Please join fellow WBT educators in a lively discussion of Chris Biffle's latest book, "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids"! Earn WBT Certification points in the Official WBT Book Club! Points will be awarded to Whole Brainers who regularly post thoughtful, energetic posts, 700 points possible during the summer session! Book Club Guidelines 1. Become a member of this site. Scroll down on the right and click "Join this site". Only members are able to post. 2. Enter your email address in the box on the right (just below the Members section). This will allow you to receive messages from Coach B regarding new discussion topics and important info. 3. Click on the Chapter links on the right to see questions related to each chapter of the book and post a comment with a thoughtful reply. Try not to exceed 250 words. 4. Feel free to ask questions and answer others' questions using the "Questions Page" on the right. Don't hold back! But dress appropriately; the weather in Teacher Heaven is electrified with funtricity so it can sizzle. 5. Please sign all of your posts with your real first and last name. 6. Big Important Note! Please use college level literacy in your assignments. Avoid spelling errors, typos, awkward sentences, incomplete answers. Sorry, no rewrites!
Whole Brain Teaching Certification Points (CP) will generally be awarded as follows: Perfect, fully developed, assignment: 25 CP 1 error: 20 CP 2 errors: 10 CP 3 or more errors, 0 CP. An outstanding, insightful assignment will earn (gasp!) a 5 POINT BONUS! Awarding of points may vary from the above, at the discretion of WBT staff members.
Chapters 17-18: Practice Cards
Write a letter that your students will take home to their parents, describing why and how you will use Practice Cards. Pages 114-123 Full credit: 25 WBT Certification Points Partial credit: 10 WBT Certification Points
It is hard to believe that 3 months have already flown by. It has been my privilege to have your child in my class.
So far this year we have introduced and practiced the rules in our class and have moved to level 2 our Super Improvers Team, where each student is given points based on personal performance. This has been going great! Now I think it is a great time to introduce the next level: Practice cards.
Practice cards are just another resource I am using to remember the rules. While the students remember them most of the time, they sometimes need a reminder and more practice. If your child comes home with one in their backpack, it is not a punishment, they are just for practice. There are three colors: white, purple, and green. Below is how the Practice Cards will work.
White Card means that the student has had a hard time following a particular rule and needs more practice. When a student continually breaks a rule, I will put the white card on their desk, which will mean to see me. During recess, the student will take 2 minutes with me and we will practice the rule. The student will continue to keep the white card in their desk and we will practice at recess for 2 minutes until it is signed and returned by the parent.
Purple cards are given to students who earn them by positive action and will cancel out the white card. The parent will receive a note home letting you know the student has had excellent behavior.
Green cards are the last to be introduced. Green cards are placed on the students’ desk with the specific rule to practice on it. Once they have the green card they will tally up all the times they followed that rule throughout the day on it. At the end of the day, I will count up the tallies and decide if they followed the rule for the day. If they did so, they will receive the purple card with a praising note to the parents.
I believe that with practice comes lasting knowledge. These are a fun way to modify behavior with opportunities for practice. I look forward to sending home letters of praise about your child. If you have any questions, please feel free to call.
Julie, Very informative letter for the parents! Practice cards are such a wonderful reinforcement tool for our rules! Here are 25 certification points!
Thank you for your positive involvement in your child’s education. These are exciting days. Our class is enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching system. It has revolutionized our teaching and learning. We have made great progress and now we are ready to expand our classroom management system. This part of our management system is called Practice Cards. This is a perfect time to begin Practice Cards because usage of the cards will insure our continued focus on our five rules. In fact, Practice Cards will give us the structure needed to take us to the next level and keep our class running smoothly.
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Here is the plan:
We’ll begin with White Cards. A white card indicates that additional practice is needed in following a classroom rule. Your child will use two minutes of recess and lunch to whisper the rule and practice the gesture for the rule. Your child will not receive more than two white Practice Cards. If your child receives a white Practice Card, your child will also receive a note that will come home to you. If you receive a note, please sign the note and work on the rule indicated. Please return the note to school.
In January, we will begin using purple cards. Purple cards are rewards for good behavior choices. When your child is doing a good job following the rules, a purple card will be put in our pocket chart. A congratulatory note will come home when your child receives a purple card. I can’t wait to send those notes to you.
If your child needs additional help in class, a green Practice Card will be put on your child’s desk. Your child will understand the rule that needs to be practiced. Your child will make a tally mark each time the rule is practiced. If your child does a good job following rules, a purple card can be given!
Thank you for sharing your child with me. We are learning and growing.
Kay, Nice job on your letter! The practice cards are such a positive way to help these students rehearse the appropriate behaviors, and the letter really helps make it a joint effort with the parents! Here are 25 certification points!
Can you believe it’s been 5 months since the beginning of the year? Time is flying! Our class has been enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching system, which has been driving our learning and behavior. We are currently at Level Two and are ready to move to Level Three!
Our classroom rules are: 1. Follow directions quickly! 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
With Level One, we introduced the rules and earned points on our classroom’s Scoreboard. Level Two brought our Super Improver Wall, where students earn stars for improvement. Most of you have received letters about your student leveling up! The Scoreboard and the Super Improver Wall will continue throughout the year.
Level Three, starting this week, will involve Practice Cards. If your student needs practice with one of the classroom rules, they will receive a white card. A white card will let your student know to come in at recess for rule practice. They will sit at their desk for two minutes and say the rule with the gesture. Your student will never receive more than two white cards. The white practice card will be sent home for you to sign. Further practice at home is up to your discretion. In January, we will add purple cards! Purple cards are given for positive behavior and cancel out white cards. Your student will receive a congratulatory note to celebrate their great behavior! Later on in the year, green cards will make an appearance. Students make tally marks on this card each time they follow a specific rule. At the end of the day, their tally marks can earn them a purple card!
This system is not meant to punish. Practice cards are a chance to practice the rules, break negative habits, and reward positive behavior! These cards will help us stay focused as the year progresses. They will also keep you informed about your student’s behavior in the classroom.
As always, if you have any questions, please call or stop by! We would love for you to observe our learning. Thank you for your continued support! Sincerely, Ms. Mahan
Madeline, This is a nice letter! You may want to clarify a little more about the green cards in that paragraph (they get a green card if they have already had the white card and positive and negative notes home-the green card is now needed to help the child practice following the rule in the classroom setting). Here are 25 certification points!
The school year is off and running and we are having a great time. I am so glad to have your child in my class. We have been learning so much using Whole Brain Teaching and I hope your child is sharing some of our good times with you. We are ready to move onto the next level, which is Practice Cards. These practice cards help students by either rewarding their behavior or identifying areas we need further practice in. Here are the rules we use in the classroom:
Classroom Rules: Rule 1 Follow directions quickly Rule 2 Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat Rule 4 Make smart choices Rule 5 Keep your dear teacher happy
Please practice these rules with your child. If you call out, “Rule 3” they can tell you what it is. It’s a lot of fun. Here is how the practice cards will work. White cards are the beginning of the program. If a student obtains a white card when struggling with a rule, the student will stay in for the first two minutes of lunch and recess to practice the rule they are struggling with. A note will be sent home to you to let you know if your child is struggling with a rule, please sign and return it.
Next are the purple cards. This is your student’s opportunity to be rewarded for their outstanding ability to follow the rules in the classroom. If your child earns a purple card, a note will be sent home to you letting you know how great your child is doing in the classroom.
Finally, green cards can be used to help your child recognize and self regulate his/her own behavior. This is very important. If your child is struggling with a specific rule in the classroom, they will receive a green card on their desk on which they will record their successful execution of the rule. They can then turn in their green cards to possibly earn them a purple card.
This system allows your child to rehearse those skills which will allow them to be successful learners in the classroom environment. Further, this system allows you to be aware and involved in all aspects of your child’s achievements in the classroom. It is going to be a great year!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or come in. Thanks for sharing your child with me.
Dear Parents, We are off to a great start in Kindergarten this year. Our class is enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching system. We have learned the classroom rules, which are as follows:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Our class is now ready to incorporate a new part of our classroom management system called “Practice Cards.” We will begin with White Cards which indicates that a student needs extra practice on 1 of the 5 rules. Your child will practice the rule for 2 minutes during recess. A note will also come home, please sign the note and return it to school the next day. A Purple Card will be a reward for good behavior choices. A note will come home to you so that you can also show your support in positive behaviors. We are very excited to begin the Practice Cards, and I truly appreciate all the support you give in your child’s education daily.
Carrie, Practice cards are a wonderful addition to your behavior plan! You will want to include information about the 3rd practice card (the green one). You may need more information about the white and purple to tell more about "why" and "how" they will be used and how they work together with the green as well . Here are 20 certification points.
Chapters 17-18 Practice Cards More Ways to Use Practice Cards-Bethany Kirkland
Dear Parents,
It is hard to believe we are at the halfway point of this school year. Since day one our class has learned and practiced rules and procedures of Whole Brain Teaching. With the beginning of a new semester, I would like to introduce a new level of classroom management: Practice Cards.
As you know, we have five classroom rules that help keep our classroom organized and orderly. Sometimes a student may need extra practice to reinforce a rule. Practice Cards will be used for extra practice. There are three colors of Practice Cards: white, purple, and green. Please be reminded Practice Cards are not punishment.
White Cards: Your child will be given a white card if he/she needs extra practice following a classroom rule, not to exceed two white cards per day. During extra recess he/she will spend two minutes practicing by whispering the rule and using the rule gestures. Your child will bring a note home to inform you which rule was practiced. Please sign, return the note, and have your child spend time practicing the rule at home.
Purple Cards: Sometimes a student may receive a white card for not following a rule. If later in the day the student corrects their behavior and follows the rule, they may earn a purple card. Purple cards override white cards. The student does not have to practice the rule or have a note signed with a purple card however, a purple card may earn a positive note home to parents!
Green Cards: A student may be given time during class to practice a rule. If this is the case, a green card will be given to the student. The green card will have the rule needing practice written on it. Every time the student follows the rule, they will place a tally mark on the card. Students may be rewarded with a purple practice card if he/she receives enough tally marks for that rule.
This is a brief description of the new level of classroom management. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support. I appreciate partnering with you in your child’s education.
Bethany, Sharing this information with your parents will be very beneficial. You included enough information that made it easy to understand and follow! Here are 25 certification points!
Julia Berry / Chapters 17-18 / November Dear Parents,
You received a letter, at Open House, explaining that we would be using Whole Brain Teaching throughout the year. It is very important for your child to follow the Five Class Rules, so our teaching time is not compromised. The following are our Five Class Rules: 1. Follow Directions Quickly 2. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Speak 3. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Leave Your Seat 4. Make Smart Choices 5. Keep You Dear Teacher Happy In class, I will be using color-coded cards to help your child succeed with our rules and be rewarded for making smart choices! White cards: Your child needs extra practice following a rule. No more than two white cards will be given in a day. Purple cards: When a behavior is corrected later on in the day, a purple card is given as a reinforcement and a positive note may be sent home. Green cards: When a child needs to practice a rule in class, they will be given a green card. Once the rule is being followed, the child gets to add a tally mark (s) on the card. Your child can also earn a purple card for positive note.
