Teaching with Mel D

Classroom Management Linky Party

READ ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM…………….HINT…HINT!
I’m joining some of my blogging bff’s over @ our collaborative blog, Freebie-licious for week #5 of our summer linky party series. 
I believe it was my 3rd or even 4th year of teaching when my former principal, Mr. Ja**a** had the nerve to mark me off on an evaluation because my students were talking when they transitioned into a the line to leave. Oh, they also were too loud while adding dice…really???? Don’t even get me started. Well, I don’t take criticism well at all but my kids were good! You know how you promise them 10,000 fuzzies if they are good or everyone gets a sucker…come on, admit it! We all do it. Well, that day I did & they were very well behaved. Anyway, when I had the meeting afterwords I had written a rebuttal to my evaluation…ever since then I was a target. He actually handed me a classroom management book by Harry Wong!!!!!! I was absolutely appalled beyond belief. I thought to myself….I’ll show him! And, so I did. I am very proud of my classroom management skills but it did not come naturally, it took many years.
In college we were taught the red, yellow, green light management by Lee Cantor. Did this work….meh, not really. I did the best I could with it but they still didn’t care if they dropped a color. The students that stayed on green all year long….what did they get???? Nothing :o( I know… teacher of the year! I did have faults but don’t tell Mr. Ja**a**. 
Honestly, my kids were pretty well behaved considering there was no consistency, no rewards, no positive or negative consequences for behavior…they just behaved…well I thought they did. 
I’ll call my first several years a hot mess. They DO NOT TEACH YOU IN COLLEGE HOW TO MANAGE A CLASSROOM….AT ALL! AT ALL! When you are absent, I believe your classroom should run as if you were there. Your students should be so programmed to your structured schedule they know exactly what to do, how to do it & when to do it. No matter what “it” may be. In fact, it should run that way when you are out of the room, talking to a colleague, testing students in the corner. It’s all about establishing procedures and routines……….right away…like the first day & every day after that. C.O.N.S.I.S.T.E.N.C.Y IS KEY! You will see that students thrive on structure & consistency.
Classroom procedures need to be modeled & practiced…over & over & over & over & over & over some more. You need to be prepared for anything & everything. After ten years things still happen from day to day that have never happened before. The success of your entire school year can be determined by what you do on the first day of school. 
   
As you can see I am really into teaching. If you are reading this, so are you. I don’t care if you’ve taught for 40 years or none, every teacher needs to learn new tips. Every single class & every single student is different. You will be dealing with their emotions, personalities, intelligence or lack of it. Did you ever hear that teachers wear all different “hats”??? You will shortly find out this is so true. 
I remember thinking, O.M.G, they never told me what to do if a child comes to school dirty? College never taught me what to do if a child is getting abused? Why didn’t they teach me what to do with 25 little 6 year olds looking at me for guidance all.day.long for 180 days?????? And where did all this freaking paper come from & what do I do with it??? Mom, mom, help!!!!!!!! I’m not even going to discuss dealing with parents…you might just change professions. Teaching is a UNIQUE profession that is FILLED with rewards! You! Yes, you will have a lasting influence on many, many lives so stick with it.
Most of the time, your instincts will kick it. You will get what you expect from your students. If you don’t expect much, you won’t get much. Effective teachers steal from the best and learn from the rest. I am not the best, but I will say that I have “highly effective” classroom management skills. 
*First off you are not there to be their friend. Mistake #1 my first several years. 
*Effective teachers teach classroom procedures with consistency. 
*You are in control of your classroom, they are not & don’t let them be…you are the “Alpha”.
*Have positive expectations and be a good “manager” who designs lessons to achieve mastery. 
*Beg, Borrow, & Steal but stay away from the negative & cynical teachers that live to complain all day long. These are the ones that refuse to go along with change and resist anything new. 
*You will be expected to perform the same duties as a teacher who has been there before you were even born.
*Remember: STRUCTURE, CONSISTENCY & REPETITION.

I am currently writing a classroom management Ebook that will be finished soon. In this Ebook will be a more in depth explanation of my system. Don’t worry, this blog post will help you too! The Ebook will discuss important procedures, routines, and general tips to help you along your journey. I will also include some books I use along with this management system as well. I will be giving some away & it will be posted on TPT as well. In the meantime, I am going to give you some tips to get your wheels spinning.

