spray of Bactine on a hang-nail or paper cut. To curb lost class time and personal frustration, I decided to keep a large bottle of clear aloe on the sink in the back of my classroom, along with a box of cotton swabs. After the students learned how to apply the aloe on their own without leaving or interrupting class, they were quite proud they could take care of the problem without asking for assistance. Their little ouchies also went away in the process!"

B.L.U.E.H.O.D.

From Kim Walker, a third grade teacher at Sunset Elementary in St. George, Utah:

"One year I had an extremely squirmy class and there was more directing going on than teaching. With the class I developed a signal to cover all the directions at once. The cue is 'bluehod.' It stands for 'Back to back of chair, Legs Under desks, Eyes on speaker, Hands On Desk.' I used it as a verbal cue for many years and then decided in some situations a silent signal could send the same message. I simply tap my shoulder, either shoulder, either hand. It is kind of a game and we see how quickly everyone responds. It has extended past the classroom to the halls, library, assemblies. Because of this, it has come to mean 'do what is expected for that particular situation.' It has worked well for me and any friends who have tried it. Keep it quick and fun."

Transforming Behavior

Tell Mr. Bucket

From Kirk Ver Halen, a third grade teacher at Cowart Elementary School in Dallas, Texas:

"I use a small plastic bucket to address the issue of tattling. I decorate the bucket with a sad face, a nose, eyes and some big ears. After I discuss tattling with the class, I tell my students that if they want to tattle, they must write their concern on a piece of paper and place it in Mr. Bucket. This has been a great help in stopping the tattling because kids don't get my attention. Later, I read what is placed in Mr. Bucket and then decide if anything needs to be addressed."

Points for Conduct and Attendance

From Sofia Libre, a seventh grade English teacher in Puerto Rico:

"Every written test I give to my students includes ten points for conduct. Points start counting in between tests. I erase bad conduct and let them try again for another period. There is always the opportunity for improvement. They understand that those ten bonus points for conduct help their final grade. In groups with poor attendance, I give five bonus points for good attendance. This incentive works well for both big and small groups. Solutions for middle school discipline and attendance problems give you the perfect atmosphere for the teaching and learning process to really take place."

The Spirit of Giving

From Beth Hanusosky, a kindergarten through second grade counselor at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"I teach a lesson on how to graciously receive a gift. I bring a wrapped gift to class containing a brightly colored pair of socks. I set the scene by telling the children about my little nephew Matthew, who is always the same age as the children in the class, and my Great Aunt Ethel. Aunt Ethel is old and loves little Matthew, but she's not quite sure what young children want. Aunt Ethel has a hard time walking, but she goes to the mall every year to buy a present for Matthew. Matthew has been anticipating a Game Boy, but has not yet received one. He's been eyeing the package from Aunt Ethel, as it seems just the right size. Matthew eagerly opens the package only to find the socks and states, 'Oh no, only socks!'. Aunt Ethel's face shows her disappointment. After I tell this story to the class, I give them the following questions to think about. 'How do you think Aunt Ethel felt? How did Matthew feel? Why do people give gifts? How do you feel when you give a gift to someone?' The students take turns practicing appropriate comments they can use when receiving gifts. We discuss the spirit of giving as well as the importance of recognizing the feelings of the giver and the receiver."

Discipline Cards

From Lolita Cox, a sixth grade teacher at Museum Magnet Elementary School in St. Paul, Minnesota:

"I have green, yellow and red discipline cards on a chart for each student. At the beginning of the day each student has a green card showing on the chart. If a child is disruptive, he or she is told to pull their green card as a warning and their yellow card is exposed. After the yellow card is pulled, the child is given a five-minute time out. After the red card is pulled, the child is given a ten-minute time out. If the behavior continues, the child is sent to the school reflection room to talk to the Educational Assistant about how he or she can better handle a situation. Once a reflection sheet is satisfactorily completed, the child may return to class. Few students have to pull more than their green card before remembering to stay on task."

Behavior Bank

From Debby Klock, a second grade teacher at Lightfoot School in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin:

"I use a behavior system that also teaches money. At the beginning of the year I have all students punch out their money from the back of their math book to go in our 'bank.' Every morning two 'bankers' pass out five pennies to each student. If a student breaks a rule, I don't need to lecture. I just collect a penny or two. The children get the message very quickly. At the end of the day, the children trade in their pennies for nickels, dimes, or quarters. Once a week, they come to my 'store' to purchase stickers, bookmarks, posters, etc. They may not use pennies to shop so they must learn money skills. The kids love it and my class knows the value of a quarter. Parents donate some of the items for the store."