I will be sending home notes to let you know how your child is doing. Please sign and return the next day. If he or she is having difficulty with a rule (s), I ask that you take a couple of minutes to have your child practice. I will also keep you informed of your child’s smart choices with an “A for the day” note several times a week. I know with time and practice, all of our students will be able to follow our Five Class Rules! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call. Thank you for all your support in making this year a great success!
Julia, The practice cards are a perfect addition to your classroom, especially after the winter break, to keep them on top of their best behavior! You may want to specify how long they will be expected to practice with the white and the green cards. You had 1 tiny error in #5- (you/your). It is always very helpful to keep parents updated and your letter will be very helpful! Here are 25 certification points!
We are very excited this year to be using Whole Brain Teaching in our classroom. The strategies we are learning have really helped with student engagement and learning. We have made excellent progress and are now ready to expand our classroom management system. We will be starting a system called Practice Cards. These cards will ensure our continued focus on our five rules to keep our class running smoothly.
Class Rules: Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy. I encourage you to practice these with your child and ask them to demonstrate how we say the rules.
Here is the plan: We will begin with white cards. If your child receives a white card they need additional practice with one of the classroom rules. Your child will spend time practicing this rule during the day at school, but I would appreciate you having them practice the rule at home. Please sign the white card and return it to school. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
In January we will introduce purple cards. Purple cards are rewards for good behavior choices. When your child has done a great job on the classroom rules they will receive a purple. A note will come home when they receive a purple card so you can celebrate their good behavior.
Later we will introduce green cards. Green cards indicate your child needs to work on a specific rule. Your child will tally each time they practiced and used the rule during the day. Those tallies could earn them a purple card at the end of the day. Practice Cards are not meant to punish your child. They are used as a chance to practice, break negative habits, and promote the positive behavior. These cards will help us stay focused in our progress and keep you informed about your child’s behavior.
If you have any questions or concern, as always please contact me.
Thank you for sharing your child with me and your continued support, Mrs. Tonya Shoupe
This year has been off to a great start! In order to make it even smoother, I’m sending home this letter to inform you on some of our classroom's management system and what will be expected from your child. Our five main classroom rules are: 1) Follow directions quickly. 2) Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3) Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4) Make smart choices. 5) Keep your dear teacher happy.
When students are having a difficult time following a specific rule, they will be given a white card with the rule written on it. During recess time, the rule will be practiced for two minutes. This rule is practiced by gestures and whispering the actual rule. In addition, a letter will be sent home informing you about the rule your child needs to work on. Please encourage your child by practicing this rule at home as well. This note will also need to be signed and returned to school.
By November, purple cards will be used too. These are reward cards. When your child receives a purple card, this means that they have done a great job following a specific rule. A purple card also cancels out a white card, which is a rule that the student is currently practicing.
Upon returning from Christmas break, we will also be using green cards. Green cards are a way for students to tally each time they follow the rule they are working on. For example, if a student is working on raising their hand for permission to speak, they will tally the green card each time they raise their hand quietly. If they have received several tallies, that student has the possibility of receiving a purple card to bring home.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thanks for your support.
Chapter 17 and Chapter 18—Practice Cards: A Letter to Parents Deborah Gardner
Dear Parents, Welcome to the Second Semester in Room 313. We had a sensational beginning to the school year with the introduction and practice of the Whole Brain Teaching program. The class has learned and practiced the five classroom rules, used the “Scoreboard” to record behavior, and added the “Super Improvers Team” to “climb the ladder” of success. Now it is time to add a personal component to behavior management –The Practice Cards. Practice Cards are a positive way to reinforce our classroom rules. The Practice Cards are color coded (white, purple, and green), and target individual behaviors. Each card has one of the five rules printed on it. The White Card: A white card indicates that a student has broken the rule and needs more practice to remember/ practice the rule. The student will use two (2) minutes of recess to whisper the rule and practice the hand/arm gesture associated with the rule. If your child receives a white card, a note will be sent home for you to sign and return. This will give you an opportunity to help you child remember and practice that specific rule. Please note that your child will not receive more than two white Practice Cards. The Purple Praise Card: Later on, a purple card will be added. This indicates that the student has consistently followed the rule that was previously broken. This Purple card “cancels out” the white card. It indicates your child is doing a great job following the classroom rules. Again, a note congratulating your student will be sent home for your celebration. The Green Card: The Green Card is the last component of our practice system. The Green Card is placed on the student’s desk if additional practice during the school day is needed. The specific rule is printed on the card and each time the student follows the rule, he/she makes a tally mark on the card. These tallies will be counted at the end of the day, and a Purple Praise note will come home for all to applaud the success of consistently following classroom rules. Here are the classroom rules we have learned. .. Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy! Thank you for you continued support as a partner in your child’s education. Deborah Gardner
Deborah, Nicely done! In regards to the Green Card, a Purple card may be sent home, but not always. You had a small editing error, '...opportunity to help you child remember...' Here are 20 points for you!
We are WILD about Kindergarten and this year is off to a roaring start! We have learned a lot but still have so much more to learn. Thank you for your help and encouragement thus far. As you know, our class has been using the Whole Brain Teaching system. Your children are amazing and we have made great progress.
We recite and practice our Five Classroom Rules daily. These rules are:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy. While I am confident that all of your children KNOW the rules, some have a little trouble following them at times, SO we are going to embark on a bigger and better adventure. We are going to implement the use of Practice Cards. Here is the plan:
We’ll begin with White Cards. A White Card is used to indicate that a student needs additional practice following a specific classroom rule. The child will use two minutes of Recess and/or Center Time to whisper and practice the gesture for that rule. No child will receive more than two White Practice Cards per day. Each student who receives a White Practice Card will take home a note explaining the offense. Parents should practice the rule that is indicated. The note must be signed and returned to school the next day. After the students begin to show positive gains from using the White Cards, we will begin using Purple Cards. Purple Cards are rewards. When a child is doing a fine job following rules and making good behavioral choices he will be awarded a Purple Card. A Purple Card will cancel out a White Card and a congratulatory note will be sent home to parents. This is quite an accomplishment and is worthy of much praise! If a student needs additional practice following a specific rule in the classroom, a Green Card labeled with that rule will be placed on the child’s desk. The child will understand that the rule needs to be practiced. A tally mark will be given each time the rule is followed appropriately. Each child who does a good job following his targeted rule will be awarded a Purple Card!
I know this is a lot to understand all at once, but I am sure that together we will be successful. Thank you in advance for your support. Your Partner in Education, Julia Simons
Dear Parents, This week, our class will begin a new program to help our students better follow the class rules. Since the start of the year, our class has followed these rules:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy!
Starting next week, students who do not follow class rules will be given a white Practice Card to help the student remember the rule. The cards will have the rule in question printed on the card and will be used by that student to practice the rule during recess. These students will practice the rule for two minutes at the start of recess after which they may resume normal recess activities. If your child receives a white Practice Card, you will receive a note from me to let you know that your child needs practice a specific class rule. It is certainly appropriate for students to practice their rules at home if necessary. After several weeks, I will also introduce Purple Practice Cards. The Purple Practice Card is given to students who are showing positive behavior. Should a student already have a White Practice Card, the Purple Practice Card will cancel out the White Practice Card. Shortly after the introduction of Purple Practice Cards, I will introduce the Green Practice Cards. Green Cards will be used by students who have had difficulty following a rule to keep track of positive behavior. For example, a student who has been given several White Practice Cards for “Raise your hand for permission to speak” might be given a Green Card after they are showing progress in following the rule. They will keep the card at the desk and tally every time they follow the rule in question. If a student were successful in completing the Green Practice Card, then they would receive a Purple Practice Card as a reward. If you have any questions, you may email me or call me at the school number.
Dear Parents, This year we will be using the Whole Brain Teaching strategy in our class. This technique allows students to learn lessons in a fun and engaging way, and learning the rules is no exception. Your child should be familiar with these rules and be able to show you how we do them in class with gestures:
1. Follow Directions Quickly 2. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Speak 3. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Leave Your Seat 4. Make Smart Choices 5. Keep You Dear Teacher Happy 6. Keep EVERYBODY Happy
Throughout the year, students will be using cards when they need to be reminded of certain rules they need to follow. It will save class time since students will be familiar with the consequences of their behavior using a color code. They will be in three colors and be used accordingly:
White: Students need to practice following a rule they have broken. They will receive no more than two of these cards. When they receive a white card, a note will be sent home letting you know what rule has been broken. The note must be signed and returned or they will have to practice the rule again the next day.
Purple: When students have made smart choices following the rules, they will get this card in recognition of their efforts as well as a note home letting you know how well they did.
Green: When students earn a green card they will have to practice following that particular rule. When I catch them doing the right thing, they will earn a tally and a positive note home.
Thank you so much for your support in helping your child’s behavior improve. Working together will help your child recognize the importance of accountability for his or her actions as well as keep you better informed.
Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions!
Josephine, Great letter to the parents! (I did notice you added an extra rule though :) Here are 25 certification points! Keep all of your posts and points in a word document to submit later.
*Note: I will be combining the website classdojo.com with the practice cards. It is a great website that allows teachers to note student behavior and also allows parents to check the noted behavior. This website will be mentioned in the parent letter.
Dear Parents,
We are looking forward to a great year here at LLMS. It is my belief that communication is one of the most important aspects of making sure your child succeeds this school year. In my classroom there will be many exciting practice systems and procedures. One of the overarching ideas throughout this whole year will be practice, practice, practice! Students have only 5 rules they need to follow in my class. However, these rules are essential to having the most success possible this school year. We will be using practice cards throughout the year to help students stay on track with following these rules. There are different types/colors of cards. White cards indicate that students will stay after class to practice following the rule. Purple cards reward excellent behavior. Green cards remind students that they need to practice the behavior during class. Students will very quickly become accustomed to the different types and meanings of the cards. In order to easily keep you informed I will be using a website (and app) called classdojo. Your son or daughter will soon be bringing home a username and password for classdojo.com. Anytime your child receives a white card it will be noted within the program and you will be able to see it. This is an easy and convenient way for you to stay informed and to be able to encourage your child. Positive behavior will also be noted in this program along with notes from the teacher. Again, I look forward to working together to help ensure your child has a productive and successful school year. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Jason, Good job! The practice cards are really effective this time of year when they are getting spring fever! Sending a positive letter home when they have received the purple card is a great way to motivate and build self esteem. You can connect this to your SIT board as well. Here are 25 certification points!
As your child’s teacher, I am expected to provide a safe environment that is conducive to learning. I have been implementing the Whole Brain Teaching system in our classroom; it is a consistent and reliable system that reinforces positive behaviors, discourages negative behaviors, and makes learning fun!
In our classroom, students are expected to follow our five classroom rules: Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
In addition to our classroom rules, to reinforce positive behaviors, we have our Super Improvers Team where students accumulate stars for positive behaviors, and have the opportunity to move up, or advance through the various levels of our Super Improvers Team based upon their goals and their positive behaviors.
Students are given several opportunities throughout the day to practice the classroom rules. However, if your child is having difficulty following a rule, he or she will be given additional time to practice at recess. If your child has broken a rule, requires additional practice time, and loses part of his or her recess, you will receive a note explaining which rule was broken. Please review the rule with your child, sign the note, and return the note to school with your child.
