How can we help a class with a poor reputation?
Q: Have you any ideas on how to bring round a class that has developed a reputation, I would be grateful for any input. We are thinking of trying the traffic light system linking in with their golden time for all of Y2 (i.e. not single out the class with the problem). Each child starts the day on the green light and depending on the number of times they get moved onto the red light they will miss their golden time on a Friday afternoon. Have you heard of this system? Very similar to the sun / sun and cloud / cloud where names are moved across for poor behaviour? Has anyone got any ideas of input for me please?
Jenny: Your idea of doing Golden Time – and the above book “Better Behaviour Through Golden Time” will be helpful to you - is a good one. The reason why is because once you start to keep a log (quietly in your drawer) you will see that in fact it's not the whole class who are naughty it is just 5 or 6 emotionally needy children. I feel so sorry for the 'middle plodder' children who represent the majority of the class, and are constantly nagged and told off because of the challenging needs of a few.
You are absolutely right to be concerned about this. One helpful tip is to create something called 'Our Good News Book'. You get a big scrap book, cover it with gold paper and, everyday, focus on all the positive things that the class has achieved. Some schools have good news letter boxes. All staff and support staff are issued with cheap 'good news notelets', if anyone spots a class behaving well, or individuals behaving well, a little note is popped into the good news post box. These are read out after lunch, everyone claps and then they are stuck into the 'Golden Book'. If anyone says anything positive about each other (as long as it's not just about their best friend) in Circle Time - these are recorded and also written as speech bubbles and are pasted into The Book. Photos of your class keeping the Golden Rules are also pasted in. In this way you build up the reputation of your class. Whenever they have a bad day and everyone is moaning about them, you stop everything and say "Let's go back to a time when we all got on with one another" -and out comes the Good News Book!!! Good luck!
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