Group points

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! I had a fantastic weekend, and I always feel like it is a bit of a teaser for summer, don't you? We only have a few days left, and while I'm excited, I'm really sad to lose this great group of kiddos I have this year! 

I thought I would share a way I keep these fabulous kids in check when they are in groups. I only have tables in my classroom, so my kids are automatically in groups based on where they sit. Below is a picture of the point chart I have on my board. I actually got a promethean board in the middle of the year, and it was placed right in front of my old point board, so I had to create this one pretty fast! If I had done it correctly, it would have looked a lot cuter...BUT you do what you can:) 

On Monday, each group starts off with 5 points. They earn points when everyone is on task, quiet, doing what I ask, etc. They lose points when 2 or more members are not doing what they should. If they have ten points at 3:00 on Friday (a time I chose for my class) they can earn 15 minutes of free time or 25 cents on their money card. The whole group MUST agree on the same prize. Trust me, it's a lot easier this way, and it encourages them to make a group decision so they feel like a team. If they lose all of their points, the entire group loses recess until a point is earned back to put them back on the board. 

Each group has a designated point person for the entire week. It rotates around the table each week. If I say, "group one earns a point," the point person from that group automatically gets up to add the point. The same person will get up to erase a point if I take one away. Did I mention this also helps them with the concept of tally marks? It's great! 

So anyways, I just wanted to share a little classroom management tidbit that I use! You can also use this if you put them in temporary groups each week! 

Here is what last week's board looked like. This board is literally shoved in the corner of my dry erase board, and it doesn't take up much room at all! 

Group 1 lost recess while group 2 was able to earn free time!

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask!!