We have a pocket chart in our classroom that contains our practice cards. This week, I will introduce the white practice cards, which indicate the rule that has been broken. When a student breaks a rule, a white card will be placed in that student’s pocket on the chart. At recess, the student or students with white cards will have the opportunity to practice or rehearse the rule at recess for two minutes. Please note: students will never receive more than two white cards per day, as it is not the length of practice time, rather the frequency, which will assist in achieving the desired behavior.
Next week, I will introduce purple cards, which serve as a reward for positive behaviors. If your child is doing an outstanding job of following a particular rule, he or she may receive a purple card acknowledging and rewarding the positive behavior. A purple card cancels a white card. If your child ends the day with a purple card, you will receive a note home indicating that your child received a purple card, and you will have the option of giving your child a small reward at home (For example, you might reward your child with five additional minutes of play time.).
In two weeks, I will introduce green practice cards. Green practice cards will be given to students who may require additional class time practicing a particular rule. The student who receives a green practice card will monitor his or her own behavior, by making a tally mark on the green card each time he or she follows the rule they need to practice. The green card is kept at the student’s desk. At the end of the day, I will review the card and the tally marks. By demonstrating the desired positive behavior (following the rule), your child may have the opportunity to earn a purple card.
Parental support is critical to student success. I thank you for your kindness and continued support. I know that, working together, we can continue to help your child have a successful year in third grade, and assist your child in reaching his or her full potential.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Jacqueline, This is a wonderful letter to the parents! The practice cards are very effective, and having parent support makes them even more so. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parent(s) We have had a great year so far and have learned many new things and are excited as we have lots more to learn! As you are aware, we have been using the Whole Brain Teaching method this school year within the classroom and the students absolutely love it! Your children have practice EVERY day saying the 5 rules while making BIG GESTURES that go along with the rules. Rule #1 - Follow directions quickly. Rule #2 - Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule #3 - Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule #4 - Make smart choices. Rule #5 - Keep your dear teacher happy! Whenever a rule is quickly followed meaning EVERYONE is doing it, the class (whole group) gets a point; however, when everyone isn't following all the directions, I get a point. This is the scoreboard which is basically teacher vs. class. However, now we are going to start doing things a little differently. Now the focus will be geared towards individual students as opposed to whole group. We will start with white practice cards. If a student is having difficulty following one of the classroom rules, the student will be given a white practice card and have the opportunity to whisper the rule along with using the gestures for two minutes during lunch and recess. A student will not ever receive more than 2 cards in a day. If a student has difficulty and needs more practice he/she will also have a note sent home for their parents to sign and return to school the following day. This isn't punishment, rather an opportunity to practice a bit more while at home. In January purple cards will be introduced as a reward for students making the right choices and following ALL the rules. Students who receive purple cards will also get a note of congratulations to be sent home. If a student needs additional help practicing/reviewing rules then that child will have a green practice card placed on their desk with the understanding that they need to practice this particular rule. Every time they perform this rule accurately, they will give themselves a tally mark thus having the opportunity to earn a purple card. This is going to be very exciting and serve as positive reinforcement! I'm expecting nothing but the best from your children. Sincerely, Ms. Karlyn Davis
Karlyn, Your emphasis on the positive effects of this plan will strengthen the parent support of your classroom management. Nice job. Here are 25 points!
As you know, from parent orientation, our Kindergarten class focuses on Whole Brain Teaching (WBT). One of the strategies we use to promote individual student growth and accountability for choices is by using practice cards. There are five different colored practice cards. These cards are used as a management system for student behavior is relation to our five class rules. The class rules are: Rule #1 Follow directions quickly. Rule #2 Raise your hand to speak. Rule #3 Raise your hand to leave your seat. Rule #4 Make smart choices. Rule #5 Keep each other happy.
The system works by having your student earn one of the colored cards. That card specifically coordinates to the behavior choices your student made that day. • Green: Each day students start out with this card. This is their visual that is a new day and a new opportunity to follow the rules and be successful. The student had a great day.
• Gray: The student received a warning about a specific rule and we discussed it. The student was forgetful of a rule.
• Purple: The student receives a time out after 2 of these cards (this is their opportunity to practice the rule they struggled with). The student needed extra practice following the rules.
• Red: The student is given a note to take home (parent signature is requested). They are given the opportunity to practice the rule at school and it is requested that they practice at home as well.
• Black: This card cancels out a purple card. The student made attempt to improve their behavior.
• White: The student was a great role model for their peers and did an excellent job following the rules (a note is sent home to parents).
I believe that the colored cards, both positive and negative, are earned by the student based on their behavior choices for the day. Children are always learning and often simply need some additional practice, and this is taken care of in our classroom. If I feel that additional practice is need outside of the classroom I will be sure to let you know via a red card. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Nichole, Your parents will appreciate your communication on your classroom management plan. It is your classroom, so you make the choices. However, for the purpose of this chapter assignment, go back and review the card use and the purpose of the WBT white, purple, and green cards. Thanks for your effort!
Dear Parent, In order to insure that students know and understand classroom rules, they will practice the five class rules using gestures. Rule 1: Follow directions quickly Rule 2:Raise your hand before speaking Rule 3:Raise your hand before you leave your seat Rule 4: Make smart choices Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy This practice will take place in the classroom and, if needed, during the first few minutes of recess or at home. When students receive a white practice card they will need to practice at home. A green practice card means students will practice during class and a purple card means they are doing a good job of following the rules. In the case that your student receives a white practice card, please have them repeat the appropriate gesture for the rule for 2 minutes. The card will contain a description of the rule and the gesture to be practiced. Thank you for your cooperation. Adrienne
Adrienne, The Practice Cards add another element to the Scoreboard. Your parents may need more information about the specific use of each card. Revisit the description of the Green Card and the Purple Card to see how each is used in conjunction with the White Cards. Here are 20 points.
Chapter 17&18 Practice Cards Dear Parents, Our class has been using Whole Brain Teaching techniques for some time now as you know, and we are ready to move to the next level. This new level will bring a higher level of academic achievement and resolve behavior problems without the students being punished. When a child breaks one of the following rules: 1. Follow Directions Quickly 2. Raise Your Hand for Permission to Speak 3. Raise Your Hand for Permission to Leave Your Seat 4. Make Smart Choices 5. Keep Your Dear Teacher Happy They will not be punished! Instead they will practice. I will not stop instruction or interrupt class. I will simply place a “Practice Card” on that students’ desk. This card will serve as a reminder of the rule that has been broken. Students that still have a “Practice Card” on their desk when lunch time arrives will have the option of practicing that rule for two minutes after lunch but before recess or sitting out of recess for four minutes. Students will not receive more than two cards a day to practice. Parents, I feel that it is necessary for you to know how your child is doing in school, therefore, you will be notified by a colored card. If your child receives two cards to practice, a white note will be sent home informing you of what rule was broken. This note will need to be signed and returned to school the following day. If the note does not come back the next day your child will spend a second day practicing the rule that was broken. A green card means that you child only had one “Practice Card” and decided to practice that rule during recess. A purple card means that your child is doing well and does not need to practice. Our second graders are getting ready for third grade. They have been practicing hard all year and they know the rules. Now when students behave inappropriately they will have the opportunity to practice being better. I appreciate all of your support. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns regarding these changes. I look forward to seeing you all on our next report card night.
Brandi, Your student's parents will appreciate your positive letter. The more positive support you can get from a parent the better you can reach these challenging students. You may want to revisit the use of the purple and green cards again. You also had a pesky little error (A green card means that you child only had one “Practice Card”) Here are your 10 certification points.
Dear Mom and Dad, We are using Whole Brain Teaching in our classroom. I am having some trouble with rule # ___- ________________. I got a white practice card today. That means I need more practice with this rule at home. I am already practicing it at school during recess and lunch. Please listen as I recite the rule and use the gestures for two minutes so that I can do my best. After I finish, please sign this note so that I can bring it back to school. My teacher will then know that I am ready to try my best tomorrow. If I do really well, I can get a purple practice card and my teacher will give me another note telling you how well I am doing! I can even get a green practice card for my desk to help me remember the rule! I will try my best to do a good job following this rule now. Signed, Your Child
Liz, Your parents will appreciate it when you share information behavior management methods used in your classroom. You may want to include more information though. You may also want to revisit the card information for the green and purple cards and how they are used. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear parents, In our classroom, we use many whole brain techniques, including learning our 5 classroom rules with gestures. The rules are: 1. Follow directions quickly, 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak, 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat, 4. Make good choices, and 5. Make your dear teacher happy. Please ask your child to demonstrate these rules to you. These rules are important to create a positive classroom environment for all the children. We have been practicing these rules since the beginning of school and some students are still having difficulty with them which is causing a disruption to our school day. The next step for the students who are having difficulties with the rules is to use practice cards. These are white cards with one rule written on them. If a student is having difficulty following one of the rules, I will place a white practice card in the pocket chart with his or her name on it. Then, as a consequence, for each practice card, the student will sit at recess and practice the rule – 2 minutes for each card (never more than 2 cards at a time) by whispering the rule and repeating the gesture. At the end of the day, the student will bring home a note stating which rule was broken and asking you to practice the rule at home. Please sign and return the note the following day. Later in the school year, I may add purple cards. Purple cards are for when I notice a student doing a good job following a classroom rule. This will NOT happen all the time. Purple cards cancel the effects of a white card so, it gives the child a chance to turn their behavior around. If a student has only purple cards in their pocket, then at the end of the day, I will send home a congratulatory note with the rule that they did well. Please sign and return this note. Last, I may introduce green cards. Green cards are for the student to practice the rule in class. At the beginning of the day, I will place the green card on their desk and they will keep a running total of how many times they followed that rule by making tally marks. At the end of the day, the student may earn a purple card. Your help and support with our classroom rules is truly appreciated. Please note that I am only adding the white cards at this time. I will add the purple and green cards as needed at a later date. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Mary, Great job! These practice cards can make a world of difference! It is amazing how effective two minutes of "recess practice" can be! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents or Guardians, Our Whole Brain Classroom is off to a great start! Thank you for practicing the five rules with your child. Now that every student understands our five rules, we have a few students who choose not to follow the rules. These students will have a little extra practice with the rules so they can get back on the right track. I am asking for your help! First, I will briefly explain what the practice cards are.
White cards: More practice is needed in following a classroom rule. Your child will use two minutes of recess to practice the gesture and words for the rule that was not followed. Your child will not receive more than two white Practice Cards. If your child receives a white Practice Card, your child will also receive a note that will come home to you. If you receive a note, please sign the note and work on the rule indicated. Please return the note to school for my records.
Purple cards: These are rewards for good behavior choices! I will send home a positive note when your child receives a purple card.
Green cards: These will be put on your child’s desk. Your child will understand the rule that needs to be practiced. Your child will make a line each time the rule is practiced. If your child does a good job following rules, I may send home a purple card!
Please help your child by encouraging positive behavior choices! Please praise your child if a purple cards is sent home. Please practice the rule if a white card is sent home and send the signed card back to me for my records.
Krissa, Great job! Your parents will appreciate the communication to help them understand how their child is performing in class. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents, Since the beginning of the school year our class has been working with a new classroom rules and behavior system called Whole Brain Teaching. We have made much progress with this system. We now have all of the rules down and we are ready to move on to the next phase of the Whole Brain Teaching system which includes practice cards.
