Teaching with Mel D

Classroom Management Using Warm Fuzzies and Reward Coupons

I am joining my bloggy besties from Freebielicious for a Throwback Thursday post on Classroom Management. This is one of my most popular posts & I thought it would be a great time to revisit it…perfect timing! 

Classroom Management

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 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. 

Warm Fuzzies for Classroom Management

Above are the student containers sold by the case at Dollar Tree. These can be used or the no spill paint containers shown below which are more durable IMO.

Warm Fuzzies for Classroom Management
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.
Warm Fuzzies
This is what they hold their fuzzies in. These no spill paint containers from Lakeshore Learning 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………………….

Reward Coupons

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.

Reward Coupons

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.

Reward Coupons

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.

Reward Coupons

Reward Coupons for Classroom Management

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!

Reward Coupons
Reward Coupons for Classroom Management

After I found these Rainbow Loom storage containers at Michael’s Craft store. I decided to print out my coupons @50% & now I’m able to store my coupons in 4 different containers. I have 10 fuzzies, 20 fuzzies, 50 fuzzies & 100 fuzzies. The ones for 100 fuzzies are the ones I feel are extremely special and really get on my nerves…LOL.

Reward Coupons

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.

 Reward Coupons

 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!

Reward Coupons

 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.

Reward Coupons

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

Reward Coupons

This portable tri-fold display is perfect to display all week or just on trading day!

Reward Coupons


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! 
Since this is a throwback post, the Ebook was finished & you can check it out HERE! 

Reward Coupons
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?

Reward Coupons

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

After MANY requests, I decided to BUNDLE the COUPONS ONLY HERE. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reward-Coupon-Bundle-1977012

 I am giving away 5 copies of this new bundle. Please comment with your email and your favorite classroom management tip below! 

Reward Coupons

Reward Coupons

 My fingers started to cramp up…ouch! This is only a small sample of the 120 DIFFERENT reward coupons provided. 

Classroom Management

Read the awesome reviews, and I personally promise you, if you are consistent and follow this system…..YOUR CLASSROOM WILL TRANSFORM BEFORE YOUR EYES! 

Reward Coupons

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. What a great post MEL D! I jumped right over to the EBOOK! My favorite classroom management tip is that the students can look at the binder or the drawers and figure out what THEY want to work for! By giving them multiple things to choose from, they won't get the dreaded— BORED, and they can earn new items, activities, and/ore recognition each time! I LOVE that! You can tell that you've put your blood, sweat, and hopefully zero tears into this system! Thank you so much for sharing!
    lovingkinders@gmail.com
    Loving Kinders

  2. This post is fabulous! It has so much that any classroom teacher could use. My favorite classroom management tip is that the reward coupons are worth different amounts of points. In my classroom, students can earn a reward coupon for making good choices, being focused on an assignment, etc. By the time November is here my students are not as motivated and often end up with a stack of coupons at the end of the year. The point system for "fuzzies" is so great because they can "cash-in" or save for something worth more. I also like how there are so many to choose from. You can rotate the different coupons throughout the year so that students are excited about new rewards. Thanks for working so hard on this resource!
    jessantunez2010@gmail.com

  3. I absolutely love this idea of rewards coupons!! They're inviting, engaging, and motivating for students of multiple grade levels! We also use fuzzies in our room, but I love the way you use them in your room. Thanks so much for all the great tips and ideas, as always! Here's to a new, successful, and organized school year! Happy summer:-) rrosario620@optonline.net

  4. What an AMAZING post. I can definitely see this working in a classroom. I was inspired by you last year to use warm fuzzies but couldn't get some kids to buy into the idea. The coupons would definitely encourage the buy in. My favorite classroom management tip is to use a product called Sit Spots. I have an area at my front board where I teach and everyone bombs to sit as close to me as possible. Now, they each have their Sit Spot and calmly walk to and sit on their spot. I would LOVE to win 

  5. Thanks for all the good ideas in this post! I love the idea of using fuzzies. I've found in my classroom the trick is to switch up the system I'm using every few months to keep the kids motivated. I use brag tags at first, then I add in my clip chart, then I add coupons. I would love to win yours!
    djkrueger@gmail.com
    Always Primary

