Pages 95-97
Full credit: 25 WBT Certification Points
Partial credit: 10 WBT Certification Points
Reminder: Please sign your post with your real first and last name.
Chapter 14: Scoreboard Levels
Which of the Scoreboard levels are you most likely to use next year … and how long do you estimate you will stay at each level?
Pages 95-97
Full credit: 25 WBT Certification Points
Partial credit: 10 WBT Certification Points
Reminder: Please sign your post with your real first and last name.
Pages 95-97
Full credit: 25 WBT Certification Points
Partial credit: 10 WBT Certification Points
Reminder: Please sign your post with your real first and last name.
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The multiple levels of the Scoreboard are ideal for the needs of my kindergarten and first grade students in special education who receive instruction from me an hour each day of the week. Both of my classes will work hard for the Level One smiley tallies. I see my students for a small portion of the day so Level One will remain effective throughout the year if I rotate Ping-Pong in and out as the class needs a shot of energy. After about the second week of school, I will talk to the students about Level Two and start off with small goals for them to gain reinforcement for small improvements. For example, an early goal might be Rule #1 Follow Directions Quickly or improving neatness of writing their name. For my kindergarten students it may just be learning to write their names. I want them to be successful to get them hooked on the Scoreboard Level Two’s “levels within a level”, so to speak. For most of my students, this will be enough to make it through the entire year with steady progress and growth. Notice I did say “most”. I know many of the students in my resource classroom and know the behavioral issues that are a part of their disabilities. For one student, I know that The Bullseye Game will be needed and when it will be introduced will depend on how much of an issue it is for him to transition from the summer back to a new teacher and classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am a behavior analyst and have quite a collection of behavior plans I’ve written for specific children and great ideas for reinforcers I’ve gotten through my Applied Behavior Analysis classes. The Scoreboard is hands-down the easiest to administer (so the most likely to be used consistently), easiest to customize to a student’s specific needs, and the most fun of anything I’ve come across. It reminds me of the trick where the magician pulls the colored scarves out of his hat and they keep coming and coming with different colors. You never know what color is coming next or when it’s going to end! The Scoreboard is the teacher’s magic!
Kathy,
DeleteGreat job thinking about implementing the Scoreboard this coming year. I can tell you from personal experience the Bullseye Game you are considering is very effective. Here are your 25 certification points!
As I read about each level, I felt that a good majority of them could be used in my classroom all year. It really depends on the situation. At the beginning of the year I am going to start with the Level One scoreboard. This is a good introduction to the scoreboard and I want students to feel comfortable with it before moving to the next level. I would use this scoreboard throughout the whole year. I want my students to work as a team and the Level One scoreboard promotes that. Using the variations on the scoreboard would prevent this strategy from becoming “old.” During the second week of school, I would introduce the Super Improvers Team. This would be used for the remainder of the school year as an independent behavior system.
ReplyDeleteThe Level Three Practice Cards are excellent for rewarding students that are behaving and monitoring the students that are not behaving. Once I have introduced the Super Improver Team, I would introduce the practice cards. I want my students to see that they will be recognized for positive behavior. I would use this for the remainder of the school year. I will only use the Level Four Guff Counter if needed. If I have students that I can tell are going to be disrespectful in the classroom then I would introduce this. It is a great way to show that the class is unified and we will not tolerate this type of behavior.
I would not use the three remaining levels unless I absolutely needed to. They seem more geared to extremely disruptive behavior. I am looking forward to incorporating the Scoreboard levels in my classroom.
Elissa,
ReplyDeleteGood thinking about the Scoreboard levels. My suggestion about the practice cards is to hold off as long as you can before implementing them. Try to make it at least to Thanksgiving or Christmas. As you found in Chapter 11, there are many ways to reinvigorate the scoreboard to help you hold off on those practice cards. Here are your 25 certification points!
I plan on introducing the Level One scoreboard the first week of school. I feel that there are enough variations of Level One to get me through to at least Thanksgiving or even the entire first semester if I’m lucky!
ReplyDeleteLevel Two, Super Improvers Team, I will introduce the second or third week of school. I had seen cards posted on Pinterest about this, and I really didn’t know what it was. I look forward to the next chapter for a better explanation. I like that the students are competing against themselves and not other classmates. I also like that in includes academics and social behavior.
I’m hoping I won’t have to introduce Level Three, the Practice Cards, until the second semester. I like that they’re called Practice Cards. I feel this takes away the negativity of it so it’s not so much a punishment. I also like the purple card denoting positive behavior.
If I have to use Level Four, the Guff Counter, I hope it’s not until at least half way through the second semester. I don’t like putting one student on the hot seat, but I also realize that sometimes it’s necessary.
Honestly, I hope not to have to use the last three levels unless I absolutely have to! With that being said, I’m also thankful that they’re there in case I need them!
Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteGood thinking about the levels of the practice cards most likely to make it into your classroom. The Guff Counter is really not a bad thing. :) I have used it for the past 2 years and once it is implemented, you don't really have to deal with the disrespect after that. Good luck with your system! Here are your 25 certification points!
Of the seven Scoreboard levels, I know I will implement the first four.
ReplyDeleteTried and true level one will be used from day one through day 180. I am looking forward to introducing the Scoreboard on the first day this year. Variations, as described in chapter 9, will help keep the board alive and exciting throughout the entire year. It is what I call the backbone to WBT and unites the class.
The Super Improvers Team of level two will not be introduced until several weeks after school begins. It is important to allow students to fully understand and master level one before adding level two. I will have the board in place before school begins though. This will definitely create curiosity among students. I love the fact that level one focuses on the group and level two on the individual. There’s something about the ‘levels’ of level two that hook students attention. It’s like a good video game. We all like to advance to the next level! I will also use level two from the time it is introduced through the remainder of the year.
Levels three and four will definitely help with individual behavior problems. Practice cards will allow students to rehearse the rule they broke and inform parents of the negative/positive behavior. I will try my best to “work” the first two levels so I do not have to use level three practice cards, but chances are, they will be needed sometime following winter break. Finally, the level four Guff Counter helps eliminate disrespectful behavior. Two little words, “Please, stop,” will never sound as sweet until a group of middle school students use them to unite against challenging behavior. I’ve never used the Guff Counter, but I’m guessing it’s as sweet as “It’s Cool!” I hope I don’t have to use level four, but I’m glad it’s an option. I will use it if needed, and I’m hoping it will not be until late in the school year.
I am hoping the remaining three levels will not be needed. I am, however, glad they are available if I need to use them.
Melinda Sprinkle
Good thinking about the scoreboard levels Melinda! I have used the Guff Counter before and typically, once I introduce it, I rarely have to revert back to it. It's pretty powerful. Here are your 25 certification points!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow did you remove your comment? I want to remove one of mine and can't seem to do so.
DeleteBe sure you have logged in. If you're not, it doesn't give a delete button. If you are logged in you should see a reply and delete button.
DeleteThe scoreboard is one of the most powerful tools in a WBT’s arsenal of tricks. There are so many variations of the scoreboard to keep students interested. By mixing and matching the variations of the scoreboard, a teacher can keep this technique going through Thanksgiving or Christmas without having to go up any levels. I plan on staying on Level 1 as long as I can.