Here are the five classroom rules we have learned:
Rule #1: Follow directions quickly Rule #2: Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule #3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat Rule #4: Make smart choices Rule #5: Keep your dear teacher happy
The practice cards will include the following:
White cards: If your child receives a white card in his or her pocket chart then he or she is having trouble with a particular rule and needs some extra practice with this rule. A note attached to his or her calendar will also be sent home for you to sign and return. This way you are also aware of the problem.
Purple cards: If you child receives a purple card in his or her pocket chart then he or she is doing a great job following the rules. A positive note will also be sent home with his or her calendar. This note does not need to be signed.
Green cards: If your child needs some additional practice following a certain classroom rule, then your child will be given a green card to keep at his or her desk. The rule that needs practice will be made clear, and your child will place a tally mark on the green card each time he or she practices that rule.
Thank you for your support of our behavior system.
Irish, Nice job! The practice cards are a simple way to help students rehearse the rules when needed, and also eliminate teacher nagging! Here are 25 certification points!
I am so exited this year to be using a new program in the classroom called Whole Brain Teaching. The strategies within the program are helping tremendously with your students’ engagement and success. Now that we have established the basics of Whole Brain Teaching, we are going to start a system called Practice Cards. Using practice cards will guarantee that the students are focusing on and following our five classroom rules. The rules are as follows: Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Ask your student to recite these rules for you; you’ll be impressed with their understanding of the rules, as well as the gestures they use with them!
To begin this practice card system, we will have practice cards in class that are each printed with one of the classroom rules. If your child breaks one of our five classroom rules, they will first get a white card for that rule and have it placed by their name in a chart. The student will then have to spend time practicing saying the rule on that card. They will bring a note home explaining which rule they broke, and I encourage you to practice the rule with them. After practicing the rule with your student, please sign the note and send it back to school with them.
Following the use of white cards, I will introduce the following cards: -Purple cards: If a student corrects behavior, they will be given a purple card and a positive note home. -Green cards: If a student is doing a good job but occasionally needs some practice with a specific rule in class, they could be given a green card. Every time the student correctly follows the rule, they can add a tally mark to the back of their green card. At the end of the day, I will look at the back of the green card to determine if they have earned a purple card for positive behavior.
I realize this might seem like a lot, but I am so confident that my students are going to grasp onto these procedures quickly. The purpose of this program is to help my students learn positive habits to replace negative habits, not use as strictly a punishment. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Kasey, The Practice Cards are a simple way to maintain a great classroom community and higher levels of respect (between children and other children, and children and adults!). Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Chapters 17 & 18 Dear Parents, I am so excited to inform you about our new classroom routine. This routine comes to us from a new way of teaching that I am implementing this year called Whole Brain Teaching. The main principle from this way of teaching is that the Teachers must involve students’ whole brains in peaceable learning or lose them to their own dark entertainments. We have classroom rules to follow. When a rule is not followed by your student then they will be given a white card. A white card will mean that your student will sit out for 2 minutes at recess to practice the rule he or she has broken. Your child will also get a note home with a white card. Your child can earn a purple card for following class rules. A purple card cancels the effect of a white card and motivates students to get back on track. A green card will also be used if I feel that your child needs reminders during class to follow the appropriate rule. He or she will tally how many times they followed the rule correctly and can also earn a purple card to take home to show that they are trying hard to replace undesired behavior with desired behavior. Please ask your child to show you our class rules. If a white card comes home, just know that your child is not in trouble, he or she just needs some extra practice following the rules. Thank you for your support at home. Lori Crigler
Lori, These practice cards will help you create a very pleasant environment that focuses on learning rather than on distractions! Here are 25 certification points!
Write a letter that your students will take home to their parents, describing why, and how you will use Practice Cards.
Let me begin by saving I would NEVER introduce this concept to parents in a letter. I would have a skit to model the procedure for parents and children regarding Practice Cards on our first Report Card Night. (All parents are required to come to school and pick up the child’s report card and conference with teachers each nine weeks.) I know when the parents sees the skit he or she will understand how and why the Practice Cards are used. This will give parent buy-in and support. It will become a concrete way for the parent to help the child succeed in school.
My letter would come after a skit modeling the procedure and after a phone call to the parent explaining what I need the child to do. My letter would be specific to the parent and the child. I would never send a letter explaining the procedure without parent contact first.
Dear Ms. Isert,
Dian is having trouble with ______. (State the specific behavior you need to change.) She keeps calling out the answer. While she has the correct answer, she keeps others from having a turn. I am send home a white card with the procedure she needs to practice. Please help her for two minutes a couple of times tonight. Sign the card and return it in her folder tomorrow. Together we can help Dian become an even better student. If you have any questions please text or call me. (#######)
Thanks for your help and support,
Dian Isert
I would create a letter that follows a parent contact for each card to help change the behavior.
Dian, Your idea to introduce the cards with a skit is very clever! Make sure you have follow up notes for the green and purple cards too though to cover all of your bases! Here are 25 certification points.
Dear Parents/Guardians, We are very excited this year to be using the Whole Brain Teaching concept in our classroom. We are working on classroom management, student engagement and learning the words and gestures to our classroom rules. We will be starting a system called Practice Cards. This is to help ensure that our class rules are followed and that students are rewarded for good behavior.
Class Rules: Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Please ask your child to demonstrate how we say these rules in our classroom and practice with them regularly.
Classroom Plan: We will start with white cards. If your child receives a white card they need additional practice with a rule. Your child will spend time practicing this rule during the day at school. I will write the rule that has been broken on the card. Please sign the white card and return it to school the following day. If you have any questions you may contact me or write it on the card. In December we will begin with the purple cards. These cards are for good behavior. Again, I will write a comment on the card as to the behavior that was shown and you can then celebrate this accomplishment with your child. Later I will introduce the green card. This card will let you know of any specific rule your child needs to practice. They will tally each time that that rule is used correctly and the end of the day they could possibly receive a purple card. These cards are not meant to be a punishment for your child. They are used as a chance to practice getting negative behavior turned into positive habits. The cards will help your child stay focused and keep you informed about your child’s behavior. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Karen, Your parents will appreciate this letter helping them understand, and enabling them to work with you on this level! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents, We are having a great year already. The students are working hard in the classroom and learning a lot. We are now beginning the next level of our classroom management system, which is the Practice Cards. All of the students know our 5 classroom rules and the hand gestures that go with them. We practice them regularly in class, but sometimes the children need a little extra practice. Our Practice Cards will help the children to practice and remember our 5 classroom rules better. There are 3 different practice cards.
We start with the white Practice Cards. Your child will receive a white Practice Card if he or she breaks one of the classroom rules. The students can only receive a maximum of two white Practice Cards a day. Then they will practice the broken rule for two minutes per card during recess. I will also send a note home to you describing the rule broken. Please sign and return the note and have your child practice the broken rule at home to help him or her remember it. If the signed note is not returned, your child will have to practice it again at recess the following day.
The second card is the purple Practice Card. The purple Practice Cards are awarded for positive actions. If your child receives a white Practice Card and then works hard to follow the rule, he or she can earn a purple card, which cancels out the white card. I will happily send home a note telling you of your child’s excellent behavior.
The third card is the green Practice Card. This card is for those students who still need more practice with the rules in the classroom. A green card is placed on the students’ desks and they are able to put a tally mark on it each time they follow the card’s rule. Hopefully, they are able to turn their behavior around with the help of the green Practice card and then they can earn a purple Practice Card and a congratulatory note home.
The Practice Cards are very beneficial to the children. They focus on the positive practice of following the classroom rules. This helps the students to break bad habits and become even better students than they already are. The good habits that are created through the use of these Practice Cards help the classroom to run more smoothly and help everyone to maintain their focus. Please keep in mind that if a white card comes home, it is for practice, not punishment. All kids learn at different speeds. Therefore, some kids need more practice than others. We are working together to help our children create better habits. If you have any questions at all, please call me or send a note with your child.
Jackie, Yes! These good habits do help our classrooms run smoothly with the added bonus of focused students! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Our school year has gotten off to a great start. This year I am using a program with my students called Whole Brain Teaching. It is designed to create a fun, positive learning environment in which students' whole brains are engaged at all times. Each day we practice our five classroom rules using our voices and a gesture that accompanies each rule. Here are our rules:
Rule One: Follow directions quickly. Rule Two: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule Three: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule Four: Make smart choices. Rule Five: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Now that students have had time to learn and practice these rules, we will begin the card system. If a student breaks a rule, he/she will receive a white practice card. During recess the student will come in and practice for two minutes the rule that was broken. I will send home a note home with the student, letting you know which rule was broken. Please have your child practice the rule at home, and then sign the note and send it back to school the next day. If the note is not brought back signed the next day, the child will have to practice the rule again during lunch recess.
Students may also earn purple cards, which are rewards for positive actions. If your child receives a white card and then works hard to follow the rule, he/she will receive a purple card, along with a congratulatory note to take home.
Green cards are used only when a student needs a lot of help with following a certain rule. If this happens a green practice rule card with the rule that the student is having trouble with will be placed on the student's desk. He/she will then place a tally mark on the card every time he/she follows that rule. By working hard at making good choices, it is possible that he/she may receive a purple card and a congratulatory note to take home.
Practice cards are not about punishing students for poor behavior. Instead, they are about encouraging and reinforcing good choices. If you have any questions about the practice cards or anything else in Whole Brain Teaching, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Joyce, Well stated! I appreciate your ending paragraph, it reinforces the true purpose in a very positive manner! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents, Thank you for supporting me as I continue to implement Whole Brain Teaching into our classroom. Today we reached level 3 – practice cards. Starting tomorrow, I will have a pocket chart hanging in the front of the classroom with a slot for each student. There are three different colors of practice cards that may or may not end up in your students pocket on the chart. Each card has one of the five classroom rules printed on it. Below is an explanation of the practice cards and their colors. First, let’s revisit our 5 classroom rules: 1. Follow directions quickly! 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Make your dear teacher happy.
White Practice Cards: A white practice card represents a rule that was broken. If your child breaks one of the above rules, he/she will receive a white practice card. I will not argue with or correct the student. I will simply place a white practice card in the pocket chart next to that student’s name. Therefore, no instructional time is being interrupted or taken away from any student. When it is recess time, any student with a white practice card in their slot will have a timer set for 2 minutes. He/she will practice that rule with whispers & gestures until the timer stops – 2 minutes! This procedure will help your child understand that they are not “bad”, but simply need additional practice in following a classroom rule. If a child is refusing to practice their rule at recess he/she will be given a choice – 2 minutes of practice or 4 minutes to sit during recess. In addition to the 2 minute recess practice, your child will be sent home with a note informing you about the rule that your child needs to work on. I encourage you to have your child practice the rule at home. Please sign and return the note with your child the next day so that I know you have read the note. If your child is having difficulties with more than one rule, he/she may receive two white practice cards resulting in 4 minutes of practice during recess. Both rules will be indicated on the note home. A child will never have more than 2 white practice cards at a time. Again, the white practice cards are not viewed as punishment, only as an opportunity for additional practice. Purple Practice Cards: If your child has been receiving white practice cards for a while, I will introduce the purple practice card (a.k.a. The Wisdom Card). Your child will know that once a white practice card is received, he/she has the opportunity to work hard at following the broken rule. If I notice that your child is doing a much better job, a purple practice card will be place in the pocket chart. The purple card will cancel the effect of the white card. This will allow your child to be motivated to get back on track when he/she knows they have practice time ahead of them. If your child ends the day with one or more purple practice cards (and no white cards) then I will send home a congratulatory note to you! Green Practice Cards: If your child continues to have difficulties following a rule even after he/she has received white and purple practice cards, a green practice card will be placed on your child’s desk with the rule labeled on it that needs to be practiced. I will explain to the child that with this green practice card, he/she will make a tally on it each time the rule is followed. At the end of the day, if there are enough tallies accumulated on the green practice card showing that the student has been following the rule, I will give the student a purple practice card. This allows for guided practice in class and the student is learning to control his/her impulses. This is also a simple way of tracking and nourishing the student’s positive behavior.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Level 3 – practice cards. I would be happy to go over it with you. Love, Mrs. Baird
Heidi, Excellent job! Parents will appreciate this letter as it defines your behavior management system! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents, The year is off to a great start, and I am honored to be able to work with your student.