  6. I love your classroom management tips. I can't wait to use fuzzies in my classroom I believe they are going to be a great idea and my kids are going to love it. My favorite classroom management tip is to use Whole Brain Teaching, I love how call all the class when you need their attention. Like "class, class" & they answer "yes, yes".I would love to win a copy of your bundle so that I can implemented in my classroom this year!
    Cristina Padilla
    cristina.padilla@mavs.uta.edu

  7. Love your system! Currently, my kids earn "bubblegum stickers" for their bubblegum machines. They earn coupons when they have certain numbers of stickers. I would love to adapt this to your system! Thank you for all of your great ideas! I love your posts! keirn.sue@mail.fcboe.org

  8. I started using fuzzies after reading this blog post when you originally wrote it. I of course, DO NOT have as many coupon options as you have come up with. I also made a jar that sits on my desk that students get to fill for a whole class reward. Thank you for all your wonderful ideas and sharing them with us.

    Kcooper@sd83.bc.ca

  9. Say what you mean and mean what you say! Don't make empty threats or empty promises, follow through and be consistent!
    I love your coupons and would really like to try them with my firsties this year!
    davisk114@yahoo.com

  10. I love the idea of using fuzzies in my classroom. What a great way to keep students on task and motivated. The reward cards you have created look amazing. I am currently using the fill a jar with marbles for whole classroom management and stickers for individual classroom management. I would love to try your system. Thank you for sharing this idea!
    MAB3354@hotmail.com
    Maria Watterson

  11. Awesome post! I absolutely love all the coupon choices that the students have to choose from…plus the warm fuzziness are a super cheap resource to stock up on:) With all the choices and being able to switch them out easily the students will keep interested all year! I'd pice to win this great resource! Pstone@a-ccentral.us

  13. I watched your periscope the other day and it has inspired me to try fuzzies this year! I got rid of my behavior chart last year and established a more positive classroom environment and this reward system will work perfectly! Thank you!
    Kristina
    Ksev024@gmail.com
    Sweet for Kindergarten

  14. Very clever,,,,I like it. We are changing our district wide behavior program for PBIS this year so I'm feeling a little lost, since we've had no training in it. So I'm floundering on what to do as a positive behavior plan. I loved your management tips….I've been teaching for a 21 years, yet I still learn from each blog post I read. My favorite management tip was: *You are in control of your classroom, they are not & don't let them be…you are the "Alpha". I appreciate the chance to win this….out of any year…this is the year I need it….I've been stressin' all summer as to what behavior plan I should use. Hope you're having a great summer…I can't believe it's almost August! Thank You!

    Stephanie Ann
    Sparkling in Fourth Grade
    s.ann.k1971@gmail.com

  15. Very clever,,,,I like it. We are changing our district wide behavior program for PBIS this year so I'm feeling a little lost, since we've had no training in it. So I'm floundering on what to do as a positive behavior plan. I loved your management tips….I've been teaching for a 21 years, yet I still learn from each blog post I read. My favorite management tip was: *You are in control of your classroom, they are not & don't let them be…you are the "Alpha". I appreciate the chance to win this….out of any year…this is the year I need it….I've been stressin' all summer as to what behavior plan I should use. Hope you're having a great summer…I can't believe it's almost August! Thank You!

    Stephanie Ann
    Sparkling in Fourth Grade
    s.ann.k1971@gmail.com

  16. Alex_lindsey@hotmail.com

    My favorite classroom mangement tip is using fuzzies and coupons! In you don't know how much you have shaped my classroom by using all your tips! It is such a hit every year. This is my fourth year to teach 2nd grade and I have been using them every year. I also use all your jobs in my class. That too is a must!! It takes so much off my back and keep my babies responsible. I always get so much praise. I want to know that since I have been using your ideas (fuzzies, jobs, coupons) it has spread around my school and other near schools like wild fire!! I always still them about your blog and your products when they want to know my secret on my awesome classroom mangement! I can't thank you enough because I honestly don't know where I would be without your products!! Thanks for all your hard work! It is truly making a difference around the world! 🙂