ReplyDeleteBy midyear, I want to go to Level 2 with Super Improvers Team. I am looking forward to reading more on Super Improvers Team, so I will be ready to incorporate this strategy into my school routine next year. As I learn more, I may incorporate Level 2 sooner. This will begin the process of remediation to prepare my students for Virginia’s Standards of Learning Test in the spring. Along with this, I will be reading more on test preparation to help my students pass the test. I will look in WBT’s forum for posts on test prep.
Level 3 and 4 may be used depending on the group of students I have this year. I foresee using these levels in the spring when spring fever and puberty hits 6th graders hard. It is amazing how their demeanor will change over the course of the year. Certain students may have to use practice cards to get their behavior and hormones in check. Hopefully, the Guff Counter will be the last level I have to use with this year because I hate to single out individual students. I am going into this year with the attitude that this will be the best year ever. In my 30 years of teaching, I have found the more you engage students and have consistent class structure, the less behavior problems you have to deal with during the year. WBT is the whole package, and I can’t wait to implement my new best teaching tool.
Debora Manuel
Debora,
ReplyDeleteLook no further! Here are the webcasts to help you in your quest to become more knowledgeable about the levels of the Scoreboard you mentioned. They can be found on the main WBT page. The You Tube link to all of them is just above the screen that says "Offline".
Webcast 503 - Super Improvers Team
Webcast 506 - Prove It
Webcast 521 - State test prep
I would encourage you to implement the Super Improvers Team by the 3rd week of school. You will be amazed at how powerful it is! Good for you for looking at other resources to help you on your WBT journey! Here are your 25 certification points!
I will begin using Level One of the Scoreboard on day one, and my biggest goal is to use it so much more than I did last year. I dabbled in it last year and some days ended up not using it at all. I have to make WBT "my way" of teaching and have to make it a habit. I plan to use this part of the scoreboard for the entire school year and want all of my students to become comfortable and used to Level One before I add on any more levels. Level Two is the Super Improvers Wall/Team and I go back and forth about using this in my classroom. I LOVE the idea of using it and really think it could be beneficial, but with other things I already have going on in my classroom, I worry it might be too much and I might forget about it easily. I plan to see how my year is going with this group of students and decide at that point. I plan to think about implementing this level after about the third or fourth week of school and decide at that point how to use it. I really want to try it, so I am hopeful that I can make it work. I do not plan to use Level Three of the Scoreboard because I already have and enjoy using a seven-leveled behavior clip chart that I link with Class Dojo. One way that I am going to adapt Level Three is by having students who have clipped down to Yellow spend time with me at recess or in the classroom (depending on the time of day) practicing the rule(s) they have broken. I will begin using this adaptation of Level Three after our Fall track-out in October. I used Level Four this past year and it was successful for my students who wanted to talk back. I hope to not have to use this until after Thanksgiving or Christmas, but if warranted, I may have to use this earlier in the year. Last year, it worked so well that students began saying "was that a guff?" when someone would make a slightly smart remark. I even had a child guff himself once! I am hopeful that I will not have to implement Level 5 and beyond, but I guess I will have to get into this school year to find out. If needed, I will plan to implement Level 5 in January or February; Level 6 after our Spring track-out in March. I am determined to use the Scoreboard to my advantage this year and look forward to seeing the results!
ReplyDeleteAllyson,
DeleteSo glad you have thought through the various levels of the scoreboard. I am going to give you a challenge! Go out on a limb and trust that you don't need the behavior clip system. If the scoreboard is used frequently and consistently enough, there should be no need for moving clips all day. I encourage you to re-read about practice cards and think how they are more beneficial than a clip system where, at the end of the day, you really won't remember what the child did to have the clip moved. I am very excited that you will read about the Super Improvers Team in the next chapter. This system is one of the most effective motivators I have seen in my 23 years of teaching. Together with the scoreboard, your classroom management system will have all it needs. Here are your 25 certification points.
I foresee myself using at least levels one through four. Since I don’t have my little darlings yet, I don’t know if I’ll need the other three levels, but I’m prepared to whip them out should the need arise.
ReplyDeleteWith the class I had last year, I was able to stay on level one almost all year long. I varied the prizes, but, through reading the chapter on smilies and frownies, I realized I wasn’t using the scoreboard correctly. Since I can vary the scoreboard in and of its self, and since I can vary the prizes, I still think I’ll be able to use level one for the majority of the year. We’ll see.
I do like how level two individualizes behaviors. My hope for most of my students is that I can use level two all year long as well. I used a different individualized behavior system last year, and I learned that most children continue to work to improve themselves. Some won’t! Hopefully, with help from levels three and four, and with encouragements from their classmates, those children will still make improvements.
I’m nervous about level three. I don’t know how well it would work. I’m willing to give it a shot. I predict if it works, it could stay in effect for a month or two. I’m nervous about it because I tried level three before in my first year using WBT. The parents in my class were outraged, and one even pulled her son out of my room because I used WBT. I was under scrutiny from several other parents. They would come and watch me teach to make sure I wasn’t screwing up their child (their words.) It was an interesting year. It made me a little gun shy, but now I’m in a new school and a new district with different parents. Maybe I can muster up the courage to give the cards a go again!
Level four is something I’ve never tried, but I need to. It’s not okay for children to talk disrespectfully to me, or to anyone else. I know how it works, and I like that the fellow students help keep the “guffer” accountable. I need to be on my toes to watch out for rude and disrespectful words and actions. I think this could work for two to three months.
Meredith Pearson
Meredith,
DeleteIt sounds like you have a well thought out plan for the upcoming year! I would highly recommend using the Super Improver Wall. It is an extremely effective motivator for ALL students. The nice thing about it is that you can give the parents some positive feedback about their children before you have to talk to them about practice cards. I would also suggest sending home a letter explaining the practice cards before you implement them. This prepares parents so they don't jump all over you because they don't understand the system. We use behavior write ups in our school for discipline and once I tell my parents that practice cards are a way to help their child adhere to the rules and avoid a write up (that goes in their file), they change their mindset about the cards. Good luck with your upcoming year! Here are 25 certification points just for you!
I will begin with Level 1, The Scoreboard. I have not implemented this into my classroom previously. After participating in the book club, exploring the resources on the website, and reading the blogs of others using it I am now comfortable enough with the process that I will begin using it at the beginning of the year. The Scoreboard variations will be used throughout the entire school year. Level 2 will come into play after the first few weeks and school and will also be used throughout the entire school year. We have a 20 day period where we establish routines for guided reading and math. I will use this time to also establish WBT routines. The Super Improvers Team wall will be up, but not facilitated until after this 20 day period. I can see a benefit to waiting. The anticipation builds as they wonder what the wall is all about. Another benefit is we can get to know each other and each student’s abilities in relation to this new classroom setting.
ReplyDeleteLevel 3 and Level 4 will come into play if needed with individual behaviors. All students have a Communication Binder they take between home and school each day. This will be where the white and purple cards will be placed if they are received by a student. Much of the time, communications that go between home and school are extremely motivating to the students. (either in receiving them or not wanting to receive them) Setting a goal for a student which will result in a purple or white card could carry a lot of weight when needed. The Guff Counter has the peer pressure element. I prefer to have the parents provide the motivation to behave when needed over the peers, but for some students they react more to peer pressure.
