Submitted by Laura McDonald, Indiana

Idea posted March 21, 2002

Okay, since this discipline thing seems to be a general item of trauma, here's what works for me...

I have used a positive number system on the board, used to be 10, then I shortened it to 5. Each class starts with 5 points. The second time (and I mean the 2nd!) I have to ask them to listen, I take away a point.

Last year, I had no real visual reward, and it quit working. So, I used it as a professional goal and developed it into a musical theme. I use a wild clip art rendition (MS) of Brunhilde for my theme. The points are now BRAVO points. The first letters of my rules spell BRAVO.

Rules: Be careful with books and instruments. Respect yourself and others. Ask the teacher first. Volunteer to take part. Own the consequences of your actions. (Okay, I was running out of steam here...) I have these posted on a bulletin board with small charts for each grade's classes posted. I laminated them and each lasts for six weeks. An overhead pen is hung nearby. I choose a well-behaved student to record the points as we line up at the end of class.

At the end of each six weeks, the class in each grade with the most points gets Bravo! stickers. This is where Brunhilde comes in: I have an enlarged version on a welcome poster outside my door, Welcome Music Maestros! Then, I designed a 2" circle sticker with NHES Music Maestro Bravo! Award and Brunhilde on it. I buy the plain white circle stickers (sometimes I have to get starbursts) at Office Depot and print them on my computer printer - very cheap.

Our school has an awards ceremony every six weeks (they are K-4) for most improved, etc. We award the sheets of stickers to the teachers and have each winning class stand. Peer pressure and support helps!

I pushed the Brunhilde theme further by finding a long blonde wig I braided and a velour Viking helmet for "Hat Day." Now I can wear that to award the Bravo! stickers.

This has really worked well for me and enlarged the student (and faculty) music vocabulary.

BRAVO Update:

I have changed it a lot this year (2004) due to a class I took last spring on Classroom Management. So far the new techniques seem to be working.

These are changes:

  1. I simplified the rules, even though they no longer spell BRAVO. In the longer format, the kids missed the point and didn't understand the rules.
  2. I only give points (starting at 0) and I don't take them away. Good kids were getting frustrated because the whole class got punished due to a few bad ones. Now, I give points even if it is only earned by a few. For example, "Look at that riser group. They are so ready to go, they have earned a BRAVO point for the whole class!"
  3. Proximity Control - Walking near the offenders WITHOUT LOOKING AT THEM often works like a charm.

We will still have awards every six weeks for the class with the most points. I give stickers we made in bulk rather than music certificates.