  19. m1175m@yahoo.com
    The best classroom management tip I ever received was being directed to your blog. I have been teaching for over 13 years and have been through any behavioral management system you can think of. Since trying the fuzzy and coupons 2years ago I have not yet looked back to another system. I love it and so do my students. They can't wait until Fridays when we hand in our fuzzies and pick our coupons. It is so much more rewarding for them then some trinket from the Dollar Tree. Thank you so much Mel for helping new and OLD teachers.

  20. blessingmccasland@gmail.com

    First off- OMG!! You are amazing & so creative!! I was literally just talking to my mom on the phone about really needing to change my classroom management!! I am beyond tired of my team's KG color chart behavior system…it hasn't seemed to work well for me. I remember being in 1st grade forever ago and my teacher would give us "smiley sticks" that we could trade in for goodies every Friday & I was leaning towards creating that for my classroom. I was about to run over to Hobby Lobby to get the supplies to make my own "smily stick" chart when I got distracted reading your blog (love it)…and VIOLA!!! HELLO FUZZIES!!!!!!! YAY!!!! I am soooo excited!! Thank you for your inspiration!! I cannot wait to share with my team your fantastic classroom management! You are seriously an answer to prayer, my friend!

  21. LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! I'm changing to 1st and this seems like a perfect fit…I haven't taught 1st for 30 years and, no, I'm not exaggerating! I'm thrilled to come full circle in my teaching career and your fuzzies fit just right with my head and heart! I, too, learned under Lee Cantor and still believe you set your expectations and then explicitly teach those kiddos how to rise to them.

    Which bundle(s) would you recommend for me to kick it off this year (ahhh, that means in just a few weeks!!)? Now, if only a teaching-fairy would come along to help me prep it…oh, yes, that fairy would be me! 😉

  22. I love all your classroom tips! I use warm fuzzies and on Friday's the kids get to cash them in for a prize from the treasure chest. Myself and some other teachers where I work are planning on using the coupon reward system as we have noticed students not reaching full potential & losing interest with the items available with their fuzzies. Thanks for an amazing opportunity to win such a wonderful classroom management resource! 🙂
    greendragon87@gmail.com

  23. You have done an amazing job with your classroom management. I love all the choices you give, and I am so excited about using the warm fuzzies this year. I was thinking of using coupons until I read this! I absolutely love it, and I know my kids will too! Thank you so much for your hard work!!

  25. OMG!!! I love your behavior system. We do PBIS in our school district and this will fit in perfect. Thank you for taking your summer to add more to this already FABULOUS product. I love all the choices the kids can make. It is also inexpensive and I know my Kinders will be excited about it. I need something to jazz up my classroom management!! koenigk@vcsc.k12.in.us

  27. THANK YOU for this very helpful post. I am going into my second year of teaching, and would love to implement this classroom management system. In my first year, I made so many mistakes when it came to classroom management, and agree that good management needs to start on day 1. Your post made me feel so much better, though; sometimes you feel like you're the only one making mistakes, and I appreciate your honesty reflecting on your first few years teaching. How do you introduce this system during your first few days/weeks of school? I am definitely going to check out your ebook. Again, THANK YOU!

  28. I love this idea. Do you use this with Kindergarten. 200 coupons seems high for K. Can I edit this to nmake the coupons not worth so many fuzzies? I would love to win this and implement this beahvior plan this year. We start Monday! (well teachers do)

  29. I love how organized and thought out this system is. Thank you! I really like the idea of displaying them on a tri-fold board so the students can decide what they want to work toward. I know after getting through my first year that I really need to work on being consistent. Great post!

    amandahart511@gmail.com

  30. I've used fuzzies because of your original post going on 3 years. The kids love this system and totally buy into it! I also use "mystery walker" and it is so powerful. Sharpinsecondblog@gmail
    THANK YOU for your help!

