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It’s Working… They’re Working

Last week was not fun for me. Basically, I was too busy to fully plan my week and boy did I pay for it. My students were driving me nuts…. I can't drink wine but if I could, I definitely would have had some!!!

So this week, I was prepared.

I spent part of my weekend gearing up for this week. Think of a battle scene with war paint and everything. It was that intense. Ok, maybe not that intense but clever, yes! A friend shared an idea with me that worked for her.

She made goody bags!!! What kid doesn't love goody bags?!  She set them out for all to see and when they met their goal, they could have their bag.

Well, I just had to try this too. Sunday night, I ran over to Target and picked up some lunch bags as well as some candy, Easter eggs, and Easter pencils.

Monday morning the kids walked into my class to this …

Boy were they excited!!!
They had a ton of questions, of course.

I tweaked Leah's idea a little. I didn't have them set a goal. I challenged them to earn a sticker a day. At the end of the week, anyone with 4 stickers will get their bag. (I do want to make it an attainable goal.)

Getting a sticker isn't easy though. It isn't just for good behavior. Going into this last week before Spring Break, I wanted them to think about being kind and caring. So any time they are being a bucket-filler they can earn a sticker. I can be the one that notices the bucket-filling or another student can report if they noticed bucket-filling. Any type of bucket-filling earns them a sticker.

Let me tell you… it has worked like a charm! The kids are being soooo nice to each other. And, they are actually thinking of others… which is hard for little 7 and 8 year olds to do sometimes. So far, all of my students have at least two stickers so I am pretty confident they will all get four by Friday.

Is this a tricky form of bribery???? Maybe? But is it worth my sanity??? Yes.  Plus, I do love that they are being thoughtful.

To make things a little more fun… we are also using a pair of fun bunny glasses that I picked up at the dollar bin at Target.  Basically, anyone following directions or participating gets to wear them for about 10 minutes.

This little kiddo needs lots of motivation and encouragement to focus on reading. These glasses worked like magic!!!! I am thinking of using them year-round if he's willing to read. $1 well spent!
Dear Target Dollar Bin,
 You are awesome and my new best friend!!!
Sincerely,
LV

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Teaching in a primary classroom can be overwhelming! Have you ever wondered… How can I meet all the demands of teaching and still make sure I am teaching my students to be good world citizens? How can …

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