I will reserve Level 5-7 for extreme issues. I hope not to have to use these levels, but thinking back to years past I can see how they would have been helpful. Having structure strategies available, but now having to use them, would be ideal.
Catherine Cassaro
Catherine,
DeleteGood thinking through your scoreboard levels. It sounds like you have a plan for making it work with systems already in place in your school. You may find that you can implement the Super Improver Team even earlier in the year but do what works for you. Don't discount the Guff Counter. Once you introduce it, you will rarely have to refer to it. Watch my blog for a soon to come video about the Guff Counter and it's use with the Scoreboard. (www.katebowski.blogspot.com) Here are your 25 certification points!
I will introduce the Classroom rules on the first day as well as the scoreboard. Since students are still in their "honeymoon stage" the first couple of weeks of school, I will pull for smiley and frownie points throughout the day, to show the students that I am looking for good and bad behavior to correct/reward.
ReplyDeleteDuring this first week though, I will also begin incorporating Level 2 of the Scoreboard. I will display the white ladybug photos for the Super Improvers Team on my bulletin board. This bulletin board will have the label S I T. I can't wait to hear the student's guesses for this bulletin board. The second week of school, I will uncover the colors of the S I T levels and display the full title of the bulletin board but the level names will be covered up. Hopefully, the students will try to guess the level names as well. At the beginning of week 3, I will uncover the names of each S I T level and will introduce how students can earn a "ladybug spot" on their white ladybug.
My school uses the Behavior Clip Chart system to reward/punish classroom behavior. I will begin with this clip chart and once I notice that the students are getting used to the system, I will begin using Level 3: Practice Cards. I am hoping this will not be until January but if I notice that before Christmas break, I will introduce it when necessary.
I am hoping the last level of the scoreboard I will have to use is Level 4: Guff Counter. I used this last year with my students and the majority of my class hated it. I had just a few students who really needed the Guff Counter. If necessary, I will use the levels 5-7 for students that struggle significantly with Levels 1-4. I have been warned that this group of rising students is a handful but I'm faithful that WBT will work for me with these students. They need engagement and positive motivation which I can give them through Whole Brain Teaching!
Laken,
DeleteGood response to the Scoreboard levels question. I like how you plan to incorporate your ladybug theme with the SIT. I wonder what would happen if your clip system just kind of "hung out" in your room for appearances sake? My thought is that if you are using the scoreboard and SIT frequently and consistently enough, you won't have the time or the need for the clips. Trust me when I tell you, I've convinced enough teachers to give up the clip system for the scoreboard and SIT and none of them have been sorry. Let us know how it goes. Here are your 25 certification points!
In my first grade classroom, I plan on using Level One of the Scoreboard with many variations throughout the school year. I will be introducing Level Two, Super Improvers Team, after the first month of school. I plan on using the Super Improvers Team all year long as well. Ever since I read this chapter, I've been brainstorming about the endless possibilities for what to name the levels and the best place to hang the chart in my classroom! I really love the idea of the Guff Counter and I plan on introducing it about November time. Besides for instilling proper values, it gives kids the courage to stand up to misconduct in the safety of the classroom. I imagine that a child who is trained, in the classroom, to say “please stop!” when he witnesses disrespectful behavior, will have a stronger will to do the same out on the school yard when he witnesses obnoxious behavior or bullying.
ReplyDelete-Rivky Greenberger
Rivky,
ReplyDeleteGood thinking about your scoreboard levels. Your reasoning about the Guff Counter is spot on. Tell us more about your rationale for levels 1 and 2 and how they relate to your students. Well developed responses will even earn bonus points! Here are 20 certification points for you.
Kate,
ReplyDeleteMy rationale for using Level One throughout the school year is that it’s a great motivator for every single one of my students, from my least challenging to my most challenging; everyone benefits. The many variation of ways to play Level One of the Scoreboard prevents habituation, and keeps my students excited from September through June. Level One is that great motivational device that will give them the incentive to work harder and accomplish more on a daily basis.
My rationale for using Level Two is that it’s a fun, noncompetitive way to get my students to strive for greatness, break their own records and visualize their success. One thing that’s great about Level Two is that it can be adapted to create moments of success in challenging kids by having them focus on a negative habit that will be really easy for them to improve. Once a child tastes the sweet taste of success, they will work harder to have that feeling again. By the end of the year, my most challenging students will be my brightest and best!
-Rivky Greenberger
I plan on implementing the Level One Scoreboard right away on the first day of school and continue throughout the school year. Levels two-four are also levels I can also see using during the school year.
ReplyDeleteThe Super-Improvers Team is a unique concept that builds individual goal setting and motivation. I plan of using this board after the first nine weeks, once reading levels and assessments have been acquired. I would like to get a good base of data before I start this, as I would like to use this for personal reading and writing goals.
The Practice Cards would be helpful during the second semester. I would have to find another time for students to practice once given the white card, because we do not have an allotted “recess time”.
The Guff Counter is an interesting approach to unite the class and eliminate any disrespectfulness. I like this idea because it produces an environment where the student who is being disrespectful is going against the entire class, not just the teacher. I think as soon as I see any disrespectful behavior I will need to start Level Four. I wouldn’t think that would be until at least the second semester.
I hope to not have to use any other level, but I will try other levels if necessary.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteThe levels of the Scoreboard offer teachers a plan that is meant to stay strong all year long. I recommend starting the Super Improvers Team by the third week of school. It is not limited to academic improvements, and it is a very positive tool to have in the classroom. Here are 25 points for you!
I plan to use Level One for the first six weeks of school. This will be my first year using Whole Brain Teaching and I don’t want to overwhelm myself in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteIn September(or sooner if I feel ready), I plan to introduce the Super Improvers Team. I can’t wait to do this because it focuses on individual student improvements and that is exciting to me. I have a feeling I will implement it in less than than six weeks.
As far as practice cards, I was involved with a Google Chat session with Farrah Shipley yesterday and she said she tries to wait until after Halloween to move to this level. I am hoping to do the same.
With fifth graders, I know springtime can be rough, so I suspect I may be moving on to Level Four in the spring for those “almost sixth graders” who tend to be "Guff Givers".
I will have ESE inclusion students in my classroom this year. If any of those students are oppositional defiant, etc., I will move on to the Independents, Bullseye Game, and Agreement Bridge if necessary (but I am hoping not to).
Is it August yet? (Are we there yet?) I can’t wait to get started!
Sandysokcmonkey
AKA Jamie Rickman
Jamie,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing to be so excited for August! WBT brings the "funtricity" into the classroom for both the students and the teachers! With Level One if the Scoreboard, you will want to use that everyday all year long. You will want to pull from your bag of tricks and have variations ready for when the excitement starts to fade. This is your daily motivator, so use it every day. With Level Two, you will want to try and introduce your Super Improvers Team within the first three weeks. Rewarding improvement should be our number one teaching goal, so it's important to get this up as soon as possible. In your future posts, try and include more detail in your writing to reach those college level literacy standards. Here are 20 Certification Points for you!
Each classroom is different but one thing is for sure, when the teacher employs support systems to teach students accountability, the teacher and students reap the benefits! In a WBT classroom, the scoreboard holds the keys to control and support of the student’s behaviors. The varying levels of the scoreboard are what make it work so well.