I have a secret…it’s magical & it’s NOT too late to start or consider a change………….2 words………WARM FUZZIES. That is what I call them but they are basically a gift from above pom-poms.These
magical fuzzies have worked miracles in my K-3 classrooms for over ten years.
These are simply craft “pom-poms” that can be purchased at the Dollar Tree,
Wal-Mart, any craft store. They are cheap friends but SO WORTH IT! I even get
donations from parents.
Here are my two containers for big & little warm fuzzies. One BIG one equals 5 little ones. So to get a big one is kind of a big HUGE deal to a little one. I will give some examples for earning & losing fuzzies…big & little.
BIG FUZZIES:
1. Each student that passes an AR test gets a BIG fuzzy.
2. If a student gets a “wow” on a spelling test or any random test they get a BIG fuzzy.
3. I have a line leader…refer to classroom job post…my line leader & I work together to watch the “secret walker” to and from our destination. My line leader picks a stick (I have about 5 cups in various places with each student’s name on a popsicle stick) & is sworn to secrecy that they won’t tell that person. If they are not caught talking in the hall they get a BIG fuzzy. If they are caught talking in the hall, they OWE me a BIG fuzzy. This pretty much keeps my whole class quiet down the hallway because they don’t know if it’s them or not.
4. Today I was reviewing what we have learned about penguins thus far. If they remember a BIG word such as “regurgitate” I will give them a BIG fuzzy.
5. I give voluntary monthly reading logs, extra spelling homework, etc & if they return it finished they get a BIG fuzzy.
6. When I blog on my classroom blog, I usually put a little note “If you read this blog tell your child I owe them a BIG fuzzy. We keep this on the down low & they know to whisper it to me. This is how I know who is even bothering to read our blog.
7. The first 5 who finish their morning work with NO mistakes get a big fuzzy. If they have one mistake then they get a little one. More than one mistake=NADA. 
8. If they use amazing words in their
writing, they get a BIG FUZZY.
9. If they are a bucket filler, I give
them a BIG FUZZY.
10. If a specific student gets a
compliment from another teacher, they get a BIG FUZZY.
LITTLE FUZZIES:
First of all I take these more than give them.
1. If they don’t write their name on a paper…all I say is “fuzzy” & they turn one in.
2. If they are a “chicken” refer to post HERE…they owe me a fuzzy.
3. If they hand in homework w/out a name….fuzzy.
4. If they forget to pick their lunch, turn in their homework, sharpen a pencil, etc by the bell….fuzzy.
5. One of my classroom jobs is a “Scrap Monster”. I will give them a heads up when the scrap monster is coming & if they have a crayon, pencil, glove or whatever on or under their desk…fuzzy. If they are clean & organized they get a fuzzy.
6. One of my jobs is “Cubby Inspector”. If they leave a book, coat, shoe, whatever they may leave on the floor…fuzzy.
7. If another teacher pays us a compliment…each of them will get a fuzzy.
8. If they ignore the principal & don’t attack him every time he walks in the room…fuzzy.
9. If they interrupt me while I’m gossiping taking care of business on the phone…fuzzy.
10. If they interrupt me and another adult while we’re complaining talking about an issue with a parent…fuzzy.
I think I might just tally myself & keep track of how many times I say “fuzzy”. Once this system is in place when I take one away it’s like I just ruined their life. There are tears, kicking & screaming…you name it…I’ve seen it. BUT…it works. If we are ever gifted with a child I will totally do warm fuzzies with them at home. In fact, over the years I have at least a handful of parents that “steal” this idea and use it at home.
This is what they hold their fuzzies in. These containers are supposed to be used for painting. The brush just lays inside. The hole is perfect. I can walk by & throw one in or if they owe me one their little fingers fit right in there WITHOUT taking off the lid. This caused problems at first. Basically, if they touch it, I take it. I know I’m a meanie. But you know if I wasn’t strict about playing around with it they would have their hands in it or on it ALL. DAY. LONG. 
THIS
IS A FLASHBACK OF HOW I USED TO DO THIS SYSTEM. I HAVE UPDATED MY
SYSTEM DUE TO TOO MANY FUZZIES. I WILL EXPLAIN. I WANTED TO KEEP THIS
NEXT PART IN. 
On Friday is when we usually trade our fuzzies for the following. The lid ONLY comes off on Friday when I say they can count their fuzzies. If I see them trying to count them before, I take them all. Needless to say, this doesn’t happen…EVER.
This is a view of the shelf with all the trading goodies. 
They can get a pencil, pencil grip, homework pass, or pencil top eraser for the price of 2 big fuzzies (=10) or 10 little fuzzies. 
Back in the 2010-2011 school year I knew that after the first week of school the treasure box or a piece of candy WAS NOT going to work with this bunch. Let’s just say they were very active with MAJOR verbal overflow issues. 
This system is trial & error and what works best for you. If you keep reading you will see how this is going to change further this year. 
When we trade they can only pick the same coupon once. I learned this the HARD WAY. I had one student that chose 5 “Teacher’s Desk” coupons. That is one of the most popular ones BTW. It has been trial & error with each coupon. For example, the “Teacher’s Desk” coupon can only be used in the morning. They must go back to their own desk after lunch. If they are not focusing, which has happened….BUH-BYE. All coupons must be given to me by the bell or they are not “valid” that day…lol. Trust me, they remember this. They don’t remember to pick their lunch but they remember to give me the “Stinky Feet” coupon! At first my little nuggets were overwhelmed by the choices but eventually they all have their favorites. Naturally since there are over 100 choices I do not pull these all out at once. I show them a few a day starting from day one. They know that our classroom is going to be fun and they will get rewarded for good behavior and for many, many other things & they are EXCITED…..YOU HAVE TO REEL THEM IN & they will take the bait!
I love when it’s trading day & they get all excited….especially my really good students…because they get TONS of coupons that they deserve. On the flip side, if they are not reading, passing tests & not listening they barely have enough fuzzies to get one coupon. It’s a very sad day for them BUT it makes them make better choices…for an hour..lol.
I printed them on card stock, laminated & cut & store them in the plastic container. It’s their responsibility to hold onto their coupons in a safe place. If they lose it, not my problem. I think I have had one student lose a coupon & he’s lucky he even had one. It’s A.M.A.Z.I.N.G how responsible they become with these coupons. It gives them ownership & even more responsibility. It’s great to reward the students that deserve all the prizes they get.
Now for the changes………………….

As explained above I personally use fuzzies. Well, for some reason not everyone uses fuzzies…huh?? Say what? I get it….no I don’t. Anyway, some of you use tickets, pennies, etc. Well, I’m not going to send you pennies but I did provide this new system with tickets to copy & laminate as well as suggestions on how to implement it. As you can see I have provided full color pictures of various ways to organize this magical classroom management system. If you are one of thousands who have already purchased this…guess what???? Go download it again for an additional 175 PAGES! You’re welcome. This has consumed my entire summer & now I have to stop ignoring my husband.

You will see what these numbers stand for when you purchase or re-download. I will tell you that you do not have to use the numbers, fuzzies or whatever I use with the coupons. I made that part editable.

I am not going to explain the whole system just so a certain few COPIERS can just take 250+ hours of MY WORK & IDEAS & just copy them….OK vent over. I know my fellow bloggers understand the frustration.

