Good Job Bob

I've worked with a lot of amazing people over the course of my career. Most recently, I had the distinct pleasure of working with a wonderful school psychologist.The both of us worked so diligently to find interventions that worked for students with behavioral and mental health concerns. We were a dynamic team when working with parents and agencies.  When I look back, geez, I think about how we were constantly collaborating and brainstorming for some of the most challenging situations I've ever experienced! Yet, when a chosen intervention wasn't going as planned, we switched gears to Plan B (and many times Plan C, Plan D, and so forth). I became a better school counselor because of the opportunity I had to work with someone who came to the table with a different set of experiences and a different point-of- view than my own. I cannot lie... it sure was nice to have someone help me keep my sanity!

So, this post is about one of the many ideas we came up with during a brainstorming session. We were brainstorming out-of-the-box ways to reward students. We somehow got on the topic of the book: Flat Stanley and one idea led to another and Good Job Bob was born!

If you have not read the book Flat Stanley, you must get yourself a copy and read it. So cute! Stanley was flatened by a bulletin board, which fell on him while he was sleeping. Now that he is flat, Stanley could do unbelievable things that no child would ever be able to do such as, traveling in an envelope. He was also the town hero when he caught some thieves after pretending to be a painting hanging on the wall at a museum.

Then, we started thinking... wouldn't it be fun if the kids could earn a Flat Stanley to take home with them for the night and return him the next day with the tales of all of his adventures from the sleepover. My school psychologist came up with Good Job Bob! I ran with it and made a bunch of Good Job Bob's!!

Then we needed some girls. Good Day Mae was born!

 

 

 

Then we thought the kids might enjoy some pets!

 

How did I make these fun, modern "Flat Stanley's?"

• First, I purchased some paper people cutouts similar to these. Good Job Bob and Good Day Mae are over a foot tall! I purchased a pack with the clothes cutouts so I could use them as templates for more fun clothing!

• Next, I searched online for free clip art of kids faces. I downloaded them, printed them, cut them out, and glued them onto the heads of the cutouts.

• Then, using the shirts and shorts in the cutouts packet, I made patterned clothing using scrapbook paper.I shaded the cutouts skin color (all of the pictures above have shaded skin, but it is difficult to tell in the pictures) and glued on the clothing.

• Finally, I created the words "Good Job Bob" and "Good Day Mae" using Word and glued them on top of the shirts. All were laminated.

• For the pets, I searched for free clip art of fun dogs and a cat, downloaded them, printed them, cut them out, added their names, and laminated.

If a student earns the opportunity to take home Good Job Bob, Good Day Mae or one of the pets, he or she gets to choose which one he/she would like to take home for a visit. We discuss how to keep their friend "safe" and they are reminded to return their friend the next day. To help keep them "safe," they are sent home in a very large, decorated envelope. Upon return, we talk to the kiddos about the entire experience.

They love, love, love it!!