ReplyDeleteLooking at my class list for next year I see using Level One: The Standard Scoreboard, Level Two: The Super Improver Team, and Level Three: The Practice Cards. I plan to implement Level One on the first day of school. This sets the tone for the rest of the year. I will use the ping-pong method (awarding a smiley and frowny close to the same time to regroup students) as well as the marker move (to entice students to work just a bit harder) and the fake (to show students they are on the right track, but not all the way there). Since there are so many ways to vary the scoreboard, it will be used all year long.
Level Two will be brought into play once the classroom is running with little effort. This is normally the first week. I will have the Super Improver Wall up in the room in the beginning of the year, but I will wait to unveil what it entails. I take pictures of the students and post these on the white starter level. Each level will signify the students and how they are improving. Once this has been initiated, it will go through the end of the year, making sure not to award too many or too few super improver stars so it lasts all year long. When I notice that students need to practice their behaviors, a little more, this will bring on the third level.
Level Three will be employed when I have narrowed down my categories of students. My Alphas, Go-Alongs, and Fence Sitters will have worked their way into a routine, whereas the Challengers will need to find their way by practicing intensely! I found that this was necessary in December/January timeframe last year. Each class is different but I hope to hold this off as long as needed. I begin with simple practice of the rule when the student had trouble, move to practice in class and recess practice, to practice at the time of difficulty with outdoor recess practice. Once this gets to this level, we bring in the letter home, which also has the same practicing. I only need this for a few students and needed it very little last year but it worked like a charm.
I am prepared to use the other variations of the scoreboard if necessary but I won’t know if I require them until I get to know each child and what their needs are in my classroom.
Krystal,
DeleteGreat post on the Scoreboard levels! Here are 25 Certification Points, and a 5 POINT BONUS for your added detail. Nice!
Since this will be so new to me, I would like to feel very confident using this classroom management system, so the first level will be slow going yet energetically engaging.
ReplyDeleteScoreboard Level One – During the first few days of school, I will introduce level one and it will last throughout the year.
Level Two – Wow! This level is awesome! I can imagine students being very competitive with themselves. At first, it was difficult to see it in my mind then I started looking up blogs. Now I’ve a much better understanding of how this can REALLY motivate students so do their best work. After a few weeks of school, I would slowly introduce this to build up the student’s curiosity. I will use this level throughout the school year. As level two goes through the school year maybe have some incentives for reaching certain levels. For example, when they reach level 6, 8, 10 they get to see the principal to make a phone call home or go see a fourth grade teacher for a high five.
Level Three - After a few months of school, I believe it is time to let parents know of their child’s behavior, academically and socially. The practice cards are a way to inform parents of this. I have had students take a note home for great behavior and they really enjoy it! However, not so much with negative behavior so I can see how this too would be very powerful in dismissing that particular behavior. Level three would continue throughout the school year.
As for the other three levels, I would use those as needed. Thinking back, I can remember a few students over the years that would have benefited from Level four through seven. So, for this year, (just in case I get a particularly interesting student) here’s a big ‘mighty oh yeah!’ that I’ll have other ways to deal with him or her.
Cathleen Cunningham
Cathleen,
ReplyDeleteIsn't the Super Improvers Team awesome! It is such a great motivator. It would have been great to get a bit more detail in your posts explaining your reasoning. Here are 20 Certification Points!
I will begin the year, day one, with the Level 1 Scoreboard for whole class behavior management. I love that there are so many variations to use. I am planning on using the basic smiley/frowny board all year, but will definitely spice it up with variations such as the Boom Box, Mystery Road, Pirates, and Grid board. Using these will help me keep the students motivated, and will always provide a way for the administrators, parents, students and me to visually see daily behavior progress. I also like the fact that the rewards that are tied to the level one scoreboard are not an expense to me, but are more intrinsic for the students.
ReplyDeleteI plan to implement Level 2, the Super Improver Team the second week of school. I have already created my bulletin board for this, using a Karate belt theme for the colored levels. I borrowed this idea from a forum post last year and love it! The board has a Japanese title that says “Kaizen Geijutsu”, which means “The Art of Improvement”. Then, each of the levels is a different colored Karate belt. Instead of stars they will receive stripes on their belts. What fun! I think the Super Improver Team will be perfect for fifth graders because they are able to compete against themselves here to get higher on the board, but there is still some element of competition with others as they see other children moving up the ladder of success. Allowing improvement in academics as well as in social areas really levels the playing field for the students that may struggle more than others academically. This will allow them to shine in other ways and build self-confidence. I will use this along with the scoreboard variations all year.
I will use the Level 3 practice cards as needed during the year. I plan to hold off until later in the fall, possibly November before adding this. I have not used these before, but I think that these are perfect for giving a child that extra nudge they may need to make better choices. I like that with the white card, a note also goes home to the parent explaining the situation and asking for back up. The purple card makes me happy because it is often too easy to forget to share those little improvements students make with their parents. This would be a good way to keep me accountable in that area. The green cards just go right along with the WBT premise of practice, practice, practice! Since repetition builds dendrites, these cards should have the students’ brains firing away!
I plan to use the Guff counter after the Christmas break, but honestly I don’t know much about it yet. I plan to see if Coach Biffle has a webcast about this. The small paragraph in this chapter did point out that the class would be involved in helping shape a disrespectful student’s behavior and I’m all for that! I will research for more information. I can think of students that I have had in class every year that would have benefitted from this, so I’m sure this year will be no different.
Levels five through seven appear to be for more serious behavior issues. I will hopefully be able to help shape my students’ behavior into wonderful classroom citizens without having to use these, but I am thankful that there are researched and proven resources here that I can rely upon if needed. The Bullseye game looks like it would be something I might want to pull out mid spring when the kids are feeling the "state test or close to the end of the year blues". In all, I think that these will all be beneficial this year.
Michelle,
DeleteExcellent thinking about the levels of the Scoreboard. Webcast 524 explains the Guff Counter and you'll also read more about it in Chapter 19 of the book. Here are your 25 certification points plus 5 BONUS POINTS!
I plan on introducing the Level One Scoreboard within the first hour of the first class. This helps to set the tone of the day and will be used throughout the entire year. Students begin school on a Wednesday. Therefore, I will use Level One of the Scoreboard where they will win for the sake of winning for these first three days. This will ensure that my kindergarteners feel comfortable with the game and its function. When they return that next Monday, we will begin to play for the incentive of recess or free choice of work stations (I’ll ask for their input).
ReplyDeleteMonday of the sixth week of school I will introduce Level Two of the Scoreboard. It will be a big presentation where the SIT wall is initially covered and later revealed. I intend to use the SIT wall for the remainder of the school year. I am attempting to create a theme for the color system but have not find one I like, as of yet. I will also implement the photograph levels here and there to amp up the incentives for the wall. Together, we will set individual goals academically and behaviorally to track our improvement. By this time in the school year, we should already have baselines established and know the expectations. This is an ideal time to begin displaying our growth.
