4 Teacher-Approved Ways to Manage Classroom Behavior in December [Episode 235]

Heidi  0:00

This is episode 235 of Teacher Approved.

 

Heidi  0:06

You’re listening to Teacher Approved, the podcast helping educators elevate what matters and simplify the rest. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  0:14

And I’m Emily. We’re the creators behind Second Story Window, where we give research based and teacher approved strategies that make teaching less stressful and more effective. You can check out the show notes and resources from each episode at secondstorywindow.net.

 

Heidi  0:29

We’re so glad you’re tuning in today. Let’s get to the show.

 

Emily  0:36

Hey there. Thanks for joining us today. In today’s episode, we’re discussing four strategies to help maintain the calm despite all of December’s chaos, and we have a teacher approved tip for designing the perfect reward system for your class.

 

Heidi  0:52

Let’s start with a try it tomorrow, where we share a quick win that you can try in your classroom right away. Emily, what is our suggestion for this week?

 

Emily  0:59

This is a fun one. It’s called a procedure mystery photo. So you just take photos of your classroom procedures, maybe snap a picture of how books should look in the book bin, or what a properly organized desk looks like, or how students should line up at the door. Then you show these photos to your class and have them guess which procedure is being modeled. You can even turn it into a little game, like zoom way in on the photo so it only shows part of the whole picture. Take a screenshot, and then zoom out a bit and repeat the process. Then you have a series of photos that get progressively easier. So you start by showing the grainy, zoomed in photo, and challenge students to guess it before you reveal the full photo.

 

Heidi  1:41

I feel like this is like a game show game like, you get more points the more zoomed in the photo is.

 

Emily  1:47

For sure.

 

Heidi  1:48

And this is kind of sneaky brilliant because you’re reviewing expectations, but it really does feel like entertainment. And if you do this in November or December, you are setting yourself up to hit the ground running in January, because five minutes of reviewing procedures today can save you 30 minutes of having to redirect everyone in January.

 

Emily  2:07

Oh, yeah. So grab your phone, take a few pictures and try it out. Super simple.

 

Heidi  2:12

If you like this idea or anything else we share here on the podcast, would you take a second and give a five star rating? Ratings and reviews are one way that new listeners find us, so it really is a huge help to us.

 

Emily  2:23

If you’re listening the day this episode comes out, welcome to December. Can you believe it? We’re here.

 

Heidi  2:29

It doesn’t feel possible. And you know how December goes. Winter Break feels so close, and yet it is still so far away. You’re probably counting down the days while simultaneously trying to keep your students from bouncing off the walls.

 

Emily  2:43

And you are not alone. So let’s just acknowledge that at some point this month, almost every teacher looks around the room and thinks, I give up. My kids are off the rails.

 

Heidi  2:52

Yeah, there comes a day where the normal management strategies that carried you through September and October and most of November are just not cutting it anymore.

 

Emily  3:02

But it really doesn’t have to be like this. You can keep the calm even in December.

 

Heidi  3:08

Okay, but like, let’s manage expectations up front. We are not promising perfection. There’s only so much you can do when there’s an assembly every other day and your students are just zipping around the room like cartoon characters, but with the right strategies, you can prevent total chaos.

 

Emily  3:27

Behavior management in December really comes down to finding that balance between structure and spark. Of course, in December, spark is basically pouring through the doorway, so we gotta balance that flood, and our students need us to provide structure, to keep the energy balanced.

 

Heidi  3:44

So today we’re going to walk you through four ways to increase the structure in your room, and these don’t require you to turn into the Grinch. We’re talking about keeping your expectations alive, maintaining your routines, using structured, festive fun and adding short term rewards when you need a boost.

 

Emily  4:02

Alright, so let’s jump in with the most important thing you can do to manage behavior in December, and that is to keep your expectations alive. When those kids are extra chatty and you’re running on caffeine and Christmas cookies, this might not seem like much of a solution, but it really is a powerful way to keep structure strong despite all of that extra spark.