This was something that I ran into this past year that drove me nutso! The kids would hand me their coupons, by the bell, & I would just throw them in a container. Well, then I had about 6 gallon size ziploc bags full by the end of the year. I decided to make this loveliness above for my desk. Again, you will find out what the numbers mean after you re-download. The picture on the left I put the paper behind the drawer & I didn’t like it. I like my colors to pop & practically blind me. Then I reached for my BFF, Modge Podge, & slapped it on the front of the drawer & look how much brighter that is! Oh, happy day! So, when the kids are in a mad rush to get me their coupons I will have somewhere to put them & keep them organized.

Yes, I finally caved with the full pages. I got so many requests for these full pages but I really didn’t see the point so I never took the time to make them. Well, as I was putting this all together, I do see a purpose. I can’t wait to see those little nuggets paging through the binders to see what they want to earn. They have to see what they want…you know shop…shopping for goals! I LOVE IT! And the poor babes that don’t have fuzzies can watch everyone else shop for their rewards..ha!

 Here is the updated first set! Obviously this is not all of them just a peek. I did update all the coupons with my fave, Melonheadz graphics if it fit. Please understand, everything gets updated including these. If you don’t like them updated then use the older version. I personally LOVE these new ones. I can’t get enough of these Melonheadz graphics….nice & clean and no blurriness. Anything I sell, I use in my own classroom and make it how I want it to look. I am anal, but not as anal as some of the requests I receive. I just can’t make everyone happy. Feel free to read the reviews by clicking on any picture to see for yourself. 

Better yet, I can give you an example. You walk into Lakeshore Learning, you spot a pocket chart that you want. You go up to the cashier & say well…I want this in another color, I want the pockets to be smaller…as a matter of fact I want more pockets & I want to change the the amount of holes on top as well. What do you think they would say? When you purchase an outdated teacher book do you expect to be able to use every single page???? Um, no. And on top of that you probably paid close to $20 for a book is in black and white & is about a 1/4 useable. If you would like any of those books, they just got recycled in front of my house. I only purchase from teachers now & have for years. Ok that vent is over….so sorry just frustrated :o( 

 

BOTH SETS HAVE BEEN UPDATED!!!!! BOTH SETS HAVE FULL PAGES OF EACH COUPON! ALSO INCLUDED OUR IMPLEMENTATION TIPS, ORGANIZATIONAL IDEAS & CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TIPS FROM YOURS TRULY.

 

 This is just about my favorite thing I did & can’t wait to display this for my little nuggets. Since I don’t pull out each coupon right away I made this display board to place in my classroom. I simply used a black tri-fold science board & placed velcro dots on each coupon & the other side on the board itself. Why did I use velcro? Well, you couldn’t possibly fit all the coupons on all at once…that would overwhelm your little nuggets. You know your kids & you know what they like. You can tell if a certain coupon doesn’t get chosen. If it doesn’t, change it! That is why there are so many choices!

 All the letters you see on the display board are included! I also provided a ton of different variations to choose from in case you like different color combinations.

 All the circles with the numbers are included & are editable!

This portable tri-fold display is perfect to display all week or just on trading day! OH>MY>WORD! I just noticed something wrong. If you catch my mistake, leave your email with the mistake & you have your choice of my first or second set for FREE! 

 I had to fix it & repost before it was pinned too many times…lol. I emailed Rachel, the first person to find the mistake. Both sets are on sale, go grab them & start preparing!


Now if you are a new follower & would like to purchase these coupons click on either picture below. I am currently working on an Ebook that will be done soon. I have hundreds of emails to go through to answer all your questions & am also really anal about providing visuals that is why all my posts take so long! 

SET #1 YOU CAN CLICK ON THE ABOVE PICTURE OR CLICK HERE! 
This set contains 55 DIFFERENT coupons and now features full page versions as well! Read the description to see the different choices. 

Set #2 is COMPLETELY brand new coupons!
 65+ DIFFERENT coupons from set #1 with full page versions as well!

Each set is over 250 pages! I have increased them both by at least 175+ pages! Yes, my entire summer has been consumed by this project! Tons of work & thought & EVEN SOME TEARS has went into both of these sets. It’s at your fingertips, why reinvent the wheel?

SET #2 YOU CAN CLICK ON THE ABOVE PICTURE OR CLICK HERE! 

If you are a blogger and would like to link up please grab the button that began this post & link back here.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. The n in coupons is upside down! I've done similar things. 😉 I love your management idea…now I just need to get myself to do it. I'll definitely be looking into your ebook when it's finished. I found your blog through Pinterest a couple years ago when you had some of your coupons free. I tried them out with tickets and loved them! So did the kiddos! Thanks for all your hard work! Your new stuff looks AMAZING!
    Shibahn
    landrylandoflearning@gmail.com
    Mrs. Landry's Land of Learning

  8. The upside down "n"!!! Uh oh! Gosh, I HATE when that happens. Haha!!!! At least it happens to all of us at some point or another.

    I use fuzzies in my class but I used to let them choose from my treasure box. This would save me so much time and money! Love it.

    kawright317@gmail.com

    You are awesome!

  9. The 'n' in "coupons" is upside down…totally something I would do! This looks fantastic; I have been searching for a new management system, and believe I have found it!! Thanks for sharing! jspexarth@knusd331.com

  13. Oops! The "n" is upside down…. It happens to the best of us. At least you caught your mistake!!! 🙂

    I love these btw. I've been watching them for a while (I will be a brand new teacher this year) and love the warm fuzzy idea. Great work!

    dancing4christ05@yahoo.com

  15. The n is upside down in coupons. This looks awesome! I will be teaching kindergarten this next year, so I will probably have to limit the choices in the beginning. The last two years I was teaching first grade and they would have loved this idea. I hope that it will work with my new group of kinders.

    Thanks!
    Shokkala@cox.net

  16. The "n" in coupons looks like "u" because it is upside down. I love this system. I have tried many systems and have not found one I love 100%. This looks great and I am going to try it this school year. I already know some of the students I am going to get and I think this really has merit. I have read some of your previous posts and it sounds like a real winner. Love it and can't wait to try it in my classroom.