Rewards

From Sherry Hubbard, a principal at Carver Learning Center in San Angelo, Texas:

"I created a classroom management system called 'Hubbucks' after my last name. I initially developed the values with my class. I "make" money by enlarging $20 and $10 bills to 20% and putting my picture in place of the president's. I white out the serial number and replace it with 'Hubbucks.' I give each student $120 per six weeks. They cannot hoard the money from one six weeks to the next. The beauty of the system is there is no record keeping. Students write their names across the back of their money as soon as I give it to them so they cannot be used by another student. On the wall we post values - $10 for gum chewing, drinking or eating In class, no pen or paper, etc. Under each amount there is a list. Students are responsible for Hubbucks. At the end of the six weeks I accept whatever money is left in exchange for dropping up to four grades (for $30 each). I give so many grades that dropping four does not make a great difference. Now kids never even try to come to class late or without supplies because they value being able to drop low grades."

Reading to Students

From Debbie Blanchard, a middle school social studies teacher at New Horizons Learning Center (a public school serving severely emotionally disturbed kids) in Panama City, Florida:

"Any down-time in my classroom generally turns into chaos. I have solved this problem by reading to the kids each day when the lesson is completed. This also gives me the option of always having something in the bag when unexpected down-time occurs. The kids absolutely love to be read to! These big old 8th grade boys will gather around and sit at my feet while I read. While I am reading, the kids can draw, sit on the floor, put their head down, etc. This is the calmest time each period in my class. Besides the obvious of sneaking in concepts and historical information, the kids are exposed to literature they would never read themselves. It opens up topics for discussion, promotes listening comprehension, and is a way of modeling a love of reading."

Speaking Out of Turn

From Kevin Maxfield, an education student in Laramie, Wyoming:

"I am working with my mentor teacher, Lea Griffin, who has many classroom management techniques. One of my favorites is when she asks one student a question and another answers. She says to the student to whom the question was asked, 'How did you make your voice come out of his/her mouth?' It's very effective management technique that points out to the class, in a subtle way, communication tactfulness."

No Whining!

From Cheryl A. Corbin, a fifth grade teacher at Sunset Elementary School in Whitehall, Wisconsin:

"To cure students in my classroom who are chronic whiners, I have made a Whine Cup. This is NOT an award they want sitting on their desk. It consists of a plastic trophy cup to which I have added several Kleenex tissue for their tears. It is surprising how quickly they check their own behavior!"

Tests as Opportunities

From Harvey Smerilson, eighth grade math and honors algebra teacher at Discovery Middle School in Orlando, Florida:

"I noticed that some students get up tight at the mention of a test or quiz. To overcome this, I simply tell the kids, 'We don't have test or quizzes. You will have silver opportunities to show me your knowledge of the subject. We also have golden opportunities and even a platinum opportunity at the end of the semester.' The kids enjoy the terminology and have even taken it to other teachers who now do the same thing. Students who dreaded tests now look forward to sharing their knowledge with me."

Independent Thinkers

From Laraine Reisner, a fourth grade teacher in Los Angeles, California:

"Periodically, I have students who ask exorbitant amounts of questions, either for lack of using their skills to figure out an answer or for attention. I developed a plan to curb this behavior. When applicable, I give a student three 'tickets', made from colored construction paper each day, and whenever he/she asks me a question, a ticket must also be handed to me. When the tickets are used up, they may not ask me another question for that day. I have seen children become independent thinkers and self-sufficient when on this plan because they want to save the tickets for really important questions. It's a great way to develop problem solving skills."

Blackmail File

From Karen Marty, a retired fifth grade teacher from Columbine Elementary School in Grand Junction, Colorado:

"When I was a fifth grade teacher, I kept what I called a "Blackmail File." When a student repeated minor misbehaviors, I had a conference with the student and we wrote up what had been happening and came up with a plan. We both signed and dated the write-up, which went in the Blackmail File. If the misbehavior cleared up, nothing happened. If misbehavior continued, then I had a conference with the parent and the student. During the conference, anything in the Blackmail File was brought up and discussed. Most of the time the students appreciated having a chance to clean up their act."