I plan to add variations to the Scoreboard in November near Thanksgiving Break to help us refocus and rejuvenate around those hectic holidays. When we return from the long Christmas Break, I’ll spend a week or so rehearsing and refreshing the rules, rituals, and routines with levels one and two. I will most likely need to introduce the Practice Cards for Level Three around this time. If the class shows signs that individuals need the practice cards sooner, I will introduce Level three sooner. However, I would like to hold off on Level three as long as possible.
The Guff Counter for Level Four will be introduced the moment I notice guff heading my way in a fashion that can no longer be ignored. We will learn about the Guff Counter and guff as devised in Chapter 19, but I do not intend to ever need to actually use it. It will be used to “threaten” but I don’t intend on carrying through with marks.
Levels Five, Six, and Seven of the Scoreboard will be reserved for students that show a need for more practice or individualized behavior plans. I will make a point to not move on to these levels until these students have had the opportunity to fully experience the initial levels of the scoreboard. If these students continue to not succeed with the initial levels after the first half of the school year, we will move on to the upper levels without hesitation. In the past, I have needed to create plans on many occasions and am embarrassed to admit that they ultimately led to tangible rewards. My behavior plans worked but I always felt that they were not as successful as I would have liked. I look forward to using these alternative behavior modification techniques with students who show the need in future classes. I hope to not have to use these higher levels, but am realistic in knowing there often is a small group of students that need special attention. I relish in the thought of having these tools available to meet their needs! -Jennifer Mulcahy
Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteGood thinking about the scoreboard levels. It is nice to know there is always a "next step" if you need it. You know your classroom best but I would encourage you to implement the SIT sooner than 6 weeks. This portion of WBT gives the biggest bang for the buck and kids are extremely motivated by it. You are right that the Guff counter gets introduced when the time arises. But don't think about it as a threat. Many students who give guff are allowed to do it at home so it is a natural habit for them. We are teaching them that guff is not a virtue acceptable in society. Here are your 25 certification points!
Scoreboard Levels
ReplyDeleteIn my first grade classroom, I will start Level one of the scoreboard on day 1. This level will continue throughout the year, during which time I’ll be able to use many of it’s variations. After the second week of the school year I’ll introduce level 2, Super Improvers team. At this time the ‘honeymoon’ period is ending and our beginning of the year data has been collected. I believe this will be a perfect time to begin goal setting and link it to the Super Improvers team.
Levels 3 and 4 will be introduced next, when needed. I see the Practice Cards being a great addition to not only address areas that need extra practice but to acknowledge successes as well. I will introduce level 3 no later than January unless needed earlier. I am most excited about level 4, The Guff Counter! This level will be introduced as soon as a need arises. In the past I have been guilty of ignoring this type of behavior because it wasn’t as disruptive as others. Now that I have this efficient way to handle students’ back talk and disrespect, my class will understand that this behavior will not be tolerated.
Levels 5 – 7 will be reserved for serious behavior challenges. These levels will be for students who have resisted levels 1-4. Although I am hopeful that these structures will not be used this year, I am grateful that they are available and easy to follow should the need arise.
Sara,
DeleteGood plan for your management system! When you introduce practice cards, don't feel you have to confine yourself to a timeline. Let the flow of the class and your knowledge of children guide you to the best time to implement the cards. You may find you can wait until even later than January! Here are 25 certification points!
I will use level one for the whole year for several reasons. I never know which school or class I will go to, so it’s like starting over each time I enter a classroom. Some of the levels are meant to be use over time and some require contacting parents neither of these apply to my situation.
ReplyDeleteLevel one has so much flexibility it will be all that I need when I am in the classroom. Ping Pong, Drum Roll, Pirates and it’s variations, Team Scoreboard, and Mystery Road will be more than enough to keep the students interested and excited about learning.
I see that we will focus on each level in the next few assignments. I will do my write up for each as if I were the classroom teacher instead of a substitute. If I see a possible use by me of any of them while I substitute I will mention it in the assignment.
Vivian,
DeleteYou have a unique situation and I think your idea about writing as if you were the classroom teacher is spot on. As you do future write ups, watch out for those pesky writing errors! (Some of the levels are meant to be use over time and some require contacting parents neither of these apply to my situation.) and (Level one has so much flexibility it will be all that I need when I am in the classroom.) Unfortunately, this post did not receive points since it did not address the prompt.
Kate, thanks for letting me know where the writing errors were but please tell me why you feel I didn't answer the prompt.
DeleteWhich of the Scoreboard levels are you most likely to use next year (level one) … and how long do you estimate you will stay at each level?( level one all year and the other levels not at all)
Even with two writing errors shouldn't I get 10 points?
Thanks for all you are doing for the book club,
Vivian
Thanks for asking Vivian. I have conferred with the other WBT staffers and they felt I was on target. Never fear! There are plenty of ways to earn points for certification. We are looking for college level literacy which means we want more than just a list of statements. Give us some in depth thinking. My suggestion would be that rather than tell us how you are going to do future write ups, as Nike says, "Just do it." Your situation is a little different than many on the book club so you might need to step out of your role as a substitute. Doing this will be invaluable for the day when you get your own classroom if that is your goal. So don't sweat this chapter. We're only half way through the book!
DeleteI am so excited to go beyond level one, this year! I have had a few classes that never needed to go beyond level one. This has been especially true in second grade. What will be different this year is that I will prepare a Super Improvers Team chart for classes so that I am ready to implement it as soon as it is needed. Based on last year, I anticipate using Super Improvers by the end of September in 5th grade classes. In my 4th grade classes I expect to start by the end of October. For my 3rd grade classes I may not start until December or January.
ReplyDeleteWhile I did not use level three last year, I do plan to have Practice Cards prepared before the start of school in September. I am already picturing some of my students from last year being more successful because of the Practice Cards. I may end up implementing Practice Cards with my 5th graders by mid-October. This is a challenging level for me to implement because I do not supervise recess. I am, however, available during lunch recess times and students could join me at the beginning of their recess for rule rehearsal and then head outside.
I regret not using level four with one of my students last year! He has gone on to 6th grade, but I plan on reviewing and planning out the implementation of this level. It is always possible another student or two may exhibit similar behavior. I’ll have this ready to roll out on day one, but I don't anticipate using it until the beginning of November.
What I notice as I reflect on last year is that I was not ready to go beyond the basic scoreboard. Because of that, I would not respond to individual behavior effectively. Those behaviors continued and disrupted classes. While I only had to deal with them twice a week, they still took away from learning time for all students. I am looking forward to having my tools lined up and ready to implement as soon as they are needed. Teacher Heaven, here I come!
Heidi Keith
Heidi,
ReplyDeleteGood reflection of where you have been and where you would like to go. I'd like to challenge you to reverse some of your thinking about levels 2-4. Why wait to implement the SIT? It is the most effective motivator I have seen in over 2 decades of teaching! We encourage you to have your SIT in place by the 3rd week of school because it is so powerful. Levels 3 and 4 should come later, say after Thanksgiving at least. One of the goals of WBT is to make kids feel successful for improvement rather than punish, punish, punish. Best of luck in the upcoming year! Here are 25 certification points.
The levels of the Scoreboard have been such a great help in my classroom this past year. I would introduce level 1 on the first day, to help set the standard for the rest of the year. Then about a month later, when all the “newness” has worn off, I would introduce the Super Improvers Team. I have used the clip chart previously and was more than ready to take it off and implement the Super Improvers Team. The results were drastic and fantastic. What a difference to focus on positive behavior and it’s much easier to not have to move clips around all day long.
