January Behavior Board

I made this board when I taught first grade two years ago.Winter in Ohio brings long days and even longer school days as students are stuck inside for recess. Try this positive reinforcement board with your students. Set a target number or goal of how many snowballs your students will need to earn a class reward. Each time your class displays great expectations, staple a snowball up on the board. (Staple them into a "pile.") Watch your snowball pile grow and grow throughout the month of January - and watch your students strive to earn them with great behavior! :)

Welcome to Candyland!

My dream job would be to travel around the country creating and decorating classroom themes for teachers. I know - not very practical. So instead, I'll live that job vicariously through my own classroom and students. This year I went with a Candyland theme. My class is loving it! Here are some pictures and ideas to go with it.

My table names are the names of the Candyland stops along the gameboard: Snowflake Lake, Chocolate Swamp, Lollipop Park, Ice Cream Slopes, and Gumdrop Mountain.


The Candyland board below is what we use for mastering our math facts. My students work in partners on the Mastering Math Facts program - learning four new facts during each "level." When a student passes their timed test for the level they are on (This program is great for differentiation in math facts.), they move up the Candyland board. Each time a student passes a landmark on the gameboard, they receive a reward!













The picture above is our Candyland Writing Board. As my students move through the writing process, they move their gumball to the stage they are on. The writing stage signs you see on my board are from www.teachersclubhouse.com.

Reading Diary

I'm not a fan of traditional reading logs. I did, however, use them during my first three years as a teacher. Perhaps it was because the concept looked simple. Maybe it was because the teacher across the hall from me used it. Either way, using it turned into a great learning experience for me. My original reading logs went a little like this: My students who filled their log in and had it signed by parents each night were rewarded at the end of the week, while my students who did not fill it in or failed to get their log signed were not. (I never gave a consequence - just not a reward.)

Last year, I remember driving my half hour commute home one day thinking "Whose homework is this, anyways?" The parents or the students? I was reminded of the student that morning who matter-of-factly told me "I don't really read, my mom just signs it because she has to for my homework." I wasn't fostering an environment of reading - I was adding more work for my busy working parents by requiring a signature - not a love of independent reading and books.

So this summer I created a Reading Diary. An easy way for my second graders to prove they read each night and work on meaningful strategies along the way. It doesn't take them long. I only require a sentence or two. Each student can be responsible for their diary entirely on their own. So now it is their homework - not mom and dad's. :)


Click the document below to head over to my TeachersPayTeacher's store to download this FREEBIE!