Behavior Referrals

From Heather Burger, a sixth grade math and science teacher at Blacksburg Middle School in Blacksburg, Virginia

"I use several techniques when students are disruptive in the classroom. I make it a learning experience for the students, reminding them that they need to raise their hands, stay in their seats, etc.

"If a student still has a problem, I whisper a conversation about the behavior and show only the student the behavior slip. I tell the student the referral is filled out and ready to be given to the principal. I leave it upside down on the student's desk and tell the student that if there are no more problems, he/she can rip it up and throw it away after class. This lets them have control over their behavior.

"For other situations, I take the student out in the hallway and bring a referral slip to show that I mean business. If I am going to write up a student, we discuss why and strategies that can be taken so it will not happen again. The student fills out the referral himself listing the discipline problem and the action taken. 'Action taken' could be a conference, a call home, lunch or after-school detention, or a meeting with the principal, who chooses the student's consequence. Students usually choose after-school detention with me, and at the end of the detention we conference with the parent who picks up the student about why there was a detention and how to avoid it next time."

Ask Three Before Me

From Paul Brooks Clark, a technology coordinator at Manchester Memorial School in Manchester, Massachusetts:

"This 'oldie but goodie' still has legs. Teaching in a K-6 computer lab with 20+ students at a time can be quite taxing when the questions come fast and furious. The admonition 'Ask Three Before Me' can be a successful strategy on several fronts: the teacher is freed up to work individually with struggling students; the teacher can do more assessment; and the students asked for help can demonstrate their understanding of the topic. The student providing the help cannot just take the mouse and do the job, he must actually teach his classmate so the classmate understands the concept or skill."

Tracking Behavior

Behavior Notebook

From Maribeth Petery, a fourth grade teacher at Clay Elementary School in Ephrata, Pennsylvania:

"I keep track of responsible student conduct by assembling a 3-ring notebook and placing one page per student inside at the beginning of the year. On the first day of school, I show the students their blank page and challenge them to keep it blank for the whole school year. Here's how it works. When a student breaks one of our rules, that student must go to the behavior notebook and write a brief account of what transpired. If I agree with the assessment, I sign it and date it. This page is sent home with the report card at the end of the marking period. A big point is made of the fresh start for all at the beginning of the next marking period. If a student has a blank page all year, I send home the original blank page with a heartwarming note of praise for good behavior all year long."

Point Cups

From Jamie Whooley, a primary EBD teacher in Addison, Illinois:

"I recently augmented the behavior management system (token economy) in my classroom. All students at my school (K-12) have daily behavior charts. Their teachers are to keep the charts with the students at all times. These charts show the students' behavior in 5-minute intervals throughout the day and a section for fines and bonus points. The students in my class are beginning readers, and for the most part are unable to read the important things on their charts.

"I came up with a system using base ten blocks and colored unifex cubes. Students have a cup Velcroed to their desk. Every 5 minutes the student is working, I put a base ten block (1 unit) in their cup, each time the student receives ten blocks, they must come to the bank (me) and exchange them for a rod (10 units). If the student earns a fine, they must pay the bank with their earned points. They also have the opportunity to earn bonus points (color coded for each teacher in the classroom-use unifex cubes). The bonus points can be used to buy computer time during breaks. The base ten blocks can be used to purchase larger items from my store (toys, stickers, etc.).

"I still have to use the behavior charts in addition to the cups, but this works out great for the students. They are beginning to understand what the behavior management system is all about. Of course, they get angry when they have to pay their fines off, but it has reduced the number of times they act inappropriately in a given day!"

Traveling Binders and Saturday School

From Chris Merfeld, a sixth grade teacher at Southeast Warren Intermediate School in Lacona, Iowa:

"In order to keep records of student behavior and late assignments, our school has devised a simple record keeping system. Each teacher has a binder which travels with their class where ever they go. There's a form in the binder that the teacher can use to record any misbehaviors or missing work. The columns on the form include student name, subject, behavior, work and explanation. At the end of the day, I review the form and assign predetermined consequences for behavior or late work and then begin a new form the next day. This is an easy way to keep records for the entire quarter. We also have a Saturday school program, which is two hours for any student who has three or more late assignments per week. Students can also earn privilege points for good behavior and completed work."

