Having Difficulty with Behavior? Fix It By The Book

Donna McCune

8th grade Mathematics

Lufkin Middle School

dmccune@lufkinisd.org

To start the year off, she has them fill out the cards below.  This is to help her with the monthly birthday's and to get to know them & get their contact information.

 The information below is another Student Information Sheet that encompasses everything.  It helps the team when doing parent teacher conferences.

Here are their rewards & discipline plans.  It is laid out for them at the beginning of the school year so that they know what to expect.

This is her Policies & Procedures.  It's very well arranged and is easy to read. (great graphics too). Mine right now is VERY BORING!!! - I'm a little jealous and am thinking about doing something more like this one for this year.

Here are the Rules & Procedures for Class.  This is helpful so that students know exactly what is expected.

 Here are copies of her two "BOOKS".  No Zero Book & Discipline Book - Some students call it the "Sad Pad". :(

This is what goes inside of the Discipline Book.  It would be in alphabetical order per class period, broken up by class period tabs. The student has three times to be corrected and then a discipline happens.  Everyone has "their days" which is why the students get 3 chances.  Unless the behavior is too extreme of course.

 Then when the student reaches the 3 chances and a Discipline must occur, the information is written down in the Discipline Action Process Record Notebook - This is kept behind her desk where only the student who is signing their sheet and her can see.

 Each student who has had some sort of Discipline would be put in the Discipline Action Process Record Notebook on one of the following pages.  It even has what the discipline actions are and has the student sign them so that they know what they did and it's in their own handwriting.  This is to help the students take responsibility & so that if mom or dad asks...it's right there!

 Ms. McCune also has a No Zero Policy.  She gives homework 2x's per week - Mondays & Wednesdays Routinely.  The information is posted on the wall and online so that the parents always know.  If the student does not have their homework, they have the opportunity to sign the book and get another copy or to bring it the following day.  This cuts down dramatically in the amount of zero's that the students have.

She does PAT Time (or Preferred Activity Time).  It done by checking each period at the end of the period to see if anyone has signed either book.  If no one has signed, they get 1 minute per book, plus another minute for perfect attendance.  They have a card system (cards labeled 1-20 on a ring on the wall to be flipped).  When their card gets to 20 they get 20 minutes the following day (unless there is a test), to do a preferred activity of their choosing.  She usually has them do board games or electronic games.  She never takes away any minutes.

• No Zeros Book for Homework:
• Monday (homework)
• Tuesday (due)
• Wednesday (grade / homework)
• Thursday (due)
• Friday (grade)

When something is turned in, she initials each sheet.  Each day is a different color.  That way she can tell if someone turned something in late.

I have used several of these techniques in my classroom, but I think I might adopt the way that she is doing some of them for my class next year.  What do you think?  Any suggestions?