I've Got a Feeling...Oooo...

Yesterday I started a new behavior incentive.

You may have heard of it recently.  

(drum roll please)

*The Mystery Student*

or

*Secret Student*

   I first read about it last year on Teeny's blog here.  Which led me to the original source here.

But then I slept and switched schools and watched four seasons of Parenthood, and cried and cried and cried, and then I forgot all about it.

Until Mrs. Pauley reminded me about it here.

Here's the rundown:

1. Pick a random student. (The first day you might want to "rig" it and pick a well-behaved student.)

2. Write their name down somewhere but don't show your students who it is.

I wrote mine down on a laminated green crayon cut out because it was what I had lying around green is my favorite color.  My team teacher wrote hers down on a sticky note.  You could use a fancy-dancy award like this:

or just anything really.

3. At the beginning of the school day, make a really big deal about this Secret (Or Mysterious) name.  Get the kids really reved up and curious.  *And here's the kicker* if the student had a good day, they get XYorZ. 

I decided "good" meant green or higher on the behavior chart.  You can make it work for whatever system you have in place.  

My "prize" was that they could pick out of my Behavior Catalog.  These things are not prizes like a toy from McD's.  They are EASY items like 

-help a teacher

-cool cat in the hat (wear a hat to school the next day)

-swip swap a desk

-invite a stuffed animal to sit with you

By the time I got to step three, I had jaws dropping all over my classroom.  

4. When you noticed students are *ahem* not doing their best, mention the Mystery Student and VIOLA! everyone is suddenly doing their best.

The only thing I have a minor problem with is when we reveal who it is, some students get upset it wasn't their name on the crayon.  After day on of pouting our way to carpool, I reassured the class that everyone will get their name on it eventually.

I'm curious, have you tried this management technique? 

On Sunday night, Mr. Husband and I were roadies for our friends who are in a real band.  We kept up their merch table while they played and we got in for free! I also learned the difference between a roadie and a groupie.  

I am NOT a groupie, but am a roadie.  

Do you know the difference?

Every day, the first 30 minutes is spent during "Enrichment".  This is worth another blog post, so I won't spoil it today but will give you the short and sweet version.

I have eleven kinder and first graders and we have to work on Math during this time.  My students have a very big range of social and academic skills.  I dread planning for this time of the day.  Nothing I have tried works...and I have tried almost everything.

Today, I tried playing the game Scoot with math facts......AND IT WORKED!

Students worked in pairs to write down as many math facts with their number.  I timed them for one minute.  Then we "scoot"-ed to the next number.  

Everyone was happy. Including the teacher!

While we were eating lunch today, this happened to my team teacher:

She dropped her phone in her chili cheese dog! 

(And then she proceeded to ask me to take a photo of it!)

We laughed and laughed and laughed about it.  And then she picked it up and started panicking because it wasn't working right.  There was chili in all the cracks.

We stopped laughing a little until she cleaned it off.  

Turns out, everything is fine.

And then she enjoyed the rest of her chili cheese dog!

Today we ended the day by laying on the floor and singing songs (with the help of our projector)!  

This is one of my the student's new favorite songs. I have to admit.  I like this song (possibly more than my students do). It goes to the tune of I've Got A Feeling by the BEPs....and BOY is it catchy!

Type in "Gotta Keep Reading" on youtube.  

Happy Friday Friends!

-The Frizz