    Cindy

    CL14Mentor@oh.rr.com

  18. Well it seems like I'm late to the party but I also noticed that the "n" is upside down in the word coupons. Thank you for this great post. You have given me a lot to think about with my classroom management procedures!
    Ruthanne rarace81@gmail.com

  19. I noticed the "n" but also Show & Tell is on the board twice under 200 Fuzzies. Maybe that is intentional because the coupons say different things? My ancient eyes can't read the smaller print!! I already bought your first set for last year and LOVE it. I never thought of putting out a few at a time…..brilliant. Thanks.
    Beth
    Bjudge2001@yahoo.com

  20. Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy following your blog. What I like the most about you is how down to earth and human you are. It's refreshing! I love all your advice and really look up to you!! I'm going into my third year of teaching and I'm still a newbie so you really help guide me. Thank you!!

  21. This post contained lots of great advice. I'm getting ready to start my first year of teaching in a second grade classroom. I will definitely revisit this post again and again as it gets closer to school starting, and even beyond.

    As far as your mistake, I noticed that there wasn't an 'n' in coupons (I deleted my previous comment)… But didn't even notice that it was there, just upside down. Hopefully that wasn't too difficult to change and flip right side up 🙂

    As a first year teacher, I would love to have either of the reward coupon sets to add to my classroom management plan. I've been eyeing them for a while and trying to decide which set I want to purchase to try out.

    sabaumann02@gmail.com

  22. Thanks so much for posting such an in depth post about big/little fuzzies and your reward coupons. This post is seriously a gold mine for classroom management! Going into my student teaching in September, I can honestly say they definitely don't teach you anything you need to know about behavior management! Red light/green light clip chart is just not cutting it! There are so many instances that come up that you never could have imagined! I know that student teaching will definitely test me. Classroom management is my biggest area of improvement. My number one priority is to be that "alpha" and not their friend. I have learned the hard way that you can be strict and lighten up over time but if you are a push over, there's no re-gaining control of the classroom! I will definitely be sure to implement these two techniques when I have a classroom of my own. I love that they give the children choice, are so positive, and really make the children strive for success. Your display board is so eye catching and well organized! I love the full page changes too. The children will love "shopping" for coupons that way! I don't see why anyone wouldn't use this technique! I cannot wait until your e-book comes out! I will be the first to buy it! I am sure there are going to be so many techniques that will make a world of difference in the classroom!

    Now that my rant of praise is over, your mistake on your board is that you turned the n in coupons upside down so it looks like a u. At least it is a very simple fix and not like the craft fails in my book!

    thepolishedteacher@gmail.com
    The Polished Teacher

    • You are the sweetest thing girl! I love that you are planning already for student teaching…I was EXACTLY the same way! Check your email!

  23. The "n" is upside down in coupons. I almost didn't see it because I'm so used to seeing reversals….lol. I am getting both of these sets and can't wait to use this whole system next year. Another thing to add to my big long list of things to do this summer! Hope you are able to enjoy the rest of your summer now that this amazing project is done. You did an awesome job!

    Katie
    Kryan42a@gmail.com

  25. I absolutely LOVE this system!!! It seems like it would be easy enough to manage and oh-so-effective! I'm looking forward to trying this with my firsties! Is there a difference between the 1st and 2nd pack besides the color scheme? Oh and the n- just upside down, easy fix!

    nlwright52111@gmail.com

  26. "U"-p-see-y daisy! Upside down N. This is great! You have such fabulous ideas. Our new math standards have financial literacy built in and I can really see how this system could tie in to that. Great work Mel!

  27. Wow! Thank you so much for sharing this behavior management post! It was a fun read, made me laugh, and nod my head to pretty much everything that happens in a classroom! And yes i totally agree, college does not teach you about how to manage a class! I would have to say that is probably one of the hardest things to do in our profession-classroom management..There are just endless amounts of things you have to consider when setting up your classroom structures, routines, expectations. Thanks again for sharing your experience and how to set up your *fuzzy system!* …I also love all of the coupon choices! So much better than little trinkets and candy!

    -Caitlin
    Table Talk with C & C

  28. What an awesome behavior management tool! I love the graphics too- and am often surprised at how some people are so bold to suggest you make changes for them!
    The "mistake" was the N in coupons was upside down- a simple fix!
    Thanks for the inspiration!
    Krystal
    kleece01@gmail.com

  31. Awww…the n is upside down in coupons. 🙁 This looks like an awesome way to help manage the kiddos. Btw I totally understand what you mean about college didn't teach us certain things but it's great to be able to learn from other teachers like you out there. Thanks for sharing your ideas! jmcpang78@gmail.com

  33. The n is upside down in coupons 🙂 Set two would be awesome to have. Thanks! I loved using this in my classroom this past year. (I have set one.) It was by far the easiest classroom management tool I have ever used. The best part is that the kids never lost interest! dhintz3@wolfnet.net

  35. The n is upside down. Easy fix! I love this system, and have been wanting to try something new with my kinder kids. I have been using the outdated color system because I didn't know wat else to do. Thanks for this!
    Christy
    Christylawlis@yahoo.com

  39. On your black tri-fold board the n is upside down in the word coupon. I would appreciate set #2. Thank you! I've always heard about the warm fuzzie system, but I have never seen it explained in such great detail! Thank you so much for sharing this labor of love with us. I am going back into the classroom this upcoming school year after teaching EIP for K-2. I look forward to using this new behavior system and sharing it with my colleagues. I also plan on using your quote, "The success of your entire school year can be determined by what you do on the first day of school." when I train our staff on F&P Running Records because I believe in that wholeheartedly!
    Thanks,
    Michelle
    m.renee08@gmail.com

  40. The "n" in the word coupon is upside down and looks like the letter u. I would like set #1 please. I really enjoy reading your blog and look forward to trying this system.

    Thanks,
    Rachel
    browny1255@aol.com

  41. The n is upside down. I would love set 2 because I already own set 1. Love your system. I am going to try to incorporate the warm fuzzier this year.
    Tracy
    Tracydanette@ gmail.com

  49. I love using your coupons!! They are the prizes that are picked most from the treasure chest!!

    Your "n" is flipped as a "u" instead!