  31. I'm in love with your fuzzy system and coupon rewards! I am about to start my very first year teaching and am planning on using it with my 3rd graders. When you take away a fuzzy do you take it right away? Does it ever interrupt instruction? Or if you wait until a later time, how do you keep from forgetting? Thank you for posting (and reposting) all of these tips!!
    dancergrl425@msn.com

  32. This would be so great to add to my new 3rd grade classroom. I'm moving from 4th grade! We do PBIS so othis would be a great addition. My classroom management tip is PROCEDURES, PROCEDURES, PROCEDURES!!!! Even if it sounds silly, you will need to tell them how you want it done! 🙂

    -Courtney
    longc2013@gmail.com

  33. I totally agree about the importance of establishing and practicing classroom routines and procedures! This is so important to get started on the right track! Julie (Green Apple Lessons)

  34. I am changing grade levels this year and just happened upon this post. Goodbye treasure box…hello coupons! I LOVE this and can't wait to implement it! "The success of your entire school year can be determined by what you do on the first day of school." 🙂

    – knmiller8406@gmail.com

  35. I have used some class coupons last year and absolutely loved them! The kids would do almost anything to get to take off their shoes during class. Another one that they loved was writing with smelly markers!

    I love the different levels of reward! That's what was missing last year.

  36. Love the warm fuzzies! This will be my first year teaching kindergarten and I am definitely thinking of using this great and creative behavioral management plan! Thanks for the awesome ideas!

  37. Thank you so much for your information. Last year was my first year teaching and my classroom management definitely needed some major improvement. A colleague of mine introduced me to your warm fuzzies and I cannot wait to use them next year.

    Karen

    karen.maginnis@gmail.com

  38. I've learned that we as teachers need to be super explicit about our instructions. I teach 5th grade and just assume that they don't know how I want anything done so I need to be as detailed as possible 🙂 And of course, consistency, consistency, consistency 🙂

  39. I've been using your system going on 3 years and it's amazing. When do you introduce warm fuzzies? Day one? End of week 1? Thanks for your help and your fab ideas!

  40. Love these coupons!

    I am creating a coupon reward system this year using tickets bought from the dollar store. The students can earn tickets in 2 possible ways – positive behaviour or from completing their daily math homework calendar. I love all of your coupons (and the adorable graphics)! I have been contacting local businesses for some of our "big-ticket" items. For example, the Leisure Centre donated Free Swim passes, the Bowling Alley donated coupons for a free round, and our Dairy Queen is donating treats as well! I also plan on having Subway lunch dates as a reward. Some students just really want our time. 🙂

    I would love, love, love to be a winner of your coupon bundle! Fingers crossed and thanks for sharing. xo

    lp,stelladot@gmail.com

  41. YOU ARE HILARIOUS. This program looks absolutely amazing. Totally something my anal self could love. I currently do exactly as you discussed above (have no real rewards for those kiddos behaving as expected- high five?). This may be the perfect face lift to my current philosophy. Thank you for all your hard work. I can't wait to get started!!

  42. I love following your blog! You have the greatest ideas, and share honestly your trials and tribulations! I am so interested in the fuzzy system and coupons. I will be checking things out on Tpt. Enjoy your upcoming break and thanks for being out there for teachers like me! Jen

  43. This is very interesting approach to classroom management! I've been teaching for 27 years, and this is my first year in second grade. The first semester was a very challenging ordeal. I've been researching on a classroom management system that can make my classroom run smoother! Thanks for the ideas. I look forward to moving forward with this classroom management program.

  46. I teach third grade and they are driving me BATTY with all the talking out and commenting or acting out anything I say! I have tried everything short of morphing into Medusa and scaring them into compliance. So off I go to Google hoping to locate any tiny morsel of a solution that might bring back my sanity. After reading educated and unrealistic articles that only tell me what I already know – that my kids won't shut up and the possible (obvious) logic behind it – I find this ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT blog post! This. This might just actually help me not find myself requesting crayons with my padded room!

