Preparing your class for the first day of school: Part Three (Tracking Individual Student Behavior)

You have the desks all lined up like you like it, and your rules & consequences ready to go.  Now how do you keep up with who did what while in class? 

These are behavior tracking systems for individual students.  Some are more geared toward elementary students and others fit well with older students.  

Behavior Modification System 

WILD about First Grade!

A system that uses a chart with 5 or 6 stages and clothespins with students names (or numbers) on it.  Students start out at "Ready to Learn" and as the day goes on the teacher asks students to move their clothespins as needed. If students get to "Teacher's Choice" at any point a consequence is given.  If students end on "Teacher's Choice" or "Outstanding" notes were sent home to parents with reason why they ended on what they did. 

Here is an example note home that tells parents what their child ended the day on in regards to the chart (for Spanish speaking parents this will need to be translated).   

Classroom Compulsion

(elementary students)

Pulling Cards System 

Katie Schuller's Teaching Portfolio

Pulling cards is very similar to the one above.  When students do something good, they change their card color to green.  If students do something wrong once they change their card to the color that represents warning (in the picture pink), then if they do something incorrect again, they change it to another color (yellow) to represent a consequence.  

This system is more difficult to encourage good behavior. 

(elementary)

Tally Marks

Write students' names or number on the board that are making bad choices.  Each time they do something bad you add a tally mark but if they do something good you can erase the tally marks.  At the end of the class period, those with tally marks will have a specific consequence. 
(older students)

Personal Behavior Chart 

Get for FREE here

The Personal Behavior Chart is not seen by students.  This is on one piece of paper.  It contains a chart with the names of every student, space for the day of the week, the behavior, and teacher's response/consequence.  
(any grade)