 

Heidi  4:22

Now, again, you know December’s still going to December. You’re going to have to adjust to some extra chattiness and some extra wiggles, but if in September, you wouldn’t accept students calling out during a lesson, don’t accept it now just because December’s feeling crazy already.

 

Emily  4:37

And this is so simple to implement, all you need is a daily check in. Start by finding a spot for this in your day. You can add it to your morning meeting if you have one, just take a minute at the end to review an expectation for the day. Today let’s review our list of recess rules.

 

Heidi  4:52

Or you could use transitions for this. Before you head to the library, pause and say, Okay, let’s talk about what respectful hallway behavior looks like. What should we be doing?

 

Emily  5:00

Now if things have gotten really off track, or if you’ve skipped this in September, you might need to do some co creating of expectations with your students. This works really well for those times of day that are causing the biggest headaches right now. So pick one of those trouble spots and you gather everyone for a quick discussion.

 

Heidi  5:18

And really, this can be quick. So let’s say enrichment rotations have become a disaster. Students are getting loud in the hallway, touching stuff that isn’t theirs, taking forever to rotate the next bathroom. Ugh, I can feel it. So you make a T chart, or you pull up a blank slide and title it enrichment rotations, and then ask students, if everyone is being respectful and responsible during rotations, what will it look like?

 

Emily  5:42

So easy, the kids will just share their ideas and you write them down, and then you ask what it should sound like, probably silence or whisper voices in the hallway.

 

Heidi  5:51

This type of T chart discussion works really well with younger kids. If you teach the older ones, they might roll their eyes a bit, but you can just make this more of a simple discussion. Just ask what’s working well during math centers and what could be smoother, and then list their responses.

 

Emily  6:06

And then, once you’ve made your list of expectations, keep reviewing them. Before you go to the library tomorrow, grab that chart and spend 60 seconds going over it. Remember, in the library we use walking feet and whisper voices. Look at our list and pick one thing to focus on extra hard today.

 

Heidi  6:22

Then you have your students turn and tell a neighbor which expectation they’re going to focus extra hard on. Of course you want them to do all of them, but what are they really going to focus on? That way, they’ve made a little commitment to themselves, and their buddy can help remind them.

 

Emily  6:35

In our December teacher survival kit, there are pages you can edit to include your behavior expectations and blank T charts to fill out with your students. If you use the survival kit in the past, make sure to download the updated version so that you get all these new pages.

 

Heidi  6:49

Yeah, that’s problem with us and digital products, because we can just tweak them forever and ever, and we probably will.

 

Emily  6:55

Yep.

 

Heidi  6:56

You can find a link to the survival kit in the show notes, and that will help you get started with your December behavior management plan. Keep those expectations alive through quick daily check ins and visible posted guidelines.

 

Emily  7:07

And this whole process doesn’t have to take a ton of time, but doing it consistently will make a big difference in your students’ behavior.

 

Heidi  7:14

Okay, now that you’re keeping expectations alive, let’s talk about maintaining your regular routines. This is such a powerful way to disperse all that excess spark, but it does take extra work this time of year.

 

Emily  7:26

Yeah, that’s because we’re in those swiss cheese weeks that we always talk about, and that’s when the calendar is full of holes. Maybe you’ve got an assembly on Monday, a concert on Wednesday, early dismissal on Friday, and half your class is out sick or traveling.

 

Heidi  7:40

Oh, yeah, December is no joke. You technically have five days of school, but it’s more like a hodgepodge of lessons between festive interruptions, and that’s where the swiss cheese strategy comes in. Instead of fighting the chaos, we are going to work with it.

 

Emily  7:57

Right. So here’s the framework we’re going to use. First, protect your mornings. Even if the rest of your day is as mixed up as laundry tumbling in the dryer, do everything in your power to keep your mornings as normal as possible. The more disrupted your schedule, the more your students need the predictability of your routines.

 

Heidi  8:14

We really cannot overstate the importance of this. Guard this time fiercely. If your morning is off balance, the rest of the day is going to be much harder to manage, but if you can maintain a calm, predictable morning, it’s much easier to keep everyone on track, even if there are disruptions later on.

