Question:

I teach kindergarten. When it's time to transition from Circle, which we do in the front of the room, to small group activities, which they do at their desks, several students inevitably start running around the room. They know they're breaking the rules but even when I remind them, they still do it. Any ideas?

Answer:

In our training Positive Behavior Supports, we offer 14 strategies to consider. Here are a few, applied to this situation:

1. INTERESTING CURRICULUM IS THE BACKBONE OF A WELL MANAGED CLASS:

Plan high-interest activities in the small groups that follow Circle. Motiviate the children with a description of what awaits them using a dramatic voice, facial expressions and perhaps a visual prop (e.g., the final product of an art project).

2. REINFORCE REINFORCE REINFORCE
Lay on the praise of those who walk to the next activity. Overdo it - e.g., write their names on the board, award a sticker, make a funny comment ("Nancy is walking so nicely because she is wearing brand new purple socks and she wants us to have time to notice them."). IGNORE the runners.

(Top Secret Tip: (don't tell ANYONE) Praise a child who is running for walking ["Look how nicely Sherry is walking."] and if she doesn't start walking with her very next step, YOU get to ask next month's behavior question!)

3. TEACH AND PRACTICE THE RULES
Create a simple rule chart that has photos or pictures of the desired behavior ("We walk in the classroom"). Review the rule right before it's time to change activities. Ask, "How are we going to get to our desks?"

Send a few children at a time to demonstrate to the others what the rule looks like. Once or twice have a few students demonstrate what it doesn't look like (e.g., have some children hop, skip, etc.)

4. REVIEW THE SCHEDULE
If you don't have a daily schedule, make one, post it, and go over it every morning as a part of your routine. Ask, "Where do we go after Circle?" and point to the words and pictures that answer that. If some children will never like small group no matter what you do there, let them see that it doesn't go on forever and that there is something that they will like happening a little later.

5. GET THEIR ATTENTION
Make sure all the children are looking at you when you give the direction to move to small groups. Vary your volume (e.g., whisper sometimes) to keep their interest.

6. CUE NON-VERBALLY
Get the eye of one of the runners and use a walking sign (two fingers moving alternately) either before he is out of the gate, or in the act.

7. HAVE CONSISTENT PROCEDURES
Develop "traffic patterns" so that each child knows the established route from where they are on the rug to their desk. Practice the route, pretending to be trains or robots or praying mantises.

8. CREATE COMMUNITY
"Ms. Cummings was telling me that some of her kindergarteners run from Circle to their seats and I told her that Room 14 NEVER does that! Do you have any suggestions I could give her so that her class always walks in the classroom?"

Til next time. Keep it positive!!!