Random Compliments

It seems as the year is coming to a close, many bloggers out there are sharing tips from their classrooms.  I have to say that one of the many things I like about teaching is the ability to start fresh each year.  No other job really has that.  There is nothing like that frest start on the first day of school.

So I would like to share some of my favorites.

First, "Random Compliments."  I love to catch my class doing the right thing.  Even better when someone catches them.  We begin with a conversation about what a compliment is...  This leads to include what it is not, and that a true compliment is not aske for!  "How do you like my shoes today?" That is a great question, but the answer was elicited and therefore not a geniune compliment.

Based on my theme, I set up a board, or lately, it has just been a laminated sentence strip.  Seven (7) is one of my favorite numbers.  I use that as the goal.  Should we get a total of 7 compliments, the next day we will have a class party (listen to a book on tape, share a snack and maybe get a little extra recess!!)

This year my theme was "bees" so I had 7 beehives with the number and the word and below that I have the number in tally marks.  Then I have a bee with a speech bubble, "Hopping to 7!"  And I have a big flower at the end that reads "Random Compliments - 7 = Class party!"

And so we "look out" for those random compliments such as, a teacher who passes us in the hallway and says "What a great and quiet line!", or when I go to pick up my class from a special and the art teacher says, "Oh my, your class was amazing today!"  The class picks up on it very quickly.  The cheer and say "That is number 3" or whatever.  Trust me when I say, they know.  I can always count on someone to remind me when we return to the classroom to move the bee, or the frog...

If I ask the teacher how my class was doing... and they say terrific!  That is not a random compliment as I asked for it...

Sometimes, if they are working incredibly hard, I might just give a random compliment myself.  They LOVE when that happens!

So try it!  Hope you like it!