Submitted by Anna Keay, Colorado

Idea posted October 23, 2002

In my K-2nd grade classes, I introduced a 'Good Behavior Box,' simply drawn on the board. The children were told that when I see them behaving well during the lesson, I will hand them (silently) the dry erase marker, and they will get to write their name in the box.

It worked even better than I thought it would, and even the most disobedient children looked at me with eyes that said, "I'm being good - choose me." The fact that they got their name in the box and their classroom teacher got to see it was reward enough for them.

Sometimes the classroom teacher would pick up on the positive behavior and give the child an extra reward on their classroom reward chart.

Try it and see if it works for you.