 

Emily  8:31

When kids start the day calm and grounded, that foundation carries them through whatever weirdness is going to come later.

 

Heidi  8:38

Yeah, but you know when your morning is off balance? Good luck.

 

Emily  8:41

So look at whatever disruption is coming and decide, how can I protect my morning? If there’s an afternoon assembly, great, keep your morning routine exactly as it normally is.

 

Heidi  8:50

Now, on those days when there’s a morning interruption, it gets trickier. Keep things as normal as you can but remember, you can always reset later. You can come back from an assembly at 10:30 and do morning meeting then if that is what it takes to channel that energy in your room.

 

Emily  9:07

The second part of the swiss cheese strategy is to keep your routines consistent, even if the content changes. So you still do math during math time. You still do writing during writing time, but maybe instead of teaching a new concept, you’re doing review.

 

Heidi  9:21

Or, you know, instead of your regular writing lesson, everyone does a seasonal writing craft. The consistency of, we do writing at 11:15, helps students feel safe and grounded. Even though the activity might be different, the rhythm of the day is staying the same.

 

Emily  9:37

So do your best to keep the when and how consistent, even if the what changes. This consistency gives students the support they need to make positive choices. It signals to their nervous systems that today is still a normal day, even if there’s a lot going on.

 

Heidi  9:51

Now, an important part of surviving December is having the right mindset. Remind yourself that these swiss cheese weeks are not going to be your most productive weeks.

 

Emily  10:01

Unfortunately, no, and that is okay. Go back to last week’s episode where we talked about must do’s. Make sure you know exactly what content you need to cover before winter break, and prioritize getting those lessons in, even if you have to get a little creative to make it work.

 

Heidi  10:16

Now, outside of your must do’s anything else you manage to get done is a bonus. Your goal right now is not to power through your curriculum. It’s to keep everyone calm and engaged through a busy, spark filled season.

 

Emily  10:28

And hopefully not get behind so you can start back in January without having to play catch up.

 

Heidi  10:33

Now, when the frustration starts to mount, and it will, take a deep breath and remind yourself that this is normal. Given all of the chaos, things are actually probably going better than you think.

 

Emily  10:44

So to sum this up, when your week turns into swiss cheese, structure is your stabilizer. Protect those mornings, keep the rhythm of the day, even if the song changes.

 

Heidi  10:54

Alright. Now, you know what might actually save December? Adding more novelty to what’s already going on.

 

Emily  11:02

And you may be thinking, we’ve lost our minds, but truly, sometimes the best way to fight fire is with fire, and sometimes the best way to manage classroom spark is with more spark.

 

Heidi  11:12

Okay, but the key to all of this is to use the motivation of novelty to increase structure, and that’s where festive breaks come in. We love these.

 

Emily  11:22

Festive breaks are short, low prep, seasonal activities that you control. We’re talking 5 to 10 minutes of fun that give kids something to look forward to and gives you leverage.

 

Heidi  11:32

So you might say something like, if everyone works quietly on this assignment for 15 minutes, we will do a festive break. But if talking starts, I will have to reset the timer.

 

Emily  11:42

That one sentence gives instant structure. Kids know exactly what’s expected, and they’re motivated to do it.

 

Heidi  11:48

Plus, this takes all the emotion out of your management. You aren’t nagging, you’re not reminding. The system is managing the behavior for you.

 

Emily  11:57

And the great thing is, festive breaks can be so simple. It can be flashlight reading, a short video, directed drawings, a favorite game, or a quick craft. Honestly, anything quick and seasonal feels like a festive break.

 

Heidi  12:08

Now, you know we’re looking out for you, so if you want this already done for you, we have a whole system waiting for you in our shop. It includes cute holiday themed cards that you can display to increase interest, and on the back of each card, you can just write down a fun activity.

 

Emily  12:22

Our festive break pack includes a bunch of Print and Go no prep activities like Tic Tac Toe, unfoldable joke tellers, things that are fun but they’re not going to spike anyone’s adrenaline.