    Ali
    alischepis(at)gmail.com

  50. I love using warm fuzzies too and don't get why everyone else doesn't either! I really like that your big fuzzies are worth more. Last year a fuzzy was a fuzzy and they all wanted the itty bitty ones go figure! I love the big ones are worth more. I see that your n is upside down. I hate it when that happens 😉 Thanks for all of the info in this post.
    Heather
    kyle98sean02@gmail.com

  51. Our school uses a school wide token economy (Tiger Tokens) and I am trying to wrap my head around how fuzzies and coupons could be incorporated. Your pictures are amazing and oh so helpful! If an upside down "n" is the only thing that's wrong I'd say you're doing well! Thanks for sharing this post.
    Anne
    arusso@culpeperschools.org

  52. I love the way you think! I manage class very much like you do and this would be so easy to incorporate. I wish I could just buy this but I was laid off 2 years ago and have not found perm. work yet. Anyway, what I saw is that the n in coupon is upside down. zandraclay@gmail.com

  53. I love your thoughts on management! I am excited to try your reward coupons in my class next year. I noticed that the "n" in coupons is upside down…. reminds me of something I would "accidentally" do in the classroom to see which students were paying atention 🙂

    broberts1211@gmail.com

  58. Mel D, YOU.ARE.THE.BEST! I am fresh out of college and trying to prepare for my first year of teaching in the fall. Your blog has given me so much HELPFUL and USEFUL information! Like you said, they leave out a lot in college and I feel I'm jumping into this head first. However, thanks to you, I am a little less nervous! I can't wait to implement your classroom management system!THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO! Newbies like me appreciate you and your hard work!!

  61. Love your blog!! I'm a new teacher (starting kindergarten in the fall!) although I have taught pre-k! I'm excited! As for your "mistake," I caught it before I even saw your deal! The "n" in coupons is upside down, making it a "u"!!

    My email is mickimtoo@yahoo.com

  62. Your poor 'n' is standing on his head! I've purchased both of your coupon sets already and my class adored them! In my room I reward "Smart Cookies" (I have a sweet shoppe themed room) in a similar fashion to your fuzzies, with great success. Thank you for the well thought out post!
    Erin
    ekasanders@gmail.com
    Short and Sassy Teacher

  65. uh oh! The n is upside down 🙂 I do that all the time! Thanks for sharing your management system–i'm teaching self-contained for the first time this year, so I don't have to share a management system anymore! (YAY) and I'm still debating the best choice for my students. You gave me some great ideas! I used reward coupons as a daily reward similar to your coupons last year–the kids LOVED them all. Plus, the rewards are free for me! love it. 🙂

    Thanks for the detailed post!
    Kaitlyn

    rundekm@gmail.com
    http://second-is-the-best.blogspot.com

  66. I already have both set of coupons and plan to use them with my ESL students.I have been searching for inspiration as to how to motivate them to speak English in class.This is the first system I have seen that might actually work in my situation. Thank you so much for all your hard work!
    By the way, your 'n' is upside down! shirusee@gmail.com

  67. The "n" in "coupons" is unfortunately upside down. 🙁 I am a new teacher and have only had a short subbing job in which I had horrible behavior. I am so excited that I found your blog because I cannot wait to use this system when I get my own classroom. It sounds so fun and looks like it really works.

    Beth Edmonds
    bethaedmonds@gmail.com

  73. I was so surprised I saw it, but the n is upside down in the word coupon. Your little monkey faced sons are so cute. I also love the idea of the "fuzzies". I will have to try them to. I thing set 2 would be a great set to get.

  74. This is awesome! The fuzzies are going to be used in my room this year! I'm so excited to try this. Wish I had found this last year for my group!

  75. I dont know how you keep up with your blog, the blogs you follow and the comments! But I am excited I stopped by because I had bought your rewards before and I am excited to download the update! My class LOVED the coupons last yr- their faves were bring a stuffed animal, desk bump and teachers desk 🙂 you are awesome 🙂

  79. I'm so sorry about the "n". I love your blog, and the detailed information about classroom management. I will be a first year teacher this fall, and have been obsessing over blogs trying to find the system that would work for me. Thank you so much! cmwaldock@bresnan.net

  83. Thanks so much for sharing! I am excited to begin this new management system in my classroom. I have tried clip chart and economy as management systems; but this just blew it out of the water.

    I also made a huge mistake earlier this morning when I read your post. I thought it was an emailed newsletter that I received on my phone so I replied back to your email! Now that I am on my laptop this evening, I am realized this post was a blog post not a newsletter and I should have commented on here instead! Big whoops!

    If it's not too late, the email I sent your earlier this morning was sharing with you that the letter 'n' in coupons was upside down!

    Thanks a bunch,

    Brittney 🙂
    Bforbes89@gmail.com

  84. I just adore your blog and all of your creative ideas! I'm so glad that I found your blog, I visit it very often for new ideas! Well as everyone else has posted and I noticed it too..the 'n' is upside down in the word coupons. But I'm sure that your kiddos wouldn't have noticed..heehee. It's an easy fix! Thanks again for sharing how you do your behavior management in your class!;)

    Alma
    msg702@cox.net

    http://www.solisclass.com
    http://alsolis.blogspot.com

    P.S: If your still doing the free giveaway I would love to get the 1st set.
    Thanks a bunch!

  85. I love your system. I don't use warm fuzzies, but I do a point system that works really well with your coupons. I have your first set and love them! I'm debating about whether I "really need" the second set, too.

