I did this to of course help a classroom teacher BUT to also help make behavior systems clear and easy for substitutes and parents. Consistency is so important so when a substitute enters your room they have clear understanding of your behavior system. As a former sub, I found myself having a more successful day if I was familiar with the classroom's behavior system.
Here is what you can expect from this product:
Parent Letter
It is important that parents understand the behavior system you have put in place. The parent letter clearly states the expected behavior in your classroom and will help parents to be a part as well. A colored and black and white version are available.
Behavior Expectations
I created this sheet to hang beside your hanging behavior chart to give examples of what each color behavior looks like. I left it blank so that when you introduce this to your students, you can work together (if you chose so) to decide what behavior looks like for each color. I would laminate this and use a dry erase marker should you need to make adjustments.
Hanging Behavior Chart
The color behavior chart gets printed, laminated, and hung in a location in the classroom that will work best for you and your students. Use clothes pins or magnets with names or numbers on it for each student. Clips get moved throughout the day based on student behavior. I don't like to call out negative behavior and make a scene putting someone on yellow or red. A quick and quiet discussion with the student should suffice. Do call out positive behavior (and explain why) so that students can see examples of positive behavior. It is up to you to establish precisely what is grounds for movement (up or down). It would be great to leave this for subs as well.
Monthly Behavior Calendar
The behavior calendar gets sent home for each student. At the end of the day, have students (or yourself) do a quick mark on the appropriate day to show parents the color that their child ended on. Send home any behavior notices as well. Some teachers like to have parents initial each day, week, or month. This is up to you. The behavior notices should work just fine. You can also establish a reward system should you chose. Students can be rewarded for staying on green or higher for the week or the whole month or for having a certain percentage of the month filled with positive behavior. Again, it is what works best for your class!
Behavior Notices
These notices are for students who end their day on yellow, red, blue, or purple. You can use all of them or only the colors you see fit. I print these out on colored paper to make more stick out more in folders. These notices make students accountable for their actions that led them to end their day on yellow or red. They must show their parents, reflect on their choices, and have their parents sign. The notices that are sent home for blue and purple are to celebrate positive behavior and to let parents share in the excitement. There's never enough room on the monthly calendar to write explanations so these are quite useful. They are also useful should a sub be in your room and move a child's clip. This will hopefully eliminate the day after messages you may receive regarding a sub moving their child's clip.
Sticker Charts
Some teachers don't like sticker charts so don't feel like you HAVE to use these. I, however, find they work very well for my students. You can either implement these for all students or students that might need an extra push in the right direction. I won't bore you with the numerous ways on how to use a sticker chart because I am sure you already know! Just be sure that your are consistent with the expectations you set as well as any rewards. Once you get off track, the sticker chart becomes meaningless. Again, please leave any explanation for subs! Sticker charts are available in color and black and white versions. I like to use the black and white ones and print them on colored paper!
For the Subs Sheets
I mentioned substitutes and informing them of your behavior system several times in this post. I did so be a use as a former sub, I know how difficult it is t keep up with all the different behavior systems. Let's face it, even if there is a school wide behavior system in place, it tends to be interpreted in different ways. Having a substitute in your room throws off students as it is. Letting your sub understand your behavior system allows for them AND your students to maintain a sense of constituency. Hopefully this leads to a better day for all! I left it blank so that you may specifically explain how behavior is managed in your classroom. There is also a copy of the colored chart that was sent home to parents by here is one with explanations that parents received and a blank one so that you can write exactly what you would classify as an example for each colored behavior. I have included a "From the Sub" sheet so they can clearly communicate any necessary information back to you. I know I was always super grateful when things were clearly laid out for me!
I hope this has been a great overview of this product. I am SUPER excited about this! Anyone who gets this and uses it, PLEASE let me know if it helped! I would have loved this as a sub! Look for different themed versions of this as well!