 

Heidi  12:34

Yeah, we worked really hard to come up with chill fun. Chill fun is kind of our zone, isn’t it? Once kids have met your goal, maybe they came back from library with a good report from the librarian, then a student gets to choose one of the cards. The surprise factor keeps kids interested in earning the reward.

 

Emily  12:51

And then in the teacher’s guide, we’ve included several suggestions for how to display the cards. You can hang the cards on a string, tape them to the board, or draw them out of a hat, whatever fits your vibe.

 

Heidi  13:02

And one thing we love is combining festive breaks with a work packet. Remember last week when we talked about those? They’re just basically a stack of review worksheets organized around a theme, with a few just for fun pages mixed in.

 

Emily  13:15

So you give your students the packet to work on, calm, structured focus, and then you add the festive breaks as little bursts of excitement, work, break, work, break. That rhythm keeps engagement high and chaos low.

 

Heidi  13:28

And bonus, when students are working on their packets, you get a little pocket of prep time. You can tackle some teacher tasks or start getting ready for January.

 

Emily  13:37

We talked a lot more about maximizing those pockets of prep In last week’s episode. So definitely check that out if you haven’t already.

 

Heidi  13:45

Alright, so far you are working hard to keep your expectations alive. You are protecting your calm mornings, and you’re sprinkling in fun with festive breaks. But what if that is not enough?

 

Emily  13:57

This is where a reward system might be helpful. Now, normally, we are not huge fans of reward systems, at least not for day to day classroom management.

 

Heidi  14:05

No, but that’s not because rewards are bad. It’s because rewards don’t work in the long term. Students get used to them, the novelty wears off, and then you are stuck in the cycle of having to constantly up the ante. And if your whole management plan relies on rewards, you’re going to be burned out well before April.

 

Emily  14:24

Right. But in high energy times like December, a short term, that’s key here, a short term reward system can be exactly what you need to boost structure and motivation. It gives students a reason to push through all the distractions and stay focused. And actually, Heidi, didn’t you use a reward system one December when things were really chaotic?

 

Heidi  14:46

Oh yeah, this is one of my clearest teacher memories. It was a Friday afternoon in mid December, and we had everything go wrong that day—you know, an assembly, the snowstorm rolling in, I’m pretty sure it was a full moon. I was standing in my classroom feeling completely helpless, surrounded by Lord of the Flies. But after school, instead of collapsing on my couch like I wanted to, I dragged myself to the craft store.

 

Emily  15:11

I’m impressed that you made it to the store after that kind of day, especially because I know the craft store was not that close in those days.

 

Heidi  15:17

It was not. I was desperate, Emily. I grabbed a cardboard reindeer banner, I disassembled it, and then I stuck a red pom pom on one of the noses. And as I’m thinking about it, I don’t know if I went to the craft store with that in mind, I think I was just like, I need something that’s going to get the kids engaged, something I could use to make a reward system out of. And those reindeer fit the bill. So on Monday, I introduced the new system. If my students made helpful choices, they would earn one of those reindeer cutouts. When we had all nine reindeer, including the one with the pom pom nose, of course, we got to include Rudolph, they earned a fun surprise.

 

Emily  15:53

And how did it work?

 

Heidi  15:55

Oh, gosh, it was like magic. Suddenly, I had my September class back. They were focused, making good choices, and reminding each other to stay on track.

 

Emily  16:03

And the thing to keep in mind with that story is that it wasn’t the reindeer that made the difference. It was the increased structure that the reindeer provided.

 

Heidi  16:13

Yeah, exactly. The novelty of December was so high that my students needed that boost of extra structure to counteract the overflowing energy.

 

Emily  16:23

So if you’re thinking about adding a reward system, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, we recommend making it class wide. When everyone is working toward the same goal, students will help keep each other on track because they want that reward.

 

Heidi  16:36

That might not seem important, but it’s the key to all of this. It means that you don’t have to be the enforcer. You just calmly walk toward the reward board, and your students will self correct immediately, and they will help each other get back on track.