ReplyDeleteOnce I see the need for level 3, the Practice Cards, I would implement it. Each group is different and would have a different starting time from year to year. Some classes would need these sooner rather than later, while other classes probably could go a while without it. How handy the Guff Counter, level 4, has been this past year! I had a few students who would talk back to me and the Guff Counter stopped that behavior in no time. I would add this as needed, and have found that once it was introduced it, nipped the behavior in the bud real quickly.
I have not had the need to introduce level 5-7 yet. Thus far I have found third graders to not engage in cliquish behavior, and the Scoreboard, Super Improvers Team, and Practice Cards usually took care of the more challenging behavior displayed by some students. However, if I do need something more, I will give levels 5-7 a try.
By Mariaan Carreiro
Mariaan,
ReplyDeleteNice job! You may want to try and introduce the Super Improvers Team sooner that a month into the school year. A week or so in, once you have built up anticipation for it, is a great time to introduce it. Here are 25 Certification Points!
Chapter 14 Scoreboard Levels
ReplyDeleteThe levels of the Scoreboard I will use this year are the first four. Level one will be used from day one! With the many variations described in chapter nine I can use it the whole school year and not go on to level three until late fall or after Winter Break. The beauty of the scoreboard is immediate control of the classroom and the behaviors. I love how just using a tally mark can make students behave in appropriate ways. It’s teacher heaven.
The Super Improvers Team, level two, will be started the first or second week of school and used all year long. I used this last year and it is my goal to do a better job of noticing student improvement. To accomplish this I will have student folders/notebooks that will list areas of improvement. Students will take an active part in deciding what personal areas need work. These will NOT be the only areas that I reward with improvement stars. I hope that this organization will help me give stars when and where they are deserved. The practice cards will be introduced late fall or (hopefully) after Winter Break. I like how this option focuses on the one student who is breaking a rule constantly. Even though I don’t point out individual students for frownies on the scoreboard, students in the class know who the rule breakers are and it creates a negative environment. The practice cards can eliminate class against student. The Guff Counter will only be introduced if absolutely necessary in late winter or early spring. I did use this last year and it was great to have the whole class behind me and help me stop unwanted behavior. It really stops a student’s backtalk when the whole class turns to them and tells them to ‘please stop’. I am happy, to say, that most of the students I have won’t really need levels five through seven, but so glad the steps are in place if I need them. It’s a long year and it’s wonderful to have things in my back pocket.
Kathy,
DeleteYou seem to have a great handle on when to introduce the various levels of the Scoreboard. Nice job! Take a second look at your use of commas in your second to last sentence. Here are 20 Certification Points for you!
I will begin on the first day of school with the Level 1 Scoreboard for whole class behavior management. I love that there are so many variations to use to keep it fresh and motivating all year long. Last year I only used the smilies and frownies, but now I've learned more ways to keep the energy flowing with the Pirates, Doubler, Mystery Road, and the Virtueboard!
ReplyDeleteI plan to implement Level 2, the Super Improvers Team the second full week of school. I had great success with this last year! My students were highly motivated to continue to improve, move up levels, and be the best they can personally be with this system! I have two camera pictures on the 4th and 8th level that earn each child a special photo with their friends. I will happily use the Super Improvers Team all year long as well!
I will introduce the Level 3 practice cards as needed after Winter Break. I have not used these before, but am so glad to have them in my back pocket for the children who continue to need extra practice following the classroom rules. I agree with Coach B, practice makes permanent! Strengths of these cards are that they focus on the positive, give the children opportunities to practice, and involve parents in the process.
While I hope I do not have to use the Guff Counter this year, I want to be prepared! It feels good to know I have a plan if there should be a student that continues to display disrespectful behavior after the above techniques are solidly in place. I like that the Guff Counter empowers the rest of the class to positively and actively help the struggling student.
Levels five through seven will be set aside for students that continue to demonstrate a need for additional practice or individualized behavior plans. I plan to only move on to these levels after students have had the opportunity to fully experience the previous levels of the scoreboard.
-Shelley Nizynski Reese
Shelley,
DeleteGreat reflection on moving through the levels of the Scoreboard! Glad to hear about your success with the Super Improvers Team! Here are 25 points!
As I have read through everyone’s posts on this topic I feel like my timeline will be fairly similar. I will start with Level One the first week of class. This allows for easy practice of class procedures and student understanding of what the procedures look like when done correctly.
ReplyDeleteThe Super Improvers Team Wall will actually be up on the first day. However this becomes the first “carrot” the students will get dangled in front of them. They will want to know how to get to the next level. This means they will be primed to “hit the ground running” with Level Two of the scoreboard!!
This year I will be helping some of my colleagues give the Whole Brain Teaching System a go. One of my goals is to focus on making Levels One and Two as successful as they can be. Therefore I will be putting more thought and focus into what the students will be “rewarded” with by the scoreboard system. The obvious choice is mind soccer but with everything else it is nice to have a few ideas in case the mind soccer option isn’t successful at first with one of the other teachers.
I know for my personal classroom Levels One and Two are mainly what will be used all year long. (with all the variations of course!). Level Three will most likely poke its head out after winter break.
The hope is not to get to Levels Four through Seven but each class and each year is completely different! Especially while helping our fellow teachers it is very nice to know that there are additional Levels to use if needed.
~Jason McKinney
Jason,
DeleteNice post! Your colleagues will appreciate your guidance in WBT management! Here are 25 points and a 5 point Bonus!
This school year I will introduce the scoreboard on the first day of school. My goal is to make sure I utilize it better than I did last year. I will be able to do this because I have my own chart ready to check my progress. I also have a much better understanding of how the scoreboard and the different levels work. What a difference a year can make.
ReplyDeleteI have a plan of different variations I want to use to keep my class excited about the first level of the scoreboard. Some of the variations I plan to use are Ping Pong, Pirates, Mystery Road, and Gridboard. I also have ideas for various awards. Having this plan ready ahead of time will help to keep me on track to help motivate and excite my students.
The Super Improvers Team will be introduced the second or third week of school. I love how this level challenges students to improve, and how it is based on their needs for improvement. Last year I had a lot of success with the Super Improvers Team, and I can’t wait to watch my students feel proud.
The third level is the Practice Cards. Now that I have a better understanding of how the first two levels work, I feel very confident that I won’t need to start the Practice Cards until after Christmas. I like how there is a built in system to keep parents notified if their child receives a card. The white card lets the student know that they need to practice and improve on the classroom rules. A purple card makes a child feel proud because they followed one of the rules really well.
Every teacher hopes to only have to use the first three levels, but I know that will probably not happen. I did not use the Guff Counter last year. However, I do feel that I better understand how it is used. I also know that I will more than likely be using the Guff Counter. I hope to not have to use this until spring. I like how it makes the student feel they don’t have the support from their classmates for their rude behavior. It reminds me of a Little House on the Prairie show where a bully was taking control of the class, but when all the students joined force to protect everyone, the bully suddenly realized his behavior was not accepted by anyone. The Guff Counter will definitely be a huge asset in my room if it is needed.
