Thread: behavior management PreK

I teach Spanish and float to elem classes each day on a rotating basis.
1) One phrase I use is [Me]: "I'm talking" [Them]: "i'm Listening"

2) Another thing I use in elem classes is I have a little bean bag juggling ball that I pull out alot. If I have the ball, I am the one who gets to talk. I toss the ball to students one at a time and they get to answer a question or tell about something (you know how they all have stories to tell lol) I have small classes in lower elem, so that is something that works for me.

3) Something I have used in children's choirs and such is a token system. Each child has a ziplock bag on a wall/board with his name on it, and they get a token for doing good things. Sitting quietly during a story would earn them a token. Following instructions, speaking only after raising a hand, etc. At the end of the week, each child can spend his tokens at my "store"(a la Chuck E. Cheese). I use a similar system with my high school kids, but its not tokens.

Thanks. I like the "I'm talking" "I'm listening"

yeah it works well to get the focus back on the teacher

I also like to use "Show me that you're listening" and count how many times I have to say it. "5 times??!! Let's see if next time I can only say it once."

WHen I'm reading a story and the conversation gets out of hand, I say, "perhaps you can tell me about that later. Let's find out what happens next!" If it's off topic, I'll say, "but we're not talking about that right now, maybe you can tell me about it later." If the kids are really rolling with it, I'll say, "turn to a talking buddy and talk about the story for 30 seconds." When the 30 seconds are done, I continue.

Tater Tot, I laughed out loud at my mental picture when I read your suggestion of the ball. Most of my Kindies can't catch a ball so the ball would be all over the floor and 10 kids would be scrambling to get it. 8)

Try finding activities that hold topics he is really interested in. Does he like dramatic play? Add some educational props to that center. Does he like blocks? Plan some activities for your block center.

It's really all about finding his interests. Children who are bored will often wander around the room causing disruptions. Once you know his interests, he'll be busy with projects and easier to control.

During circle time, give each child something to hold. A puppet perhaps? Tell the children to "turn on their listening ears" and talk to the puppets. Tell each puppet to turn on it's listening ears and ask the children to help the puppets listen to the story.

Hope I helped somehow! Good luck!

Originally Posted by GreenBunny

Tater Tot, I laughed out loud at my mental picture when I read your suggestion of the ball. Most of my Kindies can't catch a ball so the ball would be all over the floor and 10 kids would be scrambling to get it. 8)

lol well this is true. The little ones do have a harder time but we have tables instead of desks and the ball doesnt bounce. And I dont do it every time. But what the little boys like is to try to peg the teacher with it