Weekly Behavior Report

From Maryellen Eaves, a fourth grade teacher at Louisville Elementary School in Louisville, Mississippi:

"To keep parents informed of their child's progress and behavior, I send a Weekly Behavior Report home each Monday. The report has a box for each day in which I document both positive and negative behaviors and any grades the student has earned that week. I also note any special assignments. The parents must sign the report and send it back to school. The weekly report not only informs the parents, it's also good documentation for me."

Student Behavior Log

From P. Morse-McNeeley, a secondary special education teacher:

"I keep a weekly log on student behaviors. It's a form of a diary in which I note students' infractions of rules, disruptive behavior, and failure to do homework or activities in the classroom. Each student has a page in the log although thankfully, some are never used. The log proves to be very handy in parent conferences when a student demonstrates a continuous behavior problem. It's an excellent source of documentation for the teacher's protection too. I include any referrals that have been made to the office or counseling. On a more positive note, I also set up files for each student in which I keep some of their best work."

Behavior Logs

From Stephanie Tatel, a fifth grade teacher at a public charter school in New Haven, Connecticut:

"I have an extremely active class with a lot of kids who have severe behavior issues. In order to get those kids to begin monitoring themselves and to be sure those who are in charge at home know what is going on in the classroom, they carry around a behavior log. This is a clipboard that has a sheet taped to it that lists the expected behaviors at all times. I clip another sheet to it that is a chart for the week with a little box for each class, including lunch and recess. The student has to get it signed at the end of every class by the teacher. The teacher also writes a short note about the student's behavior. These students carry the behavior logs around all day and feel very important because they have clipboards. It is a great opportunity to continually discuss the student's behavior, to emphasize positive behaviors and problem-solve around the negative ones. At the end of every day, I Xerox the log and staple it into the student's homework folder for their parent to see. This is a great way to track behavior. There are consequences for negative reports and rewards for positive ones. This is a long-term approach but it is the most effective way I have found to get these kids to pay attention to their behavior and encourage them to take responsibility for it."

Behavior Notes

From Lourdes Nelson, a third grade teacher at Lakeview Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee:

"I found a quick and easy way to document my students' behavior. I use a steno notebook and list my children by student numbers. I use one page for each day. This enables me to quickly note any behavior problem and I can go back and pull up incidents should it be required."

Behavior Box

From Carol Jacobs, a primary special education teacher in East Ramapo School District, New York:

"I have a file box with an index card for each child in my class. I jot down comments and dates as incidents occur on the cards. When I write reports or have parent conferences, I can use the cards to substantiate what I'm saying. Another advantage to using the index cards is that I can be selective in what I choose to report to the parents so that I don't appear to be bombarding them with too much information. These cards are also very helpful when I'm organizing my thoughts for a report."

Behavioral Seating Chart

From Melanie McCarty, a sixth grade science teacher at Elwood Community Middle School in Elwood, Indiana:

"I have trouble remembering the behavioral history of kids in my class. I recognize the escalation or improvement of problems but it s hard for me to remember specific dates and incidents. I make my seating chart so that the box with the student's name in it is large. When a student has a problem, I write the date, code number for the rule, and if necessary, a note about what happened. I use a new copy of my seating chart each week. It looks very professional to be able to recite exact dates of incidents when parents ask."

Behavior Contracts

From Kirsten Sayle, a second grade teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"One of my discipline tools is a daily behavior contract that is used for a few students who need a daily review of behavior. I designed a chart using Microsoft Word that breaks down the day into halves or thirds, depending on the student's behavioral needs. I created it on 1/4 of a sheet of paper so that four charts fit on one 8 1/2" x 11" sheet. I cut the charts, punch them in the corner, and then put them on a ring. I keep them in a basket on my desk. At the end of the day, I call each child with a contract to my desk. We review their behavior and if they made good choices for each part of the day, I place a small sticker in the box according to the time of day that they made good choices. If they made a bad choice, we discuss it and I write a quick recap in the box about their behavior choices. The contracts are sent home daily for parents to review. It is quick and efficient. Students enjoy seeing the stickers. The teacher, students and parents get daily feedback. Some parents support the contract at home by granting privileges or taking them away according to the number of stickers they earn each day."

Documenting Student Behavior

From Ellen Winer, a special education resource/inclusion teacher at Perry Elementary School in Perry, Ohio:

"Most of the students I work with demonstrate behavior that is more inappropriate than the typical misbehavior in the regular classroom. It is important for me to keep track of the specific behaviors each student is working on in order to gauge progress or regression. Using Excel to report time, I make graphs to demonstrate each student's achievement. The finished product is well done and looks professional. This has been very helpful in reporting to teachers, parents and administrators. The students are impressed, too!"