 

Emily  16:50

Oh yes, they will. Now an effective reward system also needs to be visible. So maybe you are adding letters to spell out movie day, or you’re adding pieces to a puzzle or marbles to a jar.

 

Heidi  17:03

When kids can see their progress, that’s what keeps them motivated to keep working toward their goal.

 

Emily  17:08

And then, this might be controversial, but we think it helps. The system needs to allow for progress to be lost as well as earned. So if behavior goes off the rails, you can remove a letter or take out a marble, because this is going to help with that peer accountability.

 

Heidi  17:26

So when you’re choosing rewards, pick something that will actually be motivating for your students. Since it’s December, you might need to go bigger than you would in October—a glow in the dark party, hot chocolate and a movie, extra recess, whatever your kids would work for, makes a great reward.

 

Emily  17:40

And the nice thing about doing this before a break is there’s an automatic end date built into it. You don’t have to worry about how you’re going to transition out of this reward system. The kids will come back in January, and then you can just start fresh. They probably won’t even remember that you ever did that.

 

Heidi  17:54

That’ll be old news by then.

 

Emily  17:56

Yep.

 

Heidi  17:57

In our teacher approved tip in this episode, we’re diving deeper into how to choose the right kind of reward system for your specific class, but for now, just know that rewards can be a helpful tool when everything else feels chaotic and you need extra structure.

 

Emily  18:10

And if you want the reindeer reward system for your own class, you’re in luck, because we have that available. It includes pictures and prize cards and a complete Teacher’s Guide with all the important details to walk you through it. You can find a link to that in the show notes.

 

Heidi  18:23

And that reindeer reward system comes as part of a larger December behavior help set. So we’ve got lots of different systems if you want something for individual students or teams or multiple whole class rewards. So you can change things up mid month, because after you reindeer rewards for a little bit, the motivation to keep going tanks. You know how it goes.

 

Emily  18:43

Yeah, for sure, that’s exactly what happens. So we gave you all the options, and you can find a link to that in our show notes.

 

Heidi  18:50

Show notes are hopping today.

 

Heidi  18:52

Okay, so let’s recap our four strategies for keeping the calm in December. First, keep your expectations alive with daily check ins, visible posted guidelines and quick reviews before tricky transitions.

 

Emily  19:05

Second, maintain your routines. Be sure to protect your mornings and keep the when and how of your schedule consistent, even if the what has to change.

 

Heidi  19:15

Third, use structured fun. Festive breaks give you leverage for behavior while channeling that December excitement into focus,

 

Emily  19:22

And fourth, add rewards when you need a boost, a class wide visible system can provide exactly the structure you need to get through the chaos.

 

Heidi  19:30

December doesn’t have to be survival mode. With the right balance of structure and spark, you can keep your class focused and maybe even enjoy this season.

 

Emily  19:39

We’d love to hear your tips for managing December behavior. Come join the conversation in our teacher approved Facebook group. Now for our Teacher Approved Tip of the Week, where we share an actionable tip to help you elevate what matters and simplify the rest. This week’s teacher approved tip is reflect on what you need before starting a new reward system. Tell us more about it, Heidi.

 

Heidi  19:59

Well, if you are thinking of launching a reward system this month, just be aware that not all reward systems are created equal. For a reward to be effective at shaping behavior, it has to target the correct behaviors. So don’t jump in without at least a few minutes of reflection.

 

Emily  20:16

But we’ve got you covered, of course. The December teacher survival kit has a journal page that walks you through this decision making process. There are 12 questions that help you figure out exactly what kind of system would make sense for your students.

 

Heidi  20:30

Now we don’t have time to go through all 12 right now, but we can hit the big ones. So first, you need to think about what behaviors you’re hoping your reward system will increase and what behaviors you’re hoping to decrease.

 

Emily  20:42

Once you’re clear on your goals, then you can decide, will a whole group system work best? A small group system, individual or some combination?

 

Heidi  20:49

We’ve mostly been talking about whole group rewards this episode, where everyone is working toward one shared reward. This works really well when you have a general on task behavior goal that you’re working toward.

