Positive Reinforcement

Burkevale Bucks  

Burkevale Bucks is our classroom money.  When students do their classroom chores and follow the classroom they can be rewarded with Burkevale Bucks.   At the end of each month, I open the classroom store, at which time students can bid on or purchase goodies with their accumulated Burkevale Bucks.  Students may however want to save their bucks for the "Super Auction" at the end of term when the prizes are the best.

Paper Clip Chain    

While Burkevale Bucks is given to individual students who are behaving well, the Paper Clip Chain rewards the class as a whole.  When the entire class is working well, following directions, etc., I will add a paper clip to a small chain of clips located on the side of the white board.  The better the class behaves, the more paper clips it earns.  When the chain stretches all the way to the bottom of the white board, the class earns a free recess.

Negative Reinforcement

Unfortunately, positive reinforcement is not always successful.  When students don't respond to the above strategies, the following steps are taken:

1.  Warning
2.  Lose a Recess or Silent Lunch
3.  Detention
4.  Call home to parents
5.  Sent to principal

A suspension may be given to students for major offenses such as fighting, disrespect, or consistent classroom misbehavior.