Managing Behavior

From Janet Beggerly, a second grade teacher in Miami, Oklahoma:

"Here's a tip for keeping track of good and bad notes on students. Take a blank monthly calendar - you can make your own if you have Print Shop. It doesn't take that long to fill out the dates each month. Then on the days you have trouble with students or students do something neat, list their names on the square for that particular day with a one or two word reminder of what they did. It's very easy at the end of the month to look back and see how the month went. Another method I have used (taken from a magazine) is to take the very small post-it notes and write the child's name and the date with the comment. Then stick the note inside a file folder. This is great, but you may still want to go through this every month so you don't get over-noted! I have used both of these methods, and they work equally well, especially when parents want to know how things have been going for their child that month."

Discipline Referrals

Cell Phone Discipline

From Nikki Sheffield, a teacher at East Laurens Elementary in Dublin, Georgia:

"I use my cell phone to help me with disruptive students. When a problem occurs, I just call any number and push the clear button. The students think I pressed the send button. I pretend that I am talking to their parents. You should see the expressions on their faces! Try this, it works!"

Questioning Behavior

From Laraine Reisner, a fourth grade teacher in Los Angeles, California:

"When one of my students has a discipline problem I just go into my file cabinet and take out a previously copied form. There are four questions on the form with enough lines underneath to answer. The questions are:

1. What did I do wrong?
2. Why wasn't my action acceptable?
3. What should I have been doing instead?
4. What will I do in the future?

I read the completed form over with the student to make sure all facts are correct and then mail the forms home to the parents. This system forces the students to own up to their actions. I've found that it works wonderfully in curbing behavior problems."

After Class Referral

From Billy Harris, a middle school teacher:

"I fill out my office referrals after class and drop them off at the discipline office during lunch or after school. This way the students don't know when they are going to get a referral. The administrators appreciate it because when a student is sent to the office they may be involved in more important situations. This method works very well as it allows the administrator to get to it at a more opportune time and it keeps the students a bit off guard."

Non-Embarrassing Discipline

From Billy Harris, a middle school teacher:

"I have discovered ways of enforcing discipline without disrupting the class or embarrassing the student. First I give a look, move towards, or deliver a note the student. If that does not work, I fill out a referral and leave the name blank. I tape it to the wall and tell the class if there's anyone who just cannot help but talk, that person should come forward, put their name on the referral and talk with the assistant principal. This usually does the trick."

Safety Issues

Releasing Tension Due to Violence

From Kathy Gaji, a second grade teacher at Brookside Elementary School in Binghamton, New York:

"This is a way of putting the recent shooting in Colorado into perspective for young children who often feel that what they see on TV will happen to them next. Our classroom walls are covered with pegboard. When talking about the recent shooting, I told the children to pretend that every hole in the pegboard is a school somewhere in the United States. I then showed them eight holes out of all the holes on the pegboard and told them that these eight holes represent the schools where shootings of this type have occurred. Your classroom walls are probably not covered with pegboard but you can use something else comparable such as a large jar of pennies, all the math manipulatives in your class put together, etc. The tension level decreased considerably when I used this idea."

Crisis Plans

From Madaline Fennell, a first grade teacher in Omaha, Nebraska:

"Our school district has been actively working on safety issues for a number of years. One of the products of this discussion has been the development of crisis plans for all buildings. The plan covers how staff should react to a number of situations (intruders in the building, intruder with a weapon, bomb threat, suicide, etc.) as well as several methods of communicating information (intercom, folders, cell phones).

We have also prepared crisis kits with student rosters, flashlights, activities for students to complete, and copies of the plan. To make sure that we have a working knowledge of our plan, some buildings hold unannounced drills to stay on their toes. In addition, we are very strict about our visitor policy. We have signs posted at every door that welcome visitors but require them to check in at the office and receive a bright yellow visitor badge. Random checks are conducted by our district office to make sure that a stranger cannot just wander through the building without being confronted. All staff are held responsible for stopping unknown people who are not wearing a badge and asking them to go to the office."

