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On the second day of school my students and I sit down and make a list of classroom rules that will help our new family work well together. The students then all color a person cut-out to look like themselves and we all tape them around our rule chart. This says that each student agrees with the rules and plans on trying their best to make our classroom an enjoyable place.

In my classroom I have displayed four large colored circles with different faces. Each child has a clothespin with their name on it and it starts on the green smile face every morning. If a child breaks one of the classroom rules they have to move their clip to the yellow face. The yellow face is a warning for them to get their act together. To help remind them they lose 5 minutes of their recess. If a child continues to break rules they will move their clip to the red face. The red face means they need to stop and think about the way they are acting. Being on this face means the student loses all their afternoon recess. The last face is the blue sad face. This face is seldom used, but is there if needed. If a child gets to this face they have to go and talk to the principal. My children hate to move their clip, and are very proud if they stay on their green face. (When I taught older grades I did the same plan but used index cards and individual pockets for each child.)

Each face is worth a point value. At the end of the day if a child is on their green face they earn 10 points, yellow earns 5 points, red earns 2 points and a blue face is worth no points. (I use these points because of my math curriculum. I have to teach my kids to count by 2, 5, and 10.) At the beginning of the year my students get a colored ticket to match the face they are on, after Christmas they get coins for the point value of each face. I give them their tickets or money out every day or once a week.

At the end of the month we have a "BONUS DAY!" The students each get to spend their tickets or money on a variety of activities throughout the day. I let the kids help pick the activities. We do things like..... coloring contest, play with clay, painting, crafts, wear a hat, play games, extra recess, eat lunch in the room, bring a toy from home, computer time, morning snack, candy treat, etc.....

My kids love and greatly anticipate Bonus Day. I have used this program for 6 years and have been very pleased with it. The kids learn that they are in control of how much they get to do on Bonus Day by how they act on a daily basis. Managing and organizing the days activities can be tricky but it all comes together after a couple of tries.

If you have any questions please feel free to E-mail me at jodycamp@yahoo.com.