    Poor "n" in coupons! I do that all the time and then have to go back and fix my letters. Upside down happens, especially with letters like n. Sometimes my letters end up backwards – that's really a "duh" moment. 🙂

    andrea . m . lee84 @ gmail . com

  86. I just wanted to tell you that this management system is awesome!!! I taught my first year last year in second grade. I was so nervous and stressed out to the max about how to deal with classroom management! I came across your blog last year and invested in fuzzies and bought your coupons. Just let me tell you, ALL of my principals, mentor, and administrator could not get enough of this system! I had to explain it to everyone! It worked so well! I was known to have the best behaved class in the building! and being a first year teacher at that! 😉 So now I have new teachers coming in this year that are begging me to explain this classroom management process. I kept telling them…one word…WARM FUZZIES! They think I am crazy but I am sending them your way! THIS IS THE BEST CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT OUT THERE! Thanks for all your hard work! 🙂 I am on my way to buy your second set of coupons and do some re downloading on the first set!

    • All these comments are making me so happy! I'm so glad I was able to help you by sharing these ideas! I love the comments about your administrators! Totally made my day!

  88. I love, love your blog! You always have the cutest things and best advice! I really appreciate all of the time you put in to helping fellow teachers. The board is great..but,the n is upside down. (although, it's so cute, I wouldn't have noticed without a hint)
    Thanks for everything!
    Trey Terrell
    lterrell@lcisd.org

  90. The "n" in coupons is turned upside down! I have done this countless times on my anchor charts as well! I love reading your posts about classroom management. Going into my second year of teaching, I am constantly looking for new things to try to find the system that truly works for me in my classroom. I would love either set of your reward coupons- thank you so much for offering this!
    blatimer3@gmail.com

  91. These are amazing!! My principal has been on my case for management this last year too. I have tried the whole "Fetissoff" dollar thing and many others but I absolutely love this one!! You put so much work into this. I completely understand the whole buy from teachers only too. My only question is if I purchase them am I able to edit them? I teach in a Dual Language program where I teach in Spanish all day and would need them in Spanish. Is that a possibility?

    Kira 🙂

    By the way, the mistake is that the n is upside down as a u. 🙂

    kfetissoff99@gmail.com

    I would love either pack.

  92. The "n" in coupons is upside down. I love this idea! I'm going into my third year of teaching, and my classroom has definitely been a hot mess the past two years! I'm ready to try something new, and can't wait to try your system. Thanks!

    mrs.heather.reichert@gmail.com 🙂

    • PS – If you're still giving away your coupon set, I'd like the second. Thanks for sharing your experience and creativity!

  93. Love all your ideas! I have had this packet on my wishlist for a while… looks like I need to be making a purchase!

    As far as the mistake goes, I thought it was two of the "Show and Tell" cards on the reward board. I didn't realize the "n" was upside down! 🙂 Keep making all those great products!

    ~Kelly (geleott4@embarqmail.com)

  98. Awww, man! The "n" in "coupons" is upside down. Maybe the "ou" after the "c" got you thinking "ou" after the "p"? Regardless, it's gorgeous and I can't wait to use the updated version! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! The original version was an absolute hit in my Kindergarten classroom this past school year and I can't thank you enough for creating and sharing this system!!! I was at a loss by the second week of school when my usual classroom management tools weren't working for a handful of my students. I saw your fuzzies and coupon system on TPT the following week and bought it right then and there. Oh my goodness, the kids ate it right up! The tangible fuzzy give and take had such a positive impact on their behavior choices. For some of the more challenging students, the excitement of receiving the fuzzies and the loooooong painful walk to the fuzzy jar when they had to lose a fuzzy were more powerful than any words I could have said. And my dear husband thanks you, too, since the reward coupons spare us the added monthly expense of prizes/toys/candy that he loathed and we could barely afford when I had a classroom store to stock. You truly are an inspiration and I thank you for sharing your ideas and talents through your blog. You make me a better teacher, which makes my students even more successful learners. I am certain there are many teachers out there who feel the same way. Thank you, Mel, for all you do! You are appreciated, especially by me! kcravens32@gmail.com

  101. The "n" is upside down!
    I love reading your blog and gleaning ideas that I can transfer to my teaching. I am a special education teacher working in a school under an inclusion model. I am always trying to stretch myself and find the best way to improve my inclusion processes.

    Kim
    coonhollowstudio@gmail.com

  102. I need to stop reading your blog right before bed because I just get so excited about all the things I can implement next school year. I'm going into my third year of teaching and I really love to use your blog as inspiration. I think you are such a down to earth person and I just love how you let your personality shine in your posts. Keep up the great blog. We all really enjoy it! 🙂
    As for your small mistake, the 'n' in coupon is upside down. I've done this with the letter 's' when some of the bulletin board letters have a bigger bottom of the 's' than the top and it drove me NUTS until I took the bulletin board down. My coworkers assured me that it looked fine but I knew in my mind it wasn't! Oh teacher problems! hahaha 🙂
    Stamborski@hotmail.com

  103. I used "Warm and Fuzzies" this year and the kids loved it. It fit nicely with being a "Bucket Filler" also. I enjoyed your post! It made me giggle and shake my head with understanding. The "n" in coupons is upside down. Thanks!
    Melissa A.
    misabernathy3@gmail.com

    VERY new to the blogging world!
    abernathyskindergarten.blogspot.com

  107. I am probably too late for the freebie but the n is upside down in the word coupon. I want to thank you for all the ideas you post. I started doing 'warm and fuzzies' last year and was amazed what I could get for a fuzzy!
    Pauline
    First Grade by the Sea

  110. The "n" in coupon on the black board is upside down. I am so excited! I am a new teacher and these are going to be such a help. What a wonderful idea and set 2 sounds perfect!

  111. The n is upside down! I am so glad to see that I am not the only one who does stuff like that! I LOVE your set 1 coupons, and I know that your set 2 will be fabulous! I can't wait to use them! My email is eliabarn29@gmail.com. You are so talented! Thank you for all you do!

