Examples of our Monthly School-Wide Incentives
September - Dance Party on Playground
October - Fall Festival Outdoor Activities
November - Minute-to-Win-It
December - Movie and Popcorn
January - School Snowstorm (arts/crafts snow related - decorate school and hot cocoa)
February - School-Wide Bingo
March - March Madness Nerf Basketball Tournament
April - School Beautification Project
May/June - Ice Truck
Every month, I find myself scrambling for lessons and activities that are meaningful for each grade level's character lesson. I always feel like the lesson/activity needs to be a healthy balance between "not too fun" because they didn't earn the incentive and "fun enough" to keep the kiddos engaged! I say scramble because no matter how well-planned I am, after compiling the SWPBIS data for the whole school on the day before the incentive, I'm ready to go home exhausted! Nonetheless, I get home and examine the composition of my character lesson groups, then develop a lesson that makes the most sense for them.
The week before Winter Break came and there I was, again trying to figure out what the lesson would be. If you are an elementary educator, you know how difficult it is to contain the kiddos' excitement during the week before the holiday break! So, I decided to give myself a break and "just" read a book this time around. Sometimes I read a book, but I always have an activity to go along with it. Not this time!
From my book collection, I pulled a brand new book I purchased this fall and have been waiting for the right time to use it. What Should Danny Do? written by: Ganit and Adir Levy was the perfect choice for December's Character Lessons!!! THE KIDS LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
As a kid, I was always drawn to the choose your own ending chapter books and as an elementary school counselor, I have used the book Bully on the Bus by Carl Bosch in lessons many, many years ago. I have been searching for years for a choose your own ending picture book! One day, What Should Danny Do? popped up on my Facebook page and I bought it literally 10 minutes later!
The story-line is about the choices Danny makes during a day at home and the consequences of those choices (positive and negative). As I read, periodically my students were asked to choose what reaction Danny should have to the situation. What should Danny do? The first time through the kids were really adamant about making the "right" choices, but the school counselor in me took them back to the beginning to make the "poor" choices so they could see those consequences as well. This is where the learning happened. I was completely amazed by how much they connected to the story-line and how they began to predict what the consequences may be. By doing this, they were able to remember back to the "right" choice and were able to have really thoughtful discussions about the two very different paths for each dilemma that popped up.
I can't wait for the authors to come out with a school specific book!
No doubt about it, I would recommend you run out and buy this book. You will love it, your students will love it, and through your discussion points, they will learn so very much!! Clicking on the picture or link above will take you to Amazon (these are affiliate links). Follow the authors on Facebook....sometimes they offer deals (this is how I got my book).
I wish you a wonderful 2018!
