"A Fun Way of Getting the Class in Order Before Dismissal" Lisa Morris, 7th Grade Teacher: Woodbury Middle School

"Before lunchtime, I announce to the class that the "quietest, cleanest, straightest row or group will be dismissed first. To add a bit of interest, I also add another adjective, such as weirdest, happiest, most sleepy, most professional-looking, etc. The possibilities are endless. I have even used new vocabulary terms as well, such as "most indignant," and "most discreet." The kids soon start submitting ideas to use. It is amazing how the room is straightened up in such a short amount of time!"

"Good Gobblers" Tammy Layne, First Grade Teacher

"To reinforce good behavior, each month I pick a particular theme to use for my "good door." For November, I used turkeys. Every day that a student is good with their behavior, I give them a turkey at the end of day to put their name on. Then we hang it on our "Good Gobbler" door. The one with the most turkeys at the end of the month, gets a special surprise. I really pump this up at the beginning of each day to remind the students about the prize. They get so excited that they really try hard to be good. I change the theme each month to match the season or holiday."

"Sign Language" Angela, HeadStart 3rd Grade

"Use sign language to teach your students a valuable communication method and to allow you to 'talk' to them silently. I teach my kids 'yes' and 'no' for group responses, votes, etc. I frequently sign 'no' when I see inappropriate behavior, or kids are out of their seats or interrupting, and I can keep right on teaching during it. They also know the sign for 'bathroom', so they raise their hands with that sign and I can just nod, rather than call on them and find out all they wanted was a bathroom pass. We use the signs for 'stand up' and 'sit down' to convey that message silently during assemblies and other noisy gatherings. You could also assign each cooperative group a color and sign the color word for children to line up (they will be quiet and paying close attention). Or, let the kids make up their own (non-vulgar) sign and use that in the same way. Signs for stop, help, good job, please, and thank you can also be useful. The kids learn them very quickly. You can pick them up from a special education teacher, book, or even online."

Paper Clip Chain Maria, 4th Grade Teacher

"An effective method for encouraging class-wide good behavior is to create a paper clip chain. I begin a chain of paper clips at the top of the chalkboard. If the class is well-behaved, they earn a paper clip for the day. When the chain reaches a specified point (the bottom of the board or the floor), they earn a class reward. Usually, this involves taking an afternoon to watch a movie and then do some educational activities that relate to what we saw. Once the class earns a paper clip, it can't be taken away. The students like to see that their good behavior is valued."

Easier Line-ups Mindy Sawyer, Teacher

"I got this idea from another teacher, and it is simple, easy and very helpful. I placed a piece of duct tape inside the classroom, a few feet from the classroom door, and wrote "Line-Up" in permanent marker on the tape. Now when the students line-up they no longer block the doorway."