  115. What a fabulous idea! Thank you so much for sharing with us! The letter "n" is upside down and looks like a letter "u" on your tri-fold board. I really did notice it without reading the other comments. If your kids do happen to notice give them a fuzzy! :o) You know-you meant to do that to see who is really paying close attention.:o)
    Jana
    lovinstampin@hotmail.com

  116. The 'n' is upside down in the word coupons on your tri-fold board. Love the fuzzy idea and the reward coupons!! Also, thanks for your addition candy land game freebie!!! I just downloaded it and can't wait to use it.
    Thank you,
    Leslie
    lvalsamakis@hotmail.com

  121. Haha! The n is upside down so it looks like a u!! Cool thing is, like others already mentioned, it's an easy fix!! I'm nervous and excited for the approaching school year, as it will be first year of teaching EVER!! I LOVE your fuzzies as classroom management… I am so happy that I found your blog now, right before jumping in to my class of first graders! Thanks for such an amazing blog.

    Claudia_chavez119@sbcglobal.net

    P.S, 2nd set pretty please 😉

  122. Wow, I am sooooo impressed! Yes the "n" is upside down! I have been in education for 10 years as an aide and this will be my first year having my own class as a teacher! I hope to teach first or second grade! I am heading over to purchase this and will definitely implement this on the first day of school wherever I am! Please email me personally when your ebook is available as I am so excited to read your work. You are amazing and I wish I lived and worked where you are! You would be a great mentor!
    Rita
    rspalding@nnu.edu

  123. Mel… you are amazing! I have used your coupons very sucessfully in my 3rd grade classroom. I understand the HUGE amount of work you have done to create these treasures! I am soooooo appreciative of the fact that since we have bought and used your system, that the updated version is a FREE download !! I wish I was close enough to hug you and cook dinner for you and your (neglected) hubby! THANK YOU! — Now go take a break!!

  125. I am glad to see I am not the only one that does silly things. The 'n' in coupons is upside down so it looks like the letter 'u'. Your system looks great and you have creative and fantastic ideas. Thanks for sharing!

    Shelley
    spaschal@hccsc.k12.in.us

    I would like the 2nd set please. 🙂

    Thank you for sharing!

  127. Thank you for taking the time and energy to share your amazing system with everyone! It makes me sad to read how others are helping themselves to ideas that someone has spent hours and hours on.

    Denise

  128. Ha! It just felt like I had one of those awkward moments when you write something on the board, step back and start second guessing yourself as to if there is a mistake or not (or does that just happen to me!). It took me a few tries of spelling it out in my head… the u is turned upside down in the word coupon. 🙂

    We use the ticket system earned by getting your name on the white board at school, but I have been pushing to use "your system" since last year. I think I have my principal almost swayed to give it a try!!!

    Thanks for always pinning great things from your blog! 🙂

    Catherine
    catandjohnny@yahoo.com

  129. Hi Mel,
    What a fantastic post! I love your honesty about your learning curve with classroom management. I would never re-do my first years of teaching for a million dollars! I agree that we always need to be open to new and improved ideas!

    I giggled when I saw the mistake! The "n" in coupons is upside-down so it looks like a "u". I don't know if only the first person gets a set but if we all do I would love set 1 to get started.

    Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge!
    Bye for now,
    Natalie
    lamontfamily@bell.net
    Natalies Nook

  130. Hi Mel,
    What a fantastic post! I love your honesty about your learning curve with classroom management. I would never re-do my first years of teaching for a million dollars! I agree that we always need to be open to new and improved ideas!

    I giggled when I saw the mistake! The "n" in coupons is upside-down so it looks like a "u". I don't know if only the first person gets a set but if we all do I would love set 1 to get started.

    Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge!
    Bye for now,
    Natalie
    lamontfamily@bell.net
    Natalies Nook

  131. I just "found" you (I know, you didn't know you were lost!) but I love your blogsite. Your fuzzy idea is fabulous BUT your n is upside down.
    I even love that you are not perfect and admit it willingly!
    I will be lost in your site for the next hour at least.

  132. I just found your blog… not sure why I didn't know about it before. This post was amazing!!! I love the fuzzy idea but I teach 5th grade and I am not sure they will go for it. What do you think? Are 5th graders too old?

    Oh and your mistake stood out like a sore thumb!!! I am sure it was intentional, but your n was upside down and looked like a u!!!

    I am adding you to my favorite blogs!!

    Julie
    jules416@att.net
    My Journey to 5th Grade

  133. I love this! I will definitely use this for the upcoming school year. Thanks for the hard work you put in to making this fabulous project. The mistake I found was the n was upside down and was a u instead. Blame it on the fatigue from making the project.

    bsbillingslea@atlanta.k12.ga.us

  134. The n in coupons is upside down so it looks like a u.
    Smilinjenn7@msn.com

    I had went through and spent hours making coupons and then found your TPT ones. I have been thinking of getting a set just to have some new ones to use. My students loved the coupons and they don't cost me as much as filling a treasure box.
    Thanks for all your hard work!

  136. Thank you for your hard work. I have used tickets for many years and this may be the alternate to the "ho hum" ticket system. Your n in coupon is upside down. Thanks again.

  140. I love the warm fuzzy idea! I teach Kindergarten and think this will work wonders!! SINCE YOU ASKED, the n is upside down in the word coupons!! 🙁 Easy fix though!!
    If you are still giving away a set, I'd like the 1st set!!
    Thank you!!!
    jlatroberts@gmail.com

    Lisa

  141. I love the warm fuzzy idea! I teach Kindergarten and think this will work wonders!! SINCE YOU ASKED, the n is upside down in the word coupons!! 🙁 Easy fix though!!
    If you are still giving away a set, I'd like the 1st set!!
    Thank you!!!
    jlatroberts@gmail.com

    Lisa

  142. Uh oh! The "n" in coupon is upside down. Looks like something I would do! I love reading about your creative ideas. I know my fourth graders would really get into your second set of reward coupons. What an awesome incentive!

    jenniferbgrey@yahoo.com

  143. Wow! This is the answer to my stressful dreams. I will be teaching a half of of K and 3rd grade. I have been striving to improve my classroom management skills in a meaningful, positive way. In my opinion, you have nailed it! I feel, as you do that it is a way to manage without losing momentum. Stickers always take time to use and some kids could care less about stickers (or just say they do to save face). The pull a card system in my opinion is degrading to the students who haven't yet learned to control themselves. It also embarrasses students. Everyone can see who is having a hard time. Let's just say I was a very verbal kid, although not much has changed in that area. LOL I look forward to using your system along with what I am learning/tweaking in the book study, The Next Step in Guided Reading.

