Popsicle Sticks

          We are now three weeks into school. I had a rough start to the year. It felt like I couldn't learn all 41 of my students names much less get to know them. Well I feel like I do know them now. I don't know a lot of personal things about them (family life, favorite things to do), but I do know them as students. I know which quiet kids aren't answering but know what is going on, and which quiet kids aren't answering and don't have a clue what is going on. I know which ones need extra time but they can do it themselves, and I know which ones are going to need extra help. I also know which ones get bored easily and need constant things to keep them busy so they don't get in trouble. 

          I also have found the key to keeping the noisy class quiet. I have a morning class and an afternoon class. The morning class is vying for the quietest class that I have had in my 10 years. Three weeks into school and they can write quietly for 20 minutes. I can give them an assignment and have to watch carefully for the ones who need help because they will work quietly on it. Even when they help each other, they do it quietly.

        For every bit of quiet that my morning class it, my afternoon class is loud. For the first two weeks of school I don't think there was more than a few seconds that went by that someone didn't say something. Out of desperation earlier this week I stopped in the middle of class (which some didn't even notice because they were talking to their friends) and gathered up some containers I have stashed in my cabinet. They are the tall thin containers that Crystal Light drink mix comes in. I put one at each group and grabbed a handful of Popsicle sticks. I gave each group 5 Popsicle sticks. The whole time I haven't said a word. I finally have their attention. They are trying to figure out what on Earth is going on. What are we doing with Popsicle sticks? My theme this year is superheroes. I told my class that whenever they did something that made me happy (taking out their journal without everyone talking, opening their book without everyone talking, using their connecting cubes correctly) I would give them a stick. Whenever they did something that made me unhappy I would take a stick away. Whichever group had the most at the end of the day was the superheroes for the day. One student immediately asked if we win what do we get? I repeated they get to be the superheroes for the day. They asked why not stickers or a prize. I counter why would I give you something when you have been bad. I have to put the Popsicle sticks out because you are being bad. You don't get stickers for being bad. That made some kind of sense in their head (and I wasn't really sure it would, I thought they might say but if we had the most we were being good) But I was trying to stress that the reason I had to get the sticks out wasn't a good reason so getting the most didn't translate into a prize. Well it worked like a charm. It worked better than I could ever imagine. They must be the most competitive class ever because they will do anything to earn a stick. I try to dole them out generously so that the positive behavior is constantly rewarded, but I also take them away as much as needed. The best part is I have done this several days in a row and it has continued to work. The winning group does get to line up first now, but I still refuse to reward the winning group with a material reward. I want it to become intrinsic and not cost me anything. 

         Now for a new challenge. For the next three weeks my morning class will come to me in the afternoon and my afternoon class will come to me in the morning. (It has to do with the dual language program and our schedule this year. The student only get writing once a day. Sometimes in English and sometimes in Spanish. My class has only had English writing so far, so it is time for them to be in the Spanish teacher class during writing time.) This means some new procedures. Most things will be the same, but things like backpacks and getting ready to go home will be new. Hopefully it will all go smooth.