 

Emily  21:01

And we prefer whole group rewards because they can help build your classroom community. But small group rewards are a great way to increase competition, and they may boost student buy in.

 

Heidi  21:11

Small group rewards could be something like table points or team challenges. If a whole group reward system isn’t motivating enough, you can up the stakes by awarding table points. That competition can get kids to buy in very quickly.

 

Emily  21:25

Individual reward systems are for when you need to target very specific behaviors for specific students. Use them when they’re needed, but they probably won’t help much with general classroom behavior in December.

 

Heidi  21:37

Once you’ve decided what reward system you need, then you need to think about the format. Are you doing tickets, marbles in a jar, puzzle pieces, or, you know, letters on the board?

 

Emily  21:46

Younger kids often do well with something very visual and concrete, like puzzle pieces that they can see filling in a picture. Older kids might prefer something quicker and less babyish, like tally marks on the board.

 

Heidi  21:58

And then, of course, you have to think through all of the physical logistics that come with starting a new reward system. How will you organize it? If you’re doing tickets, where are students going to keep them? If you’re adding puzzle pieces to a board, where’s that board going to go?

 

Emily  22:11

And this might sound silly, but this is where your systems fall apart. You introduce something that sounds great in theory, but then you realize you don’t have a good place to store the materials, or it’s too complicated to manage, and if the system is complicated, you won’t stick with it.

 

Heidi  22:24

Now, you got enough to do in December. Don’t make this harder than it has to be. So think through those big questions, and in the December teacher survival kit, we have that whole worksheet that will walk you through all of this, plus a few more considerations. Because you know, the last thing you need right now is to introduce a reward system that adds more stress to your life, instead of making it easier.

 

Heidi  22:46

To wrap up the show, we are sharing what we’re giving extra credit to this week. Emily, what gets your extra credit?

 

Emily  22:50

I’m giving extra credit to solar powered fairy lights. I got some to add to my little free library, and it’s so cute. So now I’m wondering what else I can add fairy lights to outside.

 

Heidi  23:03

I love that. And then you could put them in places where stretching an extension cord is just not practical. Gosh, now I want some.

 

Emily  23:09

You need some. I don’t know where you what for, but I think you need them. They’re super cute.

 

Heidi  23:13

I could put them on my porch railing. That’s why I haven’t decorated my porch, really, because I don’t have a good place to plug things in out there. But maybe?

 

Emily  23:20

That could work. You could probably put them in your trees too, because your trees aren’t too tall.

 

Heidi  23:26

That would be pretty.

 

Emily  23:27

Yeah. Do it.

 

Heidi  23:28

Okay, good ideas.

 

Emily  23:30

What are you giving extra credit to, Heidi?

 

Heidi  23:32

Well, I’m giving extra credit to season two of A Man on the Inside, now that it is out on Netflix. So in season one, Ted Danson’s character goes undercover in a retirement home to find a jewel thief. It’s so sweet. This is from Mike Schur, who, if you’re not familiar with, he was a writer on The Office and was a creator for Parks and Rec and The Good Place. So if you like any of the shows, I am sure you would love Man on the Inside too. It’s got big heart, but it’s not cheesy, really, and it’s not afraid to ask some big questions. It’s, it’s very sweet. And my only sadness is he’s not at the same retirement home this year.

 

Emily  24:09

Oh, sad. I was wondering how they were going to handle that after, like, how season one ends.

 

Heidi  24:14

Yeah.

 

Emily  24:15

Well, I’m excited to watch it, though. I haven’t seen the new season yet.

 

Heidi  24:19

That is it for today’s episode. December behavior does not have to unravel. Remember to keep expectations alive, maintain routines, use festive fun strategically, and add rewards when you need them.

 

Heidi  24:32

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Teacher Approved. I’m Heidi.

 

Emily  24:36

And I’m Emily. Thank you for listening. Be sure to follow or subscribe in your podcast app so that you never miss an episode.

 

Heidi  24:43

You can connect with us and other teachers in the Teacher Approved Facebook group. We’ll see you here next week. Bye, for now.

 

Emily  24:49

Bye.