From Pat Terrell, a teacher at Montclair High School in Montclair, California:

"To ensure a smooth running school, our comprehensive high school's administrators and proctors meet the school buses each morning and detain students who wear prohibited gang-style clothing. The students are given 'loaner' sweat pants and T-shirts for the day. Students who are out of class must have a legitimate pass or they are taken to the Learning Center and detained for the rest of the period. The combination of monitoring clothing and keeping students in class keeps our school environment pretty safe."

Backpack-Free Classrooms

From Carol Kolbe, a teacher in Whitehall, Michigan:

"Our school has instituted a "no backpack in the classroom" rule and has embarked on a partnership with the local police department through which an officer schooled in community policing has his home base at the high school and is present there during school hours."

Emergency Procedures

From Deanna Walvatne, a science and chemistry teacher at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly, Iowa:

"If there should be an incident at our high school of 770 students, we hear a special code over the P.A. or intercom. It tells us what the incident is, specifically, and where it is taking place. We lock our classroom door, close the blinds, and make sure the students are behind or under tables, desks, or counters. The local police are also aware of the emergency procedures."

Block Scheduling as Safety Measure

From Judy Ratzlaff, a Spanish teacher at Orange Park High School in Orange Park, Florida:

"Our School Improvement Committee came up with a plan several years ago. We have block scheduling, which cuts down on the number of times a day a student can change classes and get into trouble. We have 100-minute classes and three classes a day. We have six subjects a quarter just as if they were all taught in one day, only it is split into two days. Teachers teach 5 classes in two days so that leaves them free one class to patrol the campus and hallways every two days. We have a large faculty so that each teacher does hall duty one quarter on one quarter off. Three golf carts with two teachers each roam the outdoor part of the campus. The rest of the teachers have hall duty or a tardy hall duty.

No one is to be in the hall without a pass. A pass system was devised. They are color coded so that upstairs bathroom passes are only good upstairs. Hall passes are another color and are good all over the campus, library passes are also different. Each pass must have the name of the bearer on it, with one person per pass, the time of the pass and other than the Library and bathroom pass there must be a destination and coming and return time. When we have had bomb threats we have called in the passes and been able to find out who was out on the campus at the time. We even caught one once with the pass method. No personal mobile phones or pagers are allowed at our school. All visitors must have a pass. We have a lock down and emergency plan to lock in the kids that are in schoolrooms and remove others to a safe place. Everyone has a place to go in the emergency. All teachers have instructions of how to keep their students safe in an emergency."

Many Safety Strategies

From Sue Mersic, a third grade teacher at Darley Road Elementary School in Claymont, Delaware:

"We are a K-3 school with a student population of 400, located in an area of suburban poverty with nearly 600 apartments, many of which are Section 8, mixed with low-end single family homes. The student population changes 50% every two years. Our poverty rate is 63% and our minority population is 53%. Here's what we've done to create a safe environment:

1. Our students wear a uniform standard of dress-blue or khaki pants, skirts or shorts and a white shirt with collar, red, white or blue sweater.
2. We play classical music on the intercom before and after school.
3. Outside windows are bullet proof.
4. Only the front doors are unlocked. All others are kept locked at all times.
5. Staff and volunteers will soon wear photo ID.
6. Outside lighting has been increased and maintained.
7. We employ an interventionist who is stationed at the main office to query any adult or teenager who enters the front door. He also deals with students who are out of control and immediately removes them from class.
8. We have an automatic 5-day suspension and referral to a psychologist for any child who threatens to kill anyone.
9. We have an automatic suspension and police referral for any child who brings a weapon of any kind to school.
10. We automatically suspend and refer to the police any child who engaged in fighting.
11. We enforce strict rules that children never touch each other except in friendly contact.
12. Our crisis plan with code word ensures that teachers go into 'lock down' mode should any crisis arise.
13. Children never go anywhere alone - always in two's.
14. Our staff are devoted to children, teaching, and learning."

Orderly Coming and Going

From Charlene McDaniel, a band and strings teacher at Guilford Elementary School in Howard County, Maryland:

"Our new principal has organized arrival and dismissal time to be safe and orderly by having the students enter through the main entrance only with all non-classroom teachers as hall monitors. Last year the students entered and left by the closest door of the building to their classroom. This streamline of student flow allows for friendly greetings and gentle reminders of proper hallway behavior. The classroom teachers are in the classrooms to greet the students and start the day. For dismissal, the classes are lined up and escorted by the classroom teacher down the main corridor to the main entrance. Again the hall monitors can give reminders of behavior and also friendly wishes for a good weekend or 'see you tomorrow.' The order of class dismissal is according to their proximity to the main door, not by grade level. This organization provides safety and orderliness to the students beginning and ending of each day."