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  48. I LOVE the fuzzy system! My cooperating teacher used fuzzies, and this fall I will be using them in my very first classroom! I love these coupons and will be using them as rewards for this very system! Thank you for sharing! 🙂

  49. Hey Mel!
    I'm excited to have stumbled across your blog- love all the ideas, tips & advice!!! I'm about to begin my second year of teaching and LOVED this idea for incentives. I began in the middle of last year so didn't have time to come up with my own system & just continued with the treasure box (not a big fan), but this seems like such an effective system!

    I teach 4th grade, and I was wondering in your opinion, would you recommend your #1 or #2 set of coupons for that age group? Thanks for your time I know you are VERY busy!!

    Sierra 🙂

  50. Thank you for all of your hard work. I love your ideas. I was an art teacher previously now moving into a new role as a 1st grade teacher at a new school in city post an upcoming wedding.summer's been hectic to say the least. I appreciate your organized, spunky and refreshing ideas. Ill definately be utilizing your system in my class. Genius 🙂

  52. I absolutely LOVE the idea of no treasure boxes! I'm curious if anyone has used this method in the 5th grade classroom? I like the idea of the tickets better than the fuzzies for this age. Thank you for your input!

  53. This year will be only my third year teaching, and boy isn't this the third time I'm looking for modifications to my classroom management system! I LOVE this and I cannot wait to see what I can do with the fuzzies. The past two years have been boring ole' blue tickets, but I can assume that this is so much more awesome for the kids. I'm fed up with spending money at the dollar store and target for random things that the children will break or eat immediately! Just one question, if the paint jars are too expensive (my classroom things are mostly out of pocket this year), do you have any other suggestions or something that may be slightly cheaper?! Thank you!

  57. I just finished my first year of teaching and let me tell you…. I changed how I managed my classroom so many times just this first year! I also started with the red, yellow, green card system but hated how the constant greens weren't rewarded and the reds were indirectly called out for all of their peers to see. My favorite/most effective decision was creating doggone good slips that were similar to your Warm Fuzzies! 5 slips got them to the treasure chest- that worked great, but was expensive. I loved that everyone had the opportunity to be noticed for positive behavior and the kids that were constantly showing great behavior were constantly receiving awards! I love how this plan takes everything one step further and is so organized and colorful! I would love to start this up in my classroom next year and will be looking into these bundles 🙂 Thanks so much for making management FUN for the kids AND the teacher!!

  58. Thank you so much for sharing! I am so glad I read about your system right before school starts. I plan on implementing it right away. I wish I knew about it last year when I had the most challenging class from my entire teaching career. I LOVE how your system really emphasizes and rewards the students who make good choices, and also the wide variety of rewards that they can chose from. Thank you for sharing! Love it!

  59. Just seeing these now and absolutely will be using this idea next year!! My classroom theme is monsters and I'm thinking of calling them big/little monsters instead of fuzzies! But I also like the fuzzy name so who knows what I"ll do! (Opinion??). 2 questions for you if you'll entertain me: 1) How are fuzzies given out procedurally? Can students get their own fuzzies? Anytime? At the end of blocks? On that note: Do you carry fuzzies with you? It sounds like you said you can drop them off but that seems like a lot to carry around! 2) How many fuzzies fit in the little paint container? How often are they emptied? THANK YOU SO MUCH for your help and creativity!

  61. Hi Thank you! Love the FUZZIES! I have a couple questions. When can they 'shop' and look through the binder? How long does trading day take? And like the person above, I am also wondering when do you give them out? Do you have them in your pocket? Do they all start out with the same amount of fuzzies at the beginning of the day or week or they have to earn them? Thanks!!!

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  63. Thank you for this post, I love the idea of the Fuzzies. I use school money, they can earn money and also have to pay me money. On Friday we count the coins (a skill that they constantly need to practice) and then can buy coupons at a various prices. They use a checkbook register to record how much they have earned and spent.

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  66. i love your blog, I wish I had found it a long time ago, I teach middle school and am going to use your system, I am themed Dinosaurs, and am using Dino dollars. thank you. I am going to share with the rest of the school, hope that it will help with behaviors before they get to me. 🙂

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