I am hoping I will only need the first four levels, but if I do need to take the levels further, I will be reading my book and watching the webcasts to better understand the other three.
Marty,
DeleteI love your TV show reference! Here are 25 Certification Points for you!
July 29, 2013
ReplyDeleteI used the scoreboard briefly at the end of school last year. I found the students were excited to make verbal responses for either side! This year I will be implementing the scoreboard from day one. I will begin the year using just the smiley/frowny face with a quick oh yeah or a mighty groan. I will milk this for as long as I can changing the tops to holiday themes, if needed.
When I see students have become habituated or bored and it’s time to change it up, I will implement the Ping Pong strategy. I like the idea of the “tease” as to which one I am going to mark, then following it up with the opposite side to keep the students enticed. I believe we can always find a positive or negative to counteract our tallies.
When change is needed again, I will implement the Beat the Clock scoreboard. 1st graders are extremely competitive and I believe they will be very excited to beat their time. I will choose an area where we need to show growth. It might be following directions, getting out materials or even lining up appropriately.
For the next change I believe the students will enjoy the Pirate Scoreboard. I can see how introducing funny responses will keep the students engaged. After all, what student doesn’t like acting like a pirate?!
I will save the drumroll for the end of the year. I wish I had known about this last year as last year’s class would have loved this.
It is probably a good thing that I am located in a portable and I won’t have to worry about interrupting other classes, as I foresee this year being a little loud! As I was reading the chapter on the Scoreboard, I can see that there is so many variations to implement to keep students engaged. As I use and implement the scoreboard, it is important to me not to use rewards too soon at the beginning of the year, as Coach B says it is a long year, I don’t want to use all my tricks too early!
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTerri,
DeleteThis discusses the variations of the scoreboard and not the levels. It is a copy and paste from your essay on Chapter 11. Unfortunately, I cannot award you any points.
Kate, I went back and read the directions and realize I didn't touch on the levels. Still working on getting an understanding of each of the WBT components. I will go back and rethink this topic, understanding that no points will be given.
DeleteTerri
Kate I understand I will not be awarded any points, but the Virgo in me wouldn't allow me to leave an incorrect answer. If you have a chance can you read this second post and provide feedback? Thanks
DeleteAugust 15, 2013
Scoreboard Levels
I am excited that there are Seven Levels for the scoreboard. I can see how this will allow you to use the scoreboard throughout the year and keep it fresh and engaging. I know that I will be using Level One – the scoreboard beginning the first day of school. There are many ways you can change just level one to keep the students interested and engaged throughout the entire year. Some of the ways you can change the scoreboard is to change the smiley/frownies to holiday tops and add sounds that relate to the theme. You could also add rows for girls against boys. Even teacher against students. You can also change it by using the Beat the Clock, Ping Pong Strategy or the Drum Roll just to name a few. I will be introducing Level Two the Super Improvers Team the second week of school. I already have my wall up and ready to go. For students having trouble with the rules I will be targeting this behavior initially on the SIT wall. I am planning on using only the Scoreboard and SIT through Thanksgiving break. At this time I might have to introduce Level Three, the practice cards. Like the SIT wall, I already have my practice card chart up, numbered for students, and my practice cards are laminated and ready to go. I am hopeful my students will respond with just Level one (scoreboard) and Level two (SIT wall), however, there are those few that the Practice Cards just might help them. My class last year would have needed Level four the Guff Counter. I believe I had enough students that would have spoken up and asked their friends to stop the disrupting behavior. If my class this year is as hard as my class last year, I would start level four the Guff Counter in January. I am hopeful that implementing Level one, two and three I won’t need to use this level. Level five the Independents is an interesting level. I did have about five boys last year that this would have worked nicely for. My only concern on Level five is the parents agreeing with it. I had one parent last year that was sure I was “picking” on her son. I don’t believe she would agree to this. If I need to implement this level it would probably be around Spring Break. Level six the Bulls eye game and Level seven the Agreement Bridge are levels I hope I will not have to use. I believe the first five levels are strong incentives for students to stay on task and appropriate. This is how I plan to implement the scoreboard levels.
I will use level one of the scoreboard all year long. The level one scoreboard will be my go-to method of unifying all students in my class behind my leadership. With all its variations, it should be a great motivator for the majority of my students.
ReplyDeleteBy the 3rd week of school, I have taught students all my rules, procedures, and expectations. I have also started to determine who I can count on to follow the rules and who struggles more. At this point, I will be ready to begin the Super Improver Team (SIT). I will watch for individuals who are improving. I may also challenge a few to set a goal to improve in an area. As they show improvement, they will begin to climb their way up the SIT. I will use this wall until the end of the year, but it won’t always be focused on behavior. Eventually, it will incorporate all kinds of improvements students may make in the classroom.
The third level of the scoreboard I will use is the Practice Cards. I am hoping that I will be able to last until at least Thanksgiving before I introduce Practice Cards. I can reinvigorate the scoreboard using my planned variations to help re-energize the students to follow the rules.
I will introduce levels four and five, The Guff Counter and Independents, when I see the specific behaviors they address. My experience with these levels has been that once I introduce them, I rarely need to actually use them. When I hear disrespect or back talk happening frequently, I will introduce the Guff Counter. Usually, this stops that disrespectful tone quickly. If I notice that I have several people banding together to make life difficult for others, I will stop them in their tracks with the Independents group.
I want to make a note about the last two levels of the scoreboard, the Bullseye game and the Agreement Bridge. Last year I had a student decide that he wanted to move to the all-reward system he saw another student using. I did not want him to be able to choose to move to that level. His behavior became increasingly challenging until I finally decided to begin a variation of the Bullseye game with him (his was actually geared more toward the green practice cards, in retrospect). As soon as he began his new plan, his behavior cleared up dramatically. Although initially it seemed like having a student at that level by choice was some kind of failure, this student obviously craved more attention than he was getting. Now I understand that these higher levels are not something to fear. While I would not use them until I had tried the prior levels, I will remember that they are another tool in my tool belt to be used if necessary to help students succeed.
Jeni,
DeleteThanks for sharing your story and the insights you gained from it! You are so on target. What is good for one child is not always good for the next. How wonderful you were able to find the system that worked for this child. Here are your 25 certification points!
Patrick Brûlé
ReplyDeleteThe Level One scoreboard will be used throughout the year to tally daily points. Once the difference of Class Points (positive points) versus Teacher Points (corrective points) reaches a certain number, they will be rewarded with some free time in their Physical Education class.
As mentioned, the Level One scoreboard will be used throughout the year, but when I start noticing some students trying to sabotage the score, I will introduce the Level Two scoreboard. Individual students will be intrinsically rewarded in addition to their scores being used to provide points to the Level One scoreboard. For example, once a total of 10 points have been rewarded on the Level Two scoreboard, it will add one point to the Level One scoreboard for the class reward. The Level Two scoreboard will address individual behaviors that affect the class Level One scoreboard, like changing into their PE clothes quickly, lining up quickly, and/or picking up equipment. It will also encourage positive behaviors, as I will reward Level Two points to individual who demonstrate leadership and sportsmanship qualities. Depending on the class dynamics, I will personalize each rewarded behaviors for each class. For example, my 2nd hour students will receive points for encouraging others but my 3rd hour students will receive a point for providing a positive feedback when a classmate executes a skill.