Safety Ideas

From Cindy Burrell, a special education teacher at The McCarthy/Teszler School in Spartanburg, South Carolina:

"We have a Safety Committee that meets and reviews all accidents and incidents that have been reported. Some steps that have been taken to make our school more secure include: ID badges for all staff members, once a month fire drills, twice a year tornado drills, evacuation drills (in case of a real fire, natural disaster, train wreck, chemical spill, etc.). We have emergency buttons in all rooms (if an emergency happens, we push the 'panic button' and a signal goes off in the office via our intercom system). All visitors are to report to the office. If we see someone we don't recognize in the building, we stop them and ask if we can help them. We all have input via the Safety Committee to suggest steps to make our school safe."

More Safety Measures

From Diane Agoranos, a fourth grade teacher at Greenbrook Elementary School in Hanover Park, Illinois:

"Our school has installed a video camera at the main entrance with a buzzer. When a visitor wishes to enter the building they must buzz the office, identify who they are, and then the secretary will automatically unlock the door. Visitors who stay in the building must wear a nametag that is then returned to the office when they leave. All building doors are locked after the students have entered and the tardy bells sounded. Teachers who take the children outside for recess must check out a building key when leaving and return it when going back to class. There are over 600 students in the building and this safety system seems to be working."

Safety Measures on an Open Campus

From Kathleen Spengler, a fourth grade teacher at Lake Mary Elementary School in Lake Mary, Florida:

"Since we have an open campus, one set rule we have is that all students must have a buddy whenever they go anywhere on campus: clinic, office, errands, etc. All adults wear an identification badge as do volunteers. Visitors must sign in and wear a visitor button as well. Students have also been instructed not to talk with anyone who does not have a badge on. These procedures help us all stay aware of safety on campus."

Secured School

From Cindy Jones, a fifth grade teacher at Rowland Elementary School in Rowland Heights, California:

"We have a secured school during class hours. There is only one entrance unlocked during school hours, and that is to allow entrance through one office door and to exit out the other door. When parents and/or students enter, they must check in. Visitors receive and wear a stick-on tag to identify them. Tardy students are dealt with at that time. Our custodian locks the gated entrances to our school as soon as the morning bell rings. He then unlocks the gates right before dismissal. It seems to work well, as we never have strangers walking around campus. Also we have a buddy system, where students never go anywhere alone."

Badges

From Julia Todd, a teacher at Raymore-Peculiar High School in Peculiar, Missouri:

"In our school we have started with ID badges. We purchased a computer program, camera and special printer with grant money. We started with teachers and administrators wearing badges. In a high school of 1100, sometimes students don't know who the teachers are. Since we've been wearing our badges, parents feel more comfortable coming up to a teacher and asking questions because they know we belong in the building. We have also made badges for students who are teacher aides, cadet teachers and tutors. These students go into the elementary buildings and are easily recognized by their badge. All students will have badges in a couple of months, but it takes time to photograph and print all students. There is an advantage to having the student ID, also. Local movie theaters give a 50 percent discount with the ID. This has motivated students to ask for their ID. The IDs were designed by students and the student body voted on their favorite design. This gave the students some ownership of the ID badges."

Uniforms for Staff and Students

From Gretchen Simpson, a teacher at Jamestown Elementary School in Augusta, Georgia:

"Uniforms are our school's dress code. Staff wear uniforms on Mondays and Fridays. It is very easy to see the UN-uniformed. We also wear picture ID badges."

Lock Down Procedure

From Katy Armagost, a teacher at Mt. Vernon High School in Mt. Vernon, Washington:

"We have a lock-down procedure in place where each teacher locks room door and secures outside doors where possible. We have twice yearly drills. Once I was able to 'sweep' a passing visitor into my room before I locked the door, since he happened to be in the right place at the right time. What great publicity to the community, right? We have two security people with radio contact, three administrators who patrol without fail during non-class time, video cameras mounted around campus and soon will have a city policeman with an on-campus office. We have no metal detectors, no fencing, no student vs. intruder identification system. We all keep our fingers crossed during periods of full moon and warm weather. So far, so good."