We have been learning five basic rules that make our classroom a safe and fun place to learn. Here are the rules: 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy. Students have been working hard to master these rules. But, we all slip up at times and need a refresher course. So, I will be implementing practice cards next week. There are three levels of practice cards: white, purple, and green.
We will start with the white cards. If a student is not following one of the five rules, they will be given a white card with the rule number on it. Then the student will practice the rule with me for two minutes at recess. In addition, I will send a note home to you detailing the area where your student needs practice. Please discuss the rule with your student, sign the note, and return to me.
Purple cards are the next step. A purple card indicates that the student is doing a good job following a rule, and it cancels a white card. The student will be given a note of recognition to share with you.
If a student continues to struggle with a rule, they will receive a green card. On this card, the student records the number of times they follow the difficult rule. Several tally marks may earn a purple card.
This system of positive recognition and practice will help your student have a successful, positive year in fifth grade. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Wow this year is flying by and we are flying through levels of our scoreboard. We passed Level One using the Smiley/Frowny Scoreboard, soared through Level Two with the Super Improvers Wall, and are now making a safe landing in Level 3. During Level 3 your child will continue practicing our Five Classroom Rules. Remember the Rules are as follows:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Make your dear teach happy.
Sometimes students may struggle following a particular rule. If they do they will get an opportunity to practice these rules with Scoreboard Level 3: Practice Cards. There are three types of practice cards including white, purple and green. Each practice card is color coded and printed with a rule.
White practice cards mean a student often breaks the rule written on the card and needs some practice reviewing the rule. If a student breaks a rule, I will put a white card on his or her desk. This card reminds the student and myself that he or she needs to practice following the rule for two minutes at recess. Students who receive a white practice card will bring home a letter with the particular rule they need to practice. Students should share this letter with their parents, practice the rule, and return the letter the next day with a parent signature. Students will practice the rule at recess until they return the signed letter.
Purple cards mean a student is showing improvement by following a particular rule he or she had trouble following before. Each purple card is a celebration of success and cancels a white card. If a student earns a white card and a purple card in the same day, he or she will not need to practice the rule at recess because he or she showed improvement by following the rule. Each time a student earns a purple card he or she will also get a happy note home!
Finally, green cards are introduced to help students practice rules during class. After some practice at recess and home, students will receive a green colored card on their desk. Each time the student catches himself or herself following that particular rule they can make a tally mark on the card. At the end of the day I will review the tallies, talk with the student, and decide if he or she followed the rule to the best of his or her ability. If I feel they tried their best I may reward them with a purple card.
I believe these practice cards will be a great way to help students monitor their behavior and follow the rules. Level Three offers opportunities for practice, celebrations, and parent communication. Let’s get ready for take off and soar to new heights in our classroom!
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call.
Amber, I love your statement "Level Three offers opportunities for practice, celebrations, and parent communication"! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
This year is off to a “Frogtastic” start. I am amazed at how much progress your kindergarten scholars have made this year.
As you know, our class has been using the Whole Brain Teaching system. Your children are amazing and we have made great progress.
We recite and practice our Five Classroom Rules daily. These rules are:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
We have spent the first part of the year leaning the rules. They know and can recite the rules, but some of them are having trouble following them at times. I am confident they are ready for Practice Cards.
We will begin with white cards. If your child receives a white card they need additional practice with one of the classroom rules. Your child will spend time practicing this rule during the day at school. A child will never receive more than two white cards at a time. Your child will also bring home a white card informing you of the rule they are practicing at school. It would be helpful if you practiced the rule at home also. Please sign and return the bottom portion of the card the next day. Working together, we will help your child be the best scholar they can be.
After your child has had success with the rule they have been practicing, we will introduce purple cards. Purple cards are rewards for good behavior choices. When your child has done a great job on the classroom rule(s) they have been practicing, they will receive a purple card. A purple card means that they have worked very hard at following a specific rule. The purple note also cancels the white card practice time. When your child receives a purple note, we want to celebrate their success. A note will come home when they receive a purple card so you can celebrate their good behavior.
Later in the year, we will introduce green cards. Green cards indicate your child needs to work on a specific rule. Your child will tally each time they successfully use the rule during the day. Those tallies could earn them a purple card at the end of the day!
If a white card comes home, it is for meant for practice, not punishment. Together, we will work to help your child learn better habits. All children learn at different speeds and some children need more practice than others. By practicing at school and home, we will help them create better habits and be the best scholars they can be.
If you have any questions at all, please call me or send a note with your child. Thank you so much for your support! .
Kim, The parents in your class will appreciate your detail in explaining this process. The practice cards eliminate so much of the stress in the classroom when dealing with behavior, it is amazing! Here are 25 certification points!
What a great year we are having! Here is an update on what is going on in Ms. Marvin’s Marsh.
As you know, we are using the Whole Brain Teaching System in our classroom this year. The 5 Classroom Rules are: 1. Follow Directions Quickly 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat 4. Make Smart Choice 5. Make your Dear Teacher Happy!
We have been practicing these Classroom Rules daily since the first day of school. Now it is time for us to move up to the next level – Practice Cards! This is how they work: If a student is having difficulty with a certain rule, for example, they are speaking out of turn; they will be given a White Practice Card with the number of the rule on it. This is a visual reminder for the student. The student will stay in for two minutes of the recesses that day to practice the rule. (Two minutes of repeated practice will help with muscle memory.) There will also be a note sent home to let you know that your child was having difficulty with a rule that day. I encourage you to practice the rule at home as well. Please sign the note and return it the next day. If the signed note is not returned, the student will stay in for two minutes of the recesses again, to practice the rule.
Once the students are accustomed to the White Cards, they will be introduced to the Purple Cards, or Wisdom Cards. These are rewards for good behaviour. If a student has received a White Card and then demonstrates following the rule properly, they may receive a Purple Card which cancels out the White Card. If students have more Purple Cards than White at the end of the day, a congratulatory note will be sent home.
The third step of our Practice Cards is the Green Card. When a student is receiving White and Purple Cards, they may be given a Green Card. Green Cards guide student practice in class. The student, or a friend, will put a tally mark on the card each time they follow the rule, requiring practice, correctly. At the end of the day, they may receive a purple card for their efforts.
The three phases of the Practice Cards will be spread out over the remainder of the school year. It is an excellent system to help students with Self-Regulation. Students have a visual reminder of a goal to focus on. The Green Cards will help them to become more Independent and Responsible for their own behaviour. I appreciate all the support you give your child at home to help our classroom run smoothly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely, Ms. B. Marvin
[I have a question about the cards – do you only receive purple cards if you have white cards? Self regulation is the big focus for our primary classes, in our board in the last year, so this system will be terrific for that.]
Bonnie, This is a very informative and helpful letter that I'm sure your parents will appreciate! Yes, the purple cards are used to cancel out the white or green card as needed. Use the cards sparingly, I only give a maximum of two white or one green in a day. This helps focus on the behavior that has the most needed improvement. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear parents, Thanks for engaging with me and your kids in our adventure with Whole Brain Teaching. You have probably heard much about the scoreboard. Level 1 is The Scoreboard and Level 2 is Super Improvers Team and level 3 includes Practice Cards. We are ready for level 3. We have 5 classroom rules. 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy. In level 3, when a student is struggling to follow one of the rules, (s)he will receive a white card. I will send a note home indicating the rule in need of practice. This means that (s)he needs some extra practice with one of the rules. This is not a punishment. If a basket ball player missed many free throws, the coach would have him practice that skill to increase the behavior (of making free throws). So, two minutes of practicing the rule with the gesture at home should help reinforce the following of the rule. I will help students practice the rule for two minutes at recess each day until they bring back the signed note. Later, I will also use purple cards, which indicate a turn-around. Maybe a child was struggling with rule 1 in the morning, but (s)he worked hard through the day to improve. I may send home a purple card to celebrate the improvement. The last card is a green card. After a child has brought home a white card, if she continues to struggle with the rule, (s)he will have a green card on her desk. (S)he will mark the card each time (s)he follows the rule. At the end of the day, (s)he will count tallies and work with me to determine if (s)he followed the rule. The purpose of this card is to help a student strive for and recognize success by self-monitoring. I am excited about our progress through the Scoreboard. I look forward to even more growth in our Super Improvers. I welcome any questions you have about the practice cards. Sincerely, Jim
Blog post by Jim Hobley, Advanced Novice Wholebrainer
Dear Parents, We have been working hard this school year on our Whole Brain Learning in Music Class. The students have done so well that I think we are ready for the next level!
These are the classroom rules during Music Class: Rule 1 Follow directions quickly Rule 2 Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat Rule 4 Make smart choices Rule 5 Keep your dear teacher happy
This next level has been put in place to target areas that still need some practice. This is done on an individual basis. In the front of your student's agenda book there is now an additional page with 5 pockets labeled with the 5 rules. The card colors and their meaning are: + green card student had a great day + gray card students receives a warning + purple card student receives a time out + red card student is given a note to take home + black card student has been sent to the principal's office
Please check this page nightly in your child's agenda book.
Thank you for your continued support of your child's learning!
Musically Yours,
Mitzi Emblidge
Side note: (I did not include the green card on the desk because I will be on a cart and will be moving from room to room. I only see the students once a week so it will be difficult to show improvement on a green card.)
Your parents will appreciate your communication on your classroom management plan. It is your classroom, so you make the choices. However, for the purpose of this chapter assignment, go back and review the card use and the purpose of the WBT white, purple, and green cards. It's not a typical colored chart. It is very different. Thanks for your effort!
Because I am an administrator, I wrote a letter to the staff, explaining how we would use practice cards in office timeout situations:
dear teachers We will be handling office timeouts for minor problems in a different way this year. We are going to try to incorporate more whole brain teaching techniques and minimize time students spend out of class. We believe that if students miss your wonderful instruction they will not be prepared to do well on the Assessments that help define our schools success and maybe, at some point, our pay.
First we have decided to change the name from timeout to reset. We want to give students the chance to "reset" their attitude and show they are ready to learn. again this should address minor issues. Major issues will be handled differently.