  145. I LOVE the warm fuzzies and am planning to re-do my Behavior Management System to implement them in my classroom. They are wonderful! I became one of your followers earlier this week and am so glad I did! (Your mistake was turning the n in coupons upside down…so frustrating when we do that isn't it?!?) Thank you for your neat ideas!

    Toni LaFear
    tonilafear@gmail.com

  146. The "n" is upside down in the word coupon on your display board. SUPER CUTE! I have been thinking about a way to do this, and viola! the answer from an expert. I have a "green" idea for storing the kiddos' fuzzies–I drink coffee all frou frou'd up with International or CoffeeMate liquid flavors. I have been collecting these plastic bottles (the smaller size) just KNOWING I would be able to use them somehow, someday!! haha. Well, the hole in the top is the perfect size to squeeze the fuzzies in, but they won't come out unless you open the lid. I know it will make it a little more difficult when they have to return one, but it will keep them from playing with them much like the paint cups you have. I don't have any of the paint cups and have some other expenses (like the 200 bucks I spent on supplies yesterday!), so this will be a perfect way to reduce/reuse/recycle. Classroom management is likely one of the toughest parts of the day, so thank you from the depths for presenting and sharing. pcolagal1963@gmail.com

  149. The n in coupon is upside down. I am new to blogging and thought I posted a comment yesterday, but didn't see it so I did it again.

    I would like either set emailed to ceesa@sbcglobal.net

    Thanks for sharing your amazing idea.

    Lisa

  150. Mel,

    I have been contemplating how to use your warm fuzzy idea since I came across the idea months ago on Pinterest. Truly, I thought it was a brilliant idea that involves the children in taking responsibility for their actions, but in a fun and creative way. In fact, I thought about using some sort of coupon system as well and then I stumbled on your post and smiled because your thorough and thoughtful explanation sorted out all of the questions I had about hoe to implement this. I must say, I simply love, love, love your blog and will definitely be a return visitor.

    If it's not too late, I noticed the "n" in coupons is upside down and would love a copy of either set of the coupons – natalietmartin@gmail.com

    Great work!
    Thank you, thank you, thank you!
    Natalie Martin

  151. How do you get the kids to take the fuzzie out of the small hole to give to you? I feel like for small hands it would be a hassle to get them out and back to me in a timely fashion.

  154. Hi Mel! I just purchased both sets off your TpT store and I am really excited to get it all together to use for the upcoming school year. I did wonder, however, how you implement the "Warm Fuzzies" and your clip chart together…? I thought that this reward system would be all I might use, but I would love to hear how you use the two in conjunction. For example, if students are on a certain color for the day, does that earn them a certain number of fuzzies? Thanks for all your work on these awesome buys!

  156. I love this behavior system! I used "super student bucks" last year with my kiddos but I think the fuzzies are way cuter 🙂 Where did you get the paint containers they keep the fuzzies in?

  157. I purchased set 1. I am looking through all of the files but I do not see the labels that say 10 fuzzies, etc. Maybe I am confused on what to do, LOL. I bought a 5 draw container to store the coupons in but I wanted to put the labels on the drawers that say # Fuzzies.. I only see the ones that say # coupons and tickets. Do you have the ones that say fuzzies? I have ordered the paint containers and am waiting on their arrival. I am trying to get all of my stuff ready so that once my containers arrive, I can implement this amazing system! I cannot wait to get it started. I have a very talkative bunch this year. (14 very active boys and only 8 girls.)

  160. Amazing! Thank you for sharing (in such detail) your wonderful management system. I'll be purchasing set #1 to get started!

  161. Loved this post! My son just started kindergarten this year and his teacher does "fuzzies" as rewards. He loved the idea and wanted us to do something so we have created the Trent's Awesome Jar and each day after dinner or before bed we go over what fuzzies he has earned. He gets one for being good at school and then we just kind of go by behavior. If we catch him cleaning up and we didn't ask him he gets a fuzzy or he tries a new food! Now we are trying to figure out how to cash these little fuzzies in at our house – I am thinking a treasure chest with some different bins. Thanks! Jenn (garynjennmiles@yahoo.com)

  162. Kuddos to you! You are phenomenal, and so is your work, what a great thing! I am so excited about this fantastic idea. Thank you so much for sharing. Thank you for inspiring me! I am so passionate about helping my students become responsible learners. I found you for a good reason, and this wonderful idea will be in my pocket for years to come. I am not a newbie, but truly needed a fun fresh idea to manage behavior with my honey bunches. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

    I want to also implement this at home with my son and daughter. They will love it!

    I did not really notice much of the "n" mistake, I just saw where the circle with #200 (poster) has 2 of the same coupon "Show and Tell"… lol (e-mail: kesmely@yahoo.com)

  163. I was scanning through Pinterest for fresh behavior management ideas and I came across your blog. I am definitely going to use your "fuzzie system" this year! Thanks for sharing! I'm not sure if you're still giving this away but the "n" is upside down 🙂 if you're giving this away I would LOVE set#2!!! Mhs_dancer1618@yahoo.com

  165. I stumbled across your blog recently and have been going through your older posts to learn more. I am absolutely in love with this system. I am a student teacher currently and am already looking ahead to the kind of classroom management system I will have when I have my own classroom as I prepare my portfolio and I am set on using your system now! I will be purchasing the pack once I have the money, (which is soon hopefully) and can't wait to go through and use it.

    I am also so inspired by your use of the daily 5 that I bought the book for it and can't wait to start reading it and using some of your great resources once I have a classroom!

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