Last updated on October 27th, 2023 at 03:56 pm
Behavior management in the classroom becomes an important foundation for accomplishing everything else during the school day. I can’t expect the students to think deeply and parse complicated literature and hold sophisticated (or at least tolerable) Socratic discussions if there’s not that baseline of cooperation.
As a substitute, this need for a cooperative and peaceful class becomes even more pronounced.
A simple and effective positive behavior motivator
Walking into a new classroom, another teacher’s domain, a substitute can never be quite sure what systems are in place.
That teacher’s existing behavior management methods may work in your situation, and they may not. You may be moving clothespins up and down a colorful ladder to no avail or trying to pass out various themed “Bucks” to kids who don’t care. Do not despair quite yet.
As a teacher of five years, I was dedicated to forming positive relationships and encouraging good behavior through intrinsic rewards.
It’s a completely different game as a substitute. I am not above using extrinsic rewards to survive a day– I ready myself with dozens of easy, free incentives and time fillers to motivate students if needed.
One behavior encourager I keep close at hand is the spelled-out reward. It’s effective, doesn’t need a lot of prep work, and is generally free, depending on the prize you choose. Let’s get into how spelling a word can shape up the behavior of a class:
How to use the spell-out reward method
All you’ll need is a board and writing implement with which to display the word for the class. This could be a white board and dry erase marker, or a smart board displaying a piece of paper.
Decide on the reward: Extra recess, playing a class game, free time, dance party, etc. Narrow the goal to one word and write it in all caps on the board. Dangle that carrot. In 32 point font.
Explain clear, age-appropriate benchmarks for meeting the goal. Keep it as simple as possible. To earn the big prize with me, I generally ask students to be working on their assignments quietly. I define what I mean by “quietly,” which is usually no louder than an occasional whisper. Remember to keep this attainable based on age. Most Kindergarteners I work with can probably achieve this for about ten minutes, while I’d expect fourth graders to do it for 45.
Dividing up a slot of time with mini benchmarks
This method works best within a solid, interrupted chunk of time. This could be a period of assignment work time, for example. Then it’s best to divvy up the time chunk into pieces based on how many letters the goal is:
It’s a little math problem, but I promise, it’s worth it. Example: The goal is extra time at RECESS (6 letters). The time chunk is about 45 minutes long. Splitting it into equal chunks gives you around 7-minute pieces.
For this method to be effective, I would award a letter (by drawing a check mark under it) if the goal is met every 7 minutes or so.
Going 20 minutes until you award the first letter will cause many students throw in the towel. It’s not immediate enough to be grafitying. Awarding all the letters in the first ten minutes of the time block removes that precious carrot and will become frustrating, because thought the students “earned” the reward, they now have a gaping 30 minutes with no incentive.
How to award letter “points”
I use my chime as a signal that I am giving the students a letter. At the appropriate time intervals, I’ll ding my chime and briefly announce something like “Great job on working on your assignment quietly, class. Only 3 more letters until you earn extra recess!” or something similar.
You don’t need a chime. You could use some other sound signal or just your announcer’s voice.
If students are not earning letters– let’s say they’re starting to get loud or off-task– I ring my chime again and call attention. I let them know they are not meeting the goal because of x, y or z reasons, and I remind them of the expectation and prize.
This works well because it gives the students frequent and timely feedback. It’s magical to watch a derailed class straighten up in excitement over the reward, and complete that stretch of effective work time.
What if students don’t meet the goal?
I try to do everything I say I’ll do, especially while teaching kids. So if students don’t meet the goal, they don’t receive the reward. Try not to let a lack of planning cause you to go back on your word. It’s hard to gain that ground back and be taken seriously after failing to follow through.
If the whole class doesn’t earn the reward, you’ll need some other activity to fill the time. An activity that isn’t a reward. I carry a stash of worksheets around for this purpose, but usually the teacher has left so many extra worksheets I have no problem using those instead of the prize. And I make a point of telling the kids how boring this stack of worksheets is (at the beginning of the whole exercise).
Think of what you will do if there are just a few individuals who didn’t meet the clearly defined expectations. I don’t like to withhold a reward from a class that generally earned something just because of a couple students. When this happens, I may award free time to the class while requiring the few students to complete assignments at the teacher desk. Or, in the case of extra recess time, once the regular recess period has passed and we’re starting our extra minutes, I’d ask the students who didn’t earn it to sit at a bench with me.
It’s best to find a way to reward the whole class while withholding the prize from a few that didn’t earn it.
Follow through as a substitute teacher
I’ve learned my lesson countless times: it’s best to follow through. Especially as a substitute.
If the students just met your two hours ago, there’s not going to be much of a basis of trust. Build trust throughout the day by being consistent, generally pleasant, and following through on what you say (given it’s appropriate).
This is a generality, of course. Maybe don’t follow through with words you say while losing your temper. It’s okay not to follow through with “If I hear ONE MORE WORD from this class, you’re all losing your recess!” And then someone blurts the fateful one more word. (I don’t recommend whole-class punishments or taking away recess.)
But in the case of this spelled-out reward system, have a plan for if it is not earned. No extra recess earned? You’ll simply take the class inside at the appointed time. No dance party attained? While sad and unfortunate for your little wigglers, fill the time with another academic activity.
A great strategy for encouraging positive behavior
This spelled-out reward system has served me in many a pinch. With plans and expectations in place, I can quickly access its use in times of need. No fancy supplies, no great juggling acts, no whirligigs needed here– just the basics. And sometimes those work best of all.
Teachers and subs: Have you used this system before? What are your thoughts?