If a student has had issues that you deem worthy of a "reset" call the office using the help button on your phone or send the student with an adult. Communicate the rule that the student is having trouble with. They will be given a practice card and will be asked to practice that rule for five minutes with gestures in a whisper. If they do not practice or their practice is not acceptable to the adult in charge of them, their time will be doubled to ten minutes. A note will be sent home stating the rule that was practiced and asking the parent to have the student practice at home. An administrator will check with the student the next day. If they bring the note back signed they are done. If they do not bring the note back signed they get five more minutes of practice that day.
Five rules are Rule: 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
If a student is sent down with no rule indicated they will be asked to practice rule 4 or 5.
This is based on research that says that behavior is changed by repeated practice, not lengthy punishments.
Your #2 Faithful Servant Carl Rust Assistant Principal Carl Rust 325 cp
Carl, I think it is wonderful to have the administration on board with the practice cards! Keeping consistency across the entire school would be so helpful as the students learn what is expected of them in the classroom! Oops, there was a capitalization error at the beginning of the letter (dear teachers). Great job on your letter! Here are 20 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the detailed letter.
Thanks for the correction. It is interesting that I usually type a draft in a Word document and when I checked my draft it was capitalizes -- so not sure what happened there.
Dear Parents, Our year has really gotten off to a great start! As you all are aware, we have incorporated Whole Brain Teaching into our classroom and it is going incredibly well. The children have worked hard on learning our class rules and earning stars on our Super Improver Wall. At this point in our year, we are going to add another dimension to our classroom management system, the Practice Card System. This system will help any students who are still struggling with a class rule. Our goal with the practice cards is to give the student an opportunity to practice any rule that is difficult for them. As you all know, practice makes proficient and this is our goal. Here is a review of our class rules and an explanation of how the system works:
Class Room Rules Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy. Practice Card System: White Card: If your child is struggling with a class rule, he/she will receive a white card with the corresponding number of the rule that was broken. No more than two practice cards will be given to any student on any given day. After receiving a white card, they will then be required to practice the broken rule (repeating the rule with gestures) for two minutes during fun center time and outside time. After practicing the rule the student is free to play. If your child receives a white card, you will be notified by a note brought home with the rule that was broken. It would be helpful if you practiced the rule at home. Once you receive the note, please sign it and return it to school. Any child who does not bring back the sign note will keep a white card and be required to practice the rule for the two minutes at fun center and outside time until it is returned. Purple Cards: Purple cards are the next level of our Practice Card System. You will not be seeing purple cards come home for at least another month. A purple card is awarded to a student that has been practicing a particular rule, and I see improvements in the classroom. A purple card can cancel the effects of a white card. If your child has one or more purple cards (and no white cards) at the end of the day, they will receive a congratulatory note to bring home. Green Cards: Green cards are the last level of our Practice card system. They will be implemented about a month after the purple cards. The green card will be placed on the desk of any student who has been practicing a particular rule as a reminder and a motivator to follow the rule in class. The green card will be labeled with the rule being practiced. I will let your child know how proud I am of how hard they are working on practicing the rule, and this will help them be even more successful at earning a purple card. Then I will explain that each time they follow the rule in class, they are to put a tally mark on the green card. At the end of the day, I will evaluate the student’s performance and decide whether or not a purple card should be awarded. The green cards will be used as a simple way to track and nourish positive behavior. The students and I are very excited about implanting this new system. Thank you all for your support with this. When parents and teachers work together, out children benefit. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Mrs. Blackmore (My students will be practicing the rules during Fun Centers and Outside Time, due to licensing regulations.)
Melissa, You have written a great letter that will be very helpful keeping the parents informed of your procedures and expectations! Here are 25 certification points!
Thank you so much for supporting my efforts this year as I fully implement Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. The positive energy and excitement among my students, along with their motivation to excel academically, is greater than anything I have ever experienced in my entire career!
Your child has probably come home and shared with you the 5 WBT classroom rules that we refer to daily. However, if your child has not, please allow me to share them with you.
1. Follow directions quickly! 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak! 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat! 4. Make smart choices! 5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
Since school started, my class has worked diligently to be victorious each day on our class Scoreboard, WBT’s Level 1 Classroom Management Technique. This technique is intended for students to work together in an effort to promote a positive classroom environment, as well as build teamwork. In September, I introduced the Super Improvers’ Team, WBT’s Level 2 Classroom Management Technique. This system encourages positive behavior and motivates students to excel academically on an individual basis. Each student has the opportunity to earn stickers for the leveled star that they are currently on. The ultimate goal is to reach Level 10, “The Captain of the Crew”. Once a student reaches this level, their picture will be hung in a designated, framed area in my classroom for all of my current students, future students, and school faculty to see. Their picture will remain on my wall for the rest of my teaching career!
I would now like to share with you the next WBT technique that is soon to be introduced to my students…(Drum roll please!)… LEVEL 3, THE PRACTICE CARDS! Beginning in October, this method will be replacing my monthly behavior calendar. To make certain that you understand the principle behind this system, I would like to take the opportunity to explain how it works.
In the front of my classroom hanging next to the 5 WBT rules, I have a pocket chart with everyone’s class number on a slot. I have created sets of Practice Cards on white, purple, and green cardstock. Each Practice Card has one of the five rules printed on it. The colors are symbolic of each important part of this system. As the old saying goes, “Practice makes Perfect”; therefore, I would like to provide my students the practice they need to enhance their educational experience.
White Practice Cards: If a student is not following one of the five classroom rules, they will receive a white Practice Card in their slot. The student will not be punished, nor will I even cease to discuss the infraction. I will simply place the practice card in their numbered slot. This will serve as a reminder to the student of the rule that they need to practice. Any student that has a white card in their slot will practice for two minutes by reciting the rule and making the gestures that accompany it during recess. After all, a coach cannot expect a player to succeed in a game if the player has not been offered practice to improve a skill. If a student decides they do not want to practice the rule, they have the option of sitting out at recess for the doubled amount of practice time assigned. Additionally, your child will bring home a note informing you of the rule they practiced that day. The note will need to be signed and returned the following day. If the note is signed and returned, the practice card is then removed from their slot. If it is not signed and returned, they will have an additional day to practice the rule. A student will never receive more than two practice cards in a day. Please remember, these cards are not viewed as a punishment. They are only intended to provide additional practice for your child to maximize their potential.
Purple “Wisdom” Cards: If your child receives a purple card, please know that it packs a POWERFUL, POSITIVE punch. As a matter of fact, a purple Wisdom Card has the power to cancel out a white Practice Card. Therefore, if a student receives a WHITE Practice Card, they can work diligently to redeem themselves by following the classroom rule that was broken. After noticing that the student is making effort to follow the broken rule, I can then reward the student with a purple Wisdom Card. Ahhhh…. Can you see the positive effect in this system? If the student receives a Wisdom Card, they will then bring home a congratulatory note to share with you!
Green Cards: These cards are intended to guide practice in class; however, the student is responsible for tracking their own progress. The student will be given a green card with the rule printed on it that they are focusing on. The card will be kept at their desk, and each time the student follows the rule on the card, they will place a tally mark on it. At the end of the day, I will view the card. If progress has been observed, it is possible that the student will earn a Wisdom Card to place in their slot.
I am super excited about introducing your child to Practice cards, and I would like to thank you in advance for your continued support. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. The success of each one of my students is important to me, and I am looking forward to sharing their triumphs throughout this year with them. As I mention frequently to my students, “Fair is not everybody getting the same thing, fair is everybody getting exactly what they need to succeed.”
Kelly, Fantastic post! You were very detailed and thorough in your description of all of the facets of the practice cards! Did you mean "cease teaching" in this sentence- "The student will not be punished, nor will I even cease to discuss the infraction." ? Here are 20 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the details added!
I hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather we’ve been having! Room B-29 is doing an awesome job of working hard, learning a lot, and having fun so far this year! I’m so impressed already with all of the growth I’ve seen in my students. Everyone should be very proud of themselves!
I’d like to tell you about another piece of our Whole Brain Learning this year. At the beginning of the school year, parents and students were asked to sign a copy of our class rules. I wanted to elaborate a bit on what the practice card is that was mentioned in that note and describe how it will be used this year! The following are our class rules:
Rule #1- Follow directions quickly. Rule#2- Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule #3- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule #4- Make smart choices. Rule #5- Keep your dear teacher happy!
If your child brings home a white practice card, this means that your child had a bit of trouble remembering one of our class rules. That rule will be on the practice card for them to review. During recess, that child will practice saying and gesturing that rule for two minutes, and then they will be allowed to go back to recess. That night, they will take the practice card home for you to see, next they will practice that rule at home, and then it is your job to please sign the card and return it to school the next day with your student so that the white practice card can be removed from their desk (signifying they’ve completed practice of the rule and now have a fresh start).
Please note, this is not a punishment; it is merely practice! Just like on the basketball court, if a player misses a foul shot, guess what they will be doing during the next practice? That’s correct! They will be practicing taking foul shots over and over again until they get it right! In this way my students are being held accountable for remembering the rules and realize that sometimes they might need extra practice. Short bursts of repetitive practice have been shown to be much more effective than long, drawn-out ones, which is why they are only practicing for two minutes (believe me, two minutes of non-stop practicing is tiring enough!).
Additionally, your student may someday take home the coveted purple card! This means your child has done a truly outstanding job on one (or more) of our rules and is bringing home some bragging rights! You should congratulate your child and praise them for doing such a stellar job!
Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your help with making your child the best student that they can be! Please contact me should you have any questions or concerns!
Brianne, Very informative! It was a nice addition to make the basketball comparison. You might want to add some information in about the green cards as well. Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 17 Dear Parents, This year is flying by! I can’t believe we are already in the 5th month of school. Our class is thriving with the implementation of Whole Brain Teaching. The students are mastering our five classroom rules. They enjoy the scoreboard and the opportunity to earn extra free time at the end of the day. It is time to begin the next level in our journey through Whole Brain Teaching. We will begin using Practice Cards. Here is how it will work. The practice cards will be based on our classroom rules: 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave you seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep you dear teacher happy. When a student breaks one of these rules they will be given a white practice card that lists the rule they need to practice. They will then stay in for the first two minutes of recess to practice the rule. If a student earns a white card they will also bring home a note explaining what rule they need to work on. Please sign the note and send it back to class. When a student is doing an exceptional job following the rules they will earn a purple card. A note will be sent home letting you know what an excellent job they are doing following our classroom rules. If a student is repeatedly having a difficult time following a certain rule they will be given a green card with that rule written on it. They will know that they need to focus on following that rule consistantly. Each time they successfully remember to follow that rule they will make a tally mark on the green card. At the end of the day the child can turn in the green card to me. If they have earned enough tally marks they can then exchange the green card for a positive purple card. As you can see, there are many different tools and levels available to us with the Whole Brain Teaching system. The goal is to make our class a successful and enjoyable learning environment for every student. Thank you for your continued support. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Amy Ehmann
Amy, This is a very informative letter that I'm sure the parents will appreciate! The Practice Card system has proven to be effective for students to help correct behavior in a positive way. Oops, there were a couple of small typos in rule 3 and rule 5 (your), but "that's cool!" Here are 20 certification points!
This year I have been learning a new management system for my classroom. It is based on the book Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids written by Chris Biffle. I have really enjoyed adding in some fun factors like:
Class!, Yes! attention getters Teach!, Ok! where students become the teachers. Mirror, Hands and Eyes to add in movement to learning.