In my Middle School Physical Education class, I don’t see how I will use the Level Three scoreboard, but I will introduce Level Four and Five if necessary.
Patrick,
DeleteI like how you will use Level 2 to help the class earn points on Level 1. It will help kids see how good behavior contributes to the success of the group. You could certainly introduce practice cards if you have students who constantly exhibit misbehaviors (unsportsmanlike conduct, taking too long in the locker room, cheating, etc.) This way the class or team would not be penalized and the child would get some practice time with the broken rule. Check this sentence for a tiny writing error (I will reward Level Two points to individual who demonstrate leadership). Here are 20 certification points.
The scoreboard itself, even in its simplest form at Level One, is such a great idea to encourage the children to ‘make smart choices’ in class. I am looking forward to introducing it at the start of the year and imagine that I will stay at Level One for a few months with the class. Its ‘game-like’ structure should encourage the class as a whole to follow the five rules and should hopefully provide us all with a constructive learning environment.
ReplyDeleteFrom experience, I tend to find that the challenging behaviour begins after the first few weeks of school. Those weeks tend to be a settling in period for both the teacher and the students, with each getting to know one another’s strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, after the first month or two (as needed by the pupils) I will introduce Level Two - the practise cards. My school’s behaviour policy already suggests that pupils are kept in for a few minutes during break if they demonstrate rule-breaking. However, the practise cards will focus the children on the specific rule that they were not following and this should help them make better choices during the following lessons. I also love the idea of the purple cards too, to further reinforce the positive behaviour.
For those who are not responding to the practise cards I will later introduce Levels Three and Four to be added to the Scoreboard. I am in a fortunate position to already know my students for the next academic year as I have taught them for a small portion of the previous year. Knowing those children, I believe that up to Level Four should cover all the challenging behaviour. However, I will reassess this as the year progresses, and introduce the further levels if necessary!
I conclusion, I will use Levels One and Two the most during the year, introducing Level Two after approximately two months. Levels Three and Four will be introduced as and when necessary. However, I believe that with the majority of the class behind the teacher (which they are likely to be as they enjoy the challenge of the Scoreboard game) there will be less need for the later interventions.
Laura Ward
Laura,
ReplyDeleteThis is a good plan for the Scoreboard Levels. However, Level 2 is the Super Improver Team. This is a crucial component of the classroom management system for WBT and one where you will find major growth for your students. I encourage you to use it. Here are 10 certification points.
Sorry Kate, I think maybe I have an older version of the book as in Chapter 14 it has Level One: Scoreboard; Level Two: Practice Cards; Level Three: The Guff Counter; Level Four: The Independents; Level Five: The Bullseye Game and Level Six: The Agreement Bridge. I have no chapter on Super Improvers, I have heard of this through reading about Superspeed 100 and Superspeed Maths. Could you clarify this for me? I downloaded the ebook version.
DeleteWe are working from the book being sold on Amazon. It is the newest version and covers some new WBT material. When you say you downloaded the ebook version, do you mean from the WBT site or from Amazon?
DeleteSorry Kate, my bad. I have realised that I opened up the older version that I had downloaded from the WBT site rather than the new 2013 version. I will make sure I open up the proper version next time to prevent any mistakes!
DeleteOf the seven scoreboard levels, I am anticipating using the first 3 levels throughout the year. My plan is to introduce level one the first week of school. During the first week we will be practicing the gestures that goes along with the smileys and sad faces. I will use the scoreboard to promote positive behavior throughout the year. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas my little kinders tend to get a little antsy, at this time I will introduce level 3. I feel that at this time of the year level 3 will make them accountable for their own negative behaviors. I am aware that every year is different and this class may need level 3 sooner or I might get lucky and they may not need it as soon.
ReplyDeleteDuring the entire school year I will also be using level 2. I plan on introducing the Super Improver's wall the second week of school and use it all year long keeping the students engaged and motivated to do their very best.
Lori Wessing
Lori,
DeleteGood thinking about your scoreboard! What are your thoughts about the remaining levels? On future posts, watch out for those pesky writing errors. (Around Thanksgiving and Christmas my little kinders tend to get a little antsy, at this time I will introduce level 3.) and (During the first week we will be practicing the gestures that goes along with...) Here are 10 certification points.
I will begin with level 1 of the scoreboard on the first day of school. I have used it with my class for the last two years and they love it! It is a great way to keep the students engaged and offer an energetic, fun classroom environment on the first day of school. It is one way my class makes a positive impression on the students from day one. I will continue to use the scoreboard throughout the year. I will vary the types of scoreboards I use as well as a variety of rewards and consequences to keep the scoreboard fresh and interesting. I will begin level 2 of the scoreboard either at the end of October or beginning of November. This will allow me to begin reinforcing positive behaviors and help my students improve. I will continue to use the Super Improvers Team for the rest of the year to reward my students for a variety of actions and accomplishments. I haven’t used level 3 before, but I do want to incorporate it this year. I was hoping to not have to use it until January or February but I was going to base it on the observations of my students. I want to implement level 3 when I have the majority of the class united behind me, but there are still a few students that need to practice following the rules. I will continue to use the practice cards through the end of the year. I really don’t have much guff in my class thanks to the regular, level 1 scoreboard. However, it does increase a little towards the end of the year. So, depending on the behavior of my students I am planning on implementing level 4 of the scoreboard in April or May and using it for the rest of the year. Soon after that I would implement level 5 of the scoreboard it I still have a group of students that I cannot get to follow the rules. Finally, I haven’t met my students yet, so I don’t know if I will need level 6 and 7. However, I do really like those strategies for working with individual difficult students.
ReplyDeleteErin,
DeleteYou have some great thoughts about the various levels! You may want to consider starting Level 2 around week 2 of school rather than waiting until October or November, and then begin the white cards around November(see page 211 of the book). You had one minor error (Soon after that I would implement level 5 of the scoreboard it I still have a group of students that I cannot get to follow the rules.) Here are 20 certification points!
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ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the year I started with the Scoreboard and it has been the best year so far. It has kept the visiting down and disruptions that occur day to day. I am definitely not having to repeating myself nearly as much! I will be using it throughout the year, I believe that it really has magical powers, and I couldn't be happier.
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to the SIW. I have it up but we haven’t gotten to it yet. This type of challenge should be very fun, watching students want to perform for nothing other than a point on a scoreboard. I love this wall! I am planning on using it all year, so the students can challenge themselves and work at getting to the top. I am excited to see how it can change a child, growing, learning, and building self-confidence. It could be a life changer for some students, learning to love themselves and be proud of their accomplishments.
I feel that if I use the first two levels correctly, I won’t need levels 3 and up. If the situation were to arise however, I think the cards will be very helpful in gaining control of any behavioral issues that might arise. The strategies in levels 3-5 are all great for the right situation, I may not use them but knowing they are in my back pocket is a great feeling. I love being set up for success at every turn!
Julie,
ReplyDeleteYou had some good thoughts about the Super Improvers Team. When do you plan to implement it? You had two pesky writing errors ( I am definitely not having to repeating myself nearly as much) and in paragraph 2 (excited to see how it can change a child, growing, learning...). Here are 10 certification points for your effort!