Relationships
Relationships are an important part of my management plan. Students need to have respectful, supportive relationships with each other in order to earn stars, because the group’s behavior depends on each individual. If every student was focusing only on themselves and following the rules, the class could still earn a star, so the system is not entirely dependent upon positive student-student relationships, but the plan will likely be more successful if they keep each other accountable.
Relationships between my students and I are also important in order to establish a comfortable environment where they feel safe to make mistakes. My plan won’t work as effectively if students feel like I am only seeking to punish them, because it relies on students having the internal motivation to want to make good choices, and to want to improve. If I don’t have a good relationship with my students, they may not want to listen to me, and they may lack that internal motivation. My plan will be more effective if I can encourage and support my students even when they make poor choices, because then they may be more likely to correct their mistakes.
Cultural Responsiveness
This plan is very group-focused, and I know that not all cultures agree with this kind of approach. But while I will encourage students to help each other, it will not be required. If students want to focus on their own actions and behaviors and work independently, they can still set a good example for others, and contribute to the class earning a star. By keeping track of individual behaviors and goals with the glow and grow strips, I can also get to know each student a little better, which will help me support them during lessons. This will also allow students to take pride in themselves and recognize their own areas of growth, rather than just worrying about the class’s behavior as a whole. I understand that no two students will be the same. By emphasizing teamwork, I don’t want to lump students into one group, but to celebrate their differences and the variety of strengths they bring to the class. Further, by celebrating a star student each week, students will have the opportunity to share more about themselves and their culture.
Accommodations
I might need to adjust my expectations if there are students with disabilities in my classroom. For example, while I would normally count a student as not being on task if they were up moving around, I would plan with the student to find a way for them to stimulate themselves while also getting some work done. If there were students in my class who struggled to follow the rules due to a disability, I would provide more frequent, concrete incentives to help them stay engaged. For example, I might give them stickers throughout the day for staying on task, or I might let them choose where they wanted to sit, as long as they were following expectations.
If I had students who lacked basic needs in my classroom, I would not require them to bring in an object from home for their star student day. I would provide them the option to use a picture of something, or to pick something they had created in school to tell us about. Additionally, because these students are sometimes still tired when they come in to school, I would allow them to sleep without any consequences, because although they may miss some instruction in the beginning of the day, I would prefer this over fighting for their attention and engagement all day long.
Potential Challenge
One challenge with my plan is that just one or a few students could prevent the whole class from achieving a reward, even if the rest of the students have been following the rules and expectations. I don’t want to publicly shame any of my students, but I know that I have to be consistent and follow through with consequences. If this were the case, I would likely not add or take away any stars, but I might pull the students aside when they turned in their reflections to talk about their goals for the next day, and make sure they understand what needs to change.
Parent Communication
I would send and email and a physical handout to parents to explain my plan. I would tell them that I emphasize teamwork in order to create a supportive environment for each student to grow in. I would also explain that there would be a star student every week, and that students are welcome to bring in an item from home, but it is not required. When communicating about weekly outcomes, I would similarly send an email and a handout telling parents how many stars their students had earned that week, and I would tell them some specific positive behaviors I had observed. When communicating individually about their children, I would refer back to the glow and grow strips that the student had written in the past. I would also look at my own notes about the student’s behavior.