I started the WBT classroom rules in December. They are: 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
Beginning Monday I will be changing my color cards to practice cards. Students will begin the day with no cards on the chart. If they are struggling to follow one of the 5 rules, I will hand them a yellow card with the rule number on it. This signals to the student that they need to work on that specific behavior. During the following recess they will practice the rule for two minutes. Practice is done outside or inside (wherever I am that day). Practice includes repeating the rule aloud with the matching hand movements. After practice is complete the card goes away and they can continue to manage their own behavior.
If students are doing exceptional at rule following and/or receive a pride paw during the day they will receive a Wow! green card. This is taking the place of my blue cards as the positive behavior reward. I will introduce this new system to students on Monday morning. Please let me know if you have any questions about the system.
I have chosen to implement this new system to improve student engagement and self-reflection on behavior. The cards are designed to be a practice instead of punishment. If a student is struggling with shouting out then they can practice the rule in detail in order to improve their self-control. I believe this new system will streamline our classroom to increase learning, engagement, and therefore enjoyment for all!
Veronica, This is a very well written letter that your parents will appreciate! As seen in this chapter, the WBT practice card method includes a white card indicating that the student needs a 2 minute practice on a particular rule, a green card that is placed on the desk for the student to tally their success on the rule that they are struggling with, and a purple card that cancels out the others (showing great improvement). Here are 20 certification points!
Your help and support make our classroom a magical place where love of learning grows and where every student blossoms. Together, we make learning fun and exciting for our children. To continue in our tradition of using the most effective ways to learn, I introduced a new way to help our young learners to become even better.
Research shows that self-regulation is one of the six most important skills your child will need to learn to become a successful lifelong learner (Jenna Bilmes). We also know that practice makes permanent (WBT Coach, Chris Biffle). Our students have been practicing our classroom rules every day. They all know our five rules. Ask your child to show you gestures we use when saying our rules.
1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Occasionally there comes a time when a student forgets the rule. To help to internalize their self-regulation, I have introduced white practice cards as a way to help our students become more independent. When a student breaks a rule, he/she gets a white practice card. The student then spends two minutes during recess or playtime practicing this rule. To strengthen home-school connection, a note is send home explaining which rule was not followed. Please, practice the rule with your child and then sign and return the note on the next day. The white practice card will not be removed until your child brings the signed note back to school.
In a few weeks we will introduce purple cards. Purple is a royal color for royal behavior. If your child gets a purple card he/she will bring a note home about what a wonderful leader he/she is. As an extra bonus, the purple card cancels the white card.
Next month, a green practice card will be introduced for in-class practice. If a student gets a green card for not following a rule, he/she will keep track of how many times he/she followed the rule. This positive reinforcement should help even the most forgetful to remember that the school is a place for fun and learning and to be able to do both, we have to be safe and respectful.
Thank you once again for your help and support. If you have any questions or comments about our new practice cards, please, let me know either via email (teacher@school.come) or phone (555-555-5555)
Monika, This is a great introduction for your parents as they learn about your Practice Cards. **Don't forget to add in our new rule: Rule #6: Eyes on the Speaker (the Diamond Rule). The WBT website has a poster you can hang up. Here are 25 certification points!
What a wonderful year it has been so far! We have learned so much about Ancient Greek and Ancient Rome, Mesoamerica, the Parts of Speech, Author’s Purpose, how to write a biography, and many other skills! Something else we have been learning and continuing to practice all year are classroom procedures and rules. At the beginning of the year, I included the list of five classroom rules for you to take a look at. On top of the five rules, we do other exciting and engaging things to remember information, practice procedures, and understand expectations.
One of the exciting things we have started to use is Practice Cards. Practice Cards use colored cards to keep track of a child’s positive and negative actions. There are five colored cards that mean five different things. The colors are green, gray, purple, red and black. Green means that the child had a terrific day! Gray means that the child received a warning for a negative action. Purple means that the child received a timeout. Red means that the child was given a note to take home. Black means that the child was sent to the principal’s office.
As a reminder, I have listed the five rules below. 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Your child will come home with a colored card based on their behavior for the day. When a card other than green comes home, the rule or rules that were broken will be listed on the card so that you can see why your child received that particular colored card.
I have decided to use this as a classroom management tool because I believe it is effective, and I believe that it is important to communicate positive and negative actions with the parent or guardian. This will prove to be a positive way to communicate about classroom behavior and it will make you aware of any consistent issues that we are facing in the classroom.
I would love to answer any questions that you have about this new classroom system! Feel free to give me a call or send me an email if you have any questions. I cannot wait to see the positive changes that will be made in the classroom!
Hannah, This is close to the WBT method, but in WBT we use white (2 minutes practice on particular rule needed and note sent home), purple (student has corrected behavior and cancels out the white) and green (need to rehearse the rules a little more and self monitor with a card on their desk). Notes to parents are available for all three of the cards to encourage their child to work on the rule needed. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Families, Since the beginning of the school year, I have implemented a highly structured and fun system of behavior management and instructional strategies, called Whole Brain. Until now, we have participated in level 1, the rules and scoreboard, and level 2, the Super Improvers Team. I’m sure you have heard a lot about it at home! We are now ready for the next major component of this system. In level 3, I will be implementing something called “Practice Cards” to support our 5 classroom rules. Our rules include: Rule 1- Follow directions quickly Rule 2- Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule 3- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat Rule 4- Make smart choices Rule 5- Keep Mrs. Heeter a happy teacher! If a student needs practice with a specific rule, he/she will receive one white card with the broken rule written on it. The white card will let the child know that as a consequence for breaking the rule, two minutes of practicing the rule with gestures must be completed during recess and lunch. A student will never receive more than two practice cards. If your child receives a practice card, a note will be sent home letting you know what rule was broken. I encourage you to discuss and practice the rule at home, but please sign and return the next day. Later on, we will add purple cards to the mix! Purple cards cancel the white cards and are awarded for getting back on track. The student will also receive a congratulatory note home. Lastly, green cards will be introduced. Green cards will be used to remind students to follow a specific rule during instructional time. They will keep tally marks on the frequency they follow to rule, which keeps this system focused on positive reinforcement. At the end of the day, the green card can possibly earn the student a purple card! This system is based on reinforcing positive choices and behaviors. They are not scolded, but merely practicing to make better choices. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you so much for your support!
Shila, Isn't it wonderful to have a behavior system that focuses on the positive? What a nice (and effective) change! Here are 25 certification points!
We are off to a wonderful school year! This year, our class is very excited to be using Whole Brain Teaching, a proven teaching method that targets and engages all students. Whole Brain Teaching techniques allow students to talk, listen, move, and think, all while learning content and practicing higher order thinking. We began the year learning the 5 classroom rules and practicing basic techniques. The students have done a fabulous job and are ready to move to the next step, Practice Cards. The Practice Cards ensure that students continue to focus on the classroom rules in order to maintain a positive learning environment. The 5 rules are:
1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Here’s how it works:
We will start with white Practice Card. Students are given a white Practice Card when then need additional practice on a classroom rule. They will be given time at school to practice this rule, but it is very helpful if you take the time to help them practice at home. You will know that your student received the white card because it will be sent home with your student. Please sign and return the card. Continuous practice of the rules will result in improved classroom practices and environment conducive to learning.
In January, we will begin using purple Practice Cards. These are used as praise for excellent behavior choices. You will receive a letter when your student receives this recognition. Rewarding good choices has proven to be very effective in encouraging students to continue making this type of choice.
Later in the year we will introduce green cards. Green cards serve as a way for students to monitor and keep track of how much they are practicing a rule that they are working on. They will use tally marks to track how often they have practiced a particular rule. This allows them to monitor their own growth and practice with their personalized goals.
Practice cards are meant to simply improve practice procedures. We all need practice to improve, the cards serve a structured means of practicing our rules. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Also, please check your student’s backpack each night! Thank you!
Kindly Mrs. Copeland
Megan Vescio Copeland Goldfarb Elementary School Las Vegas, NV
Megan, This is very informative and helpful for the parents. You had one minor editing error "Students are given a white Practice Card when then need additional practice on a classroom rule" (they). Here are 20 certification points!
This year, we will continue to use Whole Brain Teaching! We have had a wonderful beginning. We began with our five classroom rules, Level One. These rules help us with our daily learning and behavior.
Our classroom rules are: 1. Follow directions quickly! 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
With Level One, we introduced the rules and earned points on our classroom’s Scoreboard. The class was continually praised for doing well and often rewarded points for classroom success. Next, with Level Two, we have our Super Improver Wall. Each student earns stars for improvement in academics, behavior, or specified personal goals. During the year, we will continue to use The Scoreboard and the Super Improver Wall.
The class has now advanced to Level Three! We will use Practice Cards to improve the classroom rules. If students are having trouble with a rule, they will receive a white card with the written rule. With this card, they come in at recess for two minutes to practice the rule. They will say the rule using gestures while sitting in their table seat. Your child will never receive more than two white cards. The white practice card will be sent home for you to sign. You may want to review it again before you return it.
Receiving a practice card is a way for your child to practice rules that are not followed correctly. This system is not meant to punish. Eventually the positive behaviors on the cards will replace the negative behaviors. The improvement will be charted for success.
In the near future, purple cards will be introduced to recognize royal behavior. This is an amazing card that will be sent home for you to sign. It shows that your child has been a wonderful leader.
Also, if needed, a green practice card will be used for practicing the rules. Your child will be able to track his daily success in the classroom with his own card at his table.
Our kindergarten class is doing so well! The Practice Cards will be another way for us to improve. Thank you for all that you do to support our class!
Regina, The practice cards are a fun, but extremely helpful, method that helps children learn to self monitor their own behavior! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents, I cannot believe we are halfway through the year! Since the beginning of the year we have been learning and practicing our five classroom rules: 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy. The students have been doing an excellent job of following the rules and are moving up the Super Improver Wall at astounding rates! I am so pleased with their progress. To keep that forward momentum going, I am going to be introducing another level to our scoreboard.
Many times during the winter when we aren’t able to go outside and play, that extra energy can be fuel for students to forget the rules. To help them remember, I will be introducing practice cards. Practice cards come in three colors and each color has a special meaning
We will start with white cards. Each white card is labeled with one of our five rules. A white card indicates that your child needs to practice the rule on it. Each white card equals two minutes of rule practice at the beginning of lunch and recess. White cards will come home for you to sign and return. Purple cards will be next. Purple cards are positive cards! Each purple card cancels out a white card and its practice time. Purple cards will be issued at the teacher’s discretion based on how a student is following the rules. Green cards are last. Green cards are given to students to keep track of how often they follow the rules in class.
This level reminds students of the importance of rules and their success with following them. Please feel free to write, call, or set up an appointment to discuss this further with me! I look forward to an amazing second half of the year with your child.
Elisabeth, This letter will be very beneficial to you as you get the parents on board this year with your Practice Cards. It is so helpful to have the parents reinforcing these rules at home, and supporting their child as they work toward their goals! Here are 25 certification points!
I am excited to introduce a wonderful practice to help our classroom be the best for our students to learn. This is a list of our classroom rules that we have been practicing and memorizing, sometimes the rules are forgotten and may need some extra practice.
