Miracles can happen!

Today was the first day since the student I named Disrepectful has been in my classroom, that I've seen signs of progress and REspectful behavior. Because I've not been teaching very long, my bag of tricks is small (like a clutch you carry on a date). In my few months of experience, I have learned that one thing always works...BRIBERY! The kids came in this morning to find a ticket on their desk. These tickets are used to buy luxuries or privileges in the class (example: using my chair for the day or sitting by a friend at lunch). My class thrives for these tickets. They will pretty much do anything to get the tickets. Some of them need to earn as many as they can because they also have to use these tickets to buy them things they need in the class (extra bathroom breaks or pencil lead). Like I said, the kids will do anything for these tickets!

The all received the morning ticket for showing up to school today (I made that up once they asked what it was for...you didn't even have to be on time to receive it). I then held up a bag of tickets and told them that my goal was to pass out every last ticket by the end of today. I warned that if there were only 2 people on task, then 2 people would get to share all of those tickets. But, if everyone was on task, everyone would get a few or many tickets. They all wanted this bag of tickets badly! Everyone was seated and working and their voices were quiet. I gave out tickets like I had endless amounts of them.

It gets better...I didn't raise my voice all morning and I didn't get upset/frustrated with Disrespectful once. Unlike the other kids, he does not have many tickets, because he has not earned them. BUT...I complimented him every time he was doing something close to right. I gave him ticket after ticket after ticket. He was smiling and so happy with himself, knowing that he can do the right thing. We made a deal that he could earn "tent time" if he continued like this all day ("tent time" aka "another form of bribery leftover from Writing Camp"). To my shock and awe, he earned his reward! Yay for miracles!

Another step made in the right direction with this child was during bus duty today. If you read my blog from Tuesday about him refusing to hold my hand on the way to the bus because he failed to follow directions, there is an update. Today I realized that I didn't see him yesterday when I walked the bus riders to the bus...in fact, I remember seeing him coming from another direction when I got around to the bus. So, today I told him that he had to hold my hand so that I could make sure he got to the bus and took the correct route. He didn't give me his hand, but he did let me take it. He didn't "hold" my hand, but he put it straight out so I could hold his. It was enough of a success for me that I felt good about today and the future for our class.

Tomorrow's blog will be about the "joys" of field trips! ha!