Helping Guest Teachers Accentuate the Positive

Since the beginning of the year, my students have loved keeping track of their helpful, safe, and friendly behavior on a ten frame that is strategically displayed by the classroom door:

Quick to show appreciation for good behavior, colleagues compliment the Super Stars whenever they observe us working together:

"What a polite and quiet line you have, Mrs. Sommerville!"

"Oh, I hope my second graders notice what good role models the kindergartners are being."

"Oh my goodness!  Your class was so quiet that I didn't even know they were coming down the hallway!"

"Your students did such a good job in the library today, Mrs. Sommerville."

"My students really appreciate how your Super Stars look at our artwork without touching it when they walk by."

"We appreciate how your Super Stars use manner words in the lunch room."


Accentuating the positive really does help eliminate the negative.

Wondering if we could use our talent for compliment-collecting in a way that would help guest teachers whenever they spend time in my classroom, I created a new chart for substitute teachers to use that I initially drafted with my students' help:

Laminated to make it reusable, our guests can use a dry erase or vis-a-vis marker to keep track of the great behaviors he or she observes.  It can be easily carried on a clip board or in hand, and even displayed within easy viewing of my class.  Even better, my students are EXCITED to keep count, and share the number with me upon my return.

I'm going to continue to encourage my subs to try this "accentuate the positive" model whenever I have to be away from my class, and look forward to their feedback.

How do you help guest teachers manage classroom behavior when you're away?