1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy. 6. Keep your eyes on the speaker. (the diamond rule)
When the student breaks a rule the white card is placed in the student's pocket chart at the front of the room. They are required to come to me during access and practice this rule for 2 minutes for every card they have received. I will also send one home with you. Please, practice the rule with your child have them show the motions as you go over the rule broken. Sign and return the note on the next day. The white practice card will not be removed until your child brings the signed note back to school.
You will also notice a purple card come home. That is reason for celebration! Your child has done a great job and needs to be recognized. FYI this card cancels out the white card.
Soon I will also be introducing the green practice card for in-class practice and guidance. If a student gets a green card placed on their desk for not following a rule they are expected to count (by making tally marks) how many times the follow the rule. This is a great tool to help students to refocus on the correct behavior. I will not notify parents of green cards.
If you have any concerns or questions please call or email me. (303)982-2020 rloftus@jeffco.k12.co.us
Rebecca, The practice cards really help the students see that their behavior is really manageable, and they love to see those purple cards when they self correct! You had a minor error " times the follow the rule." (they). Here are 20 certification points!
Your children are having fun and learning better than ever with the continuation of the Whole Brain Techniques. The children are progressing so well, that we are ready for the next level of classroom management: Practice Cards. The Practice Cards are an additional way to help the children maintain responsibility for their learning as well as enhance communication with you.
The 5 classroom rules were outlined and practiced with your children at the beginning of the year and we continually practice them throughout our school day. You have had the opportunity at Back to School Night to practice those same rules just as your child does. As the year progresses, some students may need additional practice to reinforce a rule. Practice Cards will be used for reinforcement. There are three colors of Practice Cards: white, purple, and green. The Practice Cards are used for practice and reinforcement to give children ownership of their own behavior. The explanation of each card is as follows.
White Cards: Your child will receive a white card if he/she needs additional practice following a classroom rule. During recess for two minutes, the student will repeatedly recite the broken rule in a whisper voice while practicing the corresponding gesture. Your child will receive no more than 2 white cards per day. When a child receives a white card, this also means that a note will be sent home to inform the parents about the rule that the student needs to work on. With your help and practice at home, he/she is sure to receive a Purple Card.
Purple Cards: If later in the day a student corrects his/her behavior after receiving a white card and follows the broken rule, he/she may earn a purple card. Purple cards override white cards. No time will be spent practicing the rule with gestures during recess and a note will not be sent home. Purple cards are cause for celebration and a positive note will be sent home.
As the children become comfortable with this new system, we will introduce the Green Cards to keep students further motivated.
Green Cards: Every time the student follows a rule, they will place a tally mark on the card. Students may be rewarded with a purple practice card upon my discretion depending on the quantity of tallies.
I am looking forward to maintaining a positive classroom community with your help. I am excited to keep the focus on positive reinforcement while helping the children take ownership for their own learning and growth. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support in your child’s education.
Bethann, The parents will appreciate your positive letter. This should garner you a lot support from the parents! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Families, I cannot believe we are already in our 3rd month of school. We are having a great time learning all sorts of things each and every day. As you are aware, we are using Whole Brain Teaching to make our learning even better. Your child has demonstrated some of our gestures to you and you were able to see some of them during our Open House video too! We have now advanced to the next level, which is Practice Cards. These cards help students identify areas that they need to practice in or they can receive a card for a behavior reward.
Here are the rules we use in the classroom: Rule 1 Follow directions quickly Rule 2 Raise your hand for permission to speak Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat Rule 4 Make smart choices Rule 5 Keep your dear teacher happy
White cards are the first cards to be distributed. A student will receive a white card if he/she is struggling with a rule. This tells the student that he/she needs to stay in for the first two minutes of lunch and recess to practice the rule. A note will be sent home informing you that your child received a white card and what rule your child is struggling with. Please sign and return this note. The next phrase of cards to be added are the purple cards. These cards will be used to reward your student’s ability to follow the rules in the classroom. A note will be sent home informing you that your child received a purple card and that he/she is doing a fantastic job. The last phrase of cards to be added are the green cards. If your child is struggling with a specific rule in the classroom, they will receive a green card on their desk. He/she will record their successful accomplishment of the rule. A green card can be turned in to possibly earn a purple card.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thank you for your support this school year!
Courtney, These are so easy, yet so effective! They are the perfect way to reinforce your expectations without having to nag and gripe at students! Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
In order to maintain a fun, happy learning environment, it is important for all of the students to follow the rules in the classroom. I know that this is not always easy to do! In an effort to help the students to learn and internalize the rules, I am going to start using “Practice Cards”. What are “Practice Cards”? Let me explain!
First of all, let me review the rules in our classroom: Rule 1: I follow directions quickly. Rule 2: I raise my hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: I listen to the person who is speaking. Rule 4: I make good choices. Rule 5: I keep my dear teacher happy!
Since the beginning of school, we have been saying and practicing these rules. The students all understand each rule -- both what it looks like and what it sounds like. They are doing their best to remember them and follow them.
The “Practice Cards” are meant to help students practice and remember the rules. They are not meant as a punishment but rather as a gentle reminder. If I notice a child who is not following one of these rules, I will simply place a card with the rule number at their place at the table. The students understand that if they get a card, they will need to stay in for 2 minutes (at either recess or lunch) to practice that rule. (If the problem happens after lunch, they will practice for 2 minutes at the beginning of "Play Time".)
If your child receives a “Practice Card”, they will also bring a letter home to you stating the rule with which they were struggling. I would encourage you to have your child practice this rule at home a couple of times for no more than a few minutes each time. It does not need to be any longer than that since I firmly believe that “it is not the size of the penalty, but its frequency that changes behavior” (Biffle, 2013, p.116). As a sign that you got the note and are aware of your child’s struggles with a rule, please be sure to sign and send the note back to school on the following school day.
Thank you for your continued support in your child’s learning. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please do not hesitate to contact me either at the school 250-782-5206, or by email cmorgret@sd59.bc.ca.
As a follow-up to the previous letter, this letter will be sent home a month or so later:
Chers Parents,
We have been using the “Practice cards” in the classroom for a month now. I really like the way they encourage the students to remember the rules! I think that we are all now ready to add to the “Practice cards”! Let me explain!
The cards that the students have been receiving so far have been white. I am now going to introduce purple practice cards and green practice cards!
A purple card will cancel a white card! If I have given a student a white card and then I notice that they are remembering to follow the given rule BEFORE they have had to stay in and practice it, the purple card will cancel the white card and the student will no longer need to stay and practice for two minutes. It will be as if the white card had never been issued! If your child receives a purple card, they will also bring home a letter praising them on successfully following the rule in question!
The green card will help those students who need to become a little more aware of their behaviour. We can’t change it if we aren’t aware of it! If I give a student a green card, they will keep it at their table. Every time they realize that they are following the given rule, they will give themselves a tick mark or a star on the green card. At the end of the day, the student and I will meet briefly to look at how many tick marks/stars they were able to give themselves. If we decide that it is enough, they may end the day with a purple card! If your child receives a green card, they will also bring a letter home explaining their progress with the rule in question.
The students are very excited about these additions to the “Practice Cards”. Please ask your child to talk to you about them tonight at home!
Once again, if your child does bring home one of the above-mentioned letters, please remember to sign it and send it back to school!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement! If you have any questions or concerns about this, please do not hesitate to contact me either at the school 250-782-5206, or by email cmorgret@sd59.bc.ca.
Christina, Very thorough! Your parents will appreciate the collaboration and the opportunity to see how their child's discipline is handled in the classroom. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Students have settled into our routines and have become well-acquainted with our five powerful classroom rules. In some ways they are experts at following these rules, in other ways they are becoming complacent. Because of this, at this time of year I typically introduce the third level of our classroom management system. This level is called Practice Cards.
Practice cards come in five different styles, one for each of the five classroom rules. When a student forgets to follow one of our classroom rules I will assign them a practice card. These are designed to provide students with a non-punitive chance to practice any rule that they have forgotten to follow. Once receiving a rule-specific practice card, a student is then expected to spend two minutes at recess practicing that rule. The student will bring home a note for you to sign detailing the rule they have been working on and asking for your support in having them practice at home. No student will be assigned more than two practice cards per day.
I have enjoyed seeing the success of this program in previous years, and I hope that with your support this will continue to be an effective and positive experience for students.
Traci, Practice cards are a simple and effective way to remind our students that we still have high expectations. You may want to include the rest of the practice card system in your letter, addressing the purple and the green cards as well. They are an integral part of the system. Nice work! Here are 20 certification points!
Thanks for the suggestion. I can see why you would want to see that explained here! I always try to carefully craft my letters home so that they aren't too long, hopefully increasing the chance that parents will read them. :) It was my understanding that purple and green cards were introduced later and I would plan to send home an additional letter at that time to update parents on the next portion of Practice Cards.
Our school year is off to a great start! We are working hard on using Our Whole Brain Teaching every day. We have practiced and learned our classroom rules. Have your child recite and explain them to you (with gestures!) Here are the rules we have been practicing: 1, Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to talk. 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. 4. Make smart choices. 5. Keep your dear teacher happy. 6. Keep your eyes on the goal. I have introduced the Super Improver Team and we are working at setting goals and improving in both learning and behavior. Our next step will be the Practice Cards.
The Practice Cards are printed with the classroom rules. If a student breaks one of the rules, a white card with that rule, will be placed by their name in a chart. At recess, the student will stay in the classroom practicing the rule for two minutes. A note will go home in the student’s folder, letting the parents know what rule was broken. Please sign the note and return it in the folder the next day. If a white card comes home in a folder it is meant as an opportunity for practice. By working together we can help your student become an even better class member. After we have practiced with the white cards I will introduce the following: Purple cards: A purple card is given when a student shows success with a rule he/she previously had difficulty following . A positive note will come home celebrating this success. Green cards: When a child continues to struggle with a rule, he/she will receive a green card. On the card the student will tally how many times per day the rule was followed. A green card can earn a purple one! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. We also can talk during upcoming conferences.
Susan, This is very thorough and your parents will appreciate having an understanding of your procedures. Great job! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I have used practice cards the last few years in kindergarten. I do not use the green cards with this age. I keep it simple and it has worked wonders. I use them a little at first, then I find I hardly use them the rest of the year. I also have a parent night before school starts where I tell the parents about WBT. I show them the SIW, Rules, and practice cards and explaining them a little in person. This is an amazing chance to answer questions and all be on the same page. Here is an example of my letter once I start the practice cards:
Hello friend, Our rules and behavior calendar has been going awesome!! Thanks for initialing the day on the calendar. When you see the smiley, you know your child has followed all the WBT rules. Remember, those are listed at the bottom of the calendar with a description and gesture. I am implementing the practice cards next week. I shared with the children that 'practice makes permanent" and that they all had to practice things to be good at them . We made a chart of things that we had to practice. We learned that rules are much the same way, if they show me they can't follow a rule, they are showing me they need more practice. I am here to help, them so if they choose to not follow a rule (after a couple of redirect) I will ask them to place a white practice card in their pocket chart spot. Then at their next recess or center time they will spend 2 minutes with me going over the gestures for the rule. You will know if your child gets a practice card because on their calendar they will have a # listed instead of a smiley. The code is with the rules at the bottom so you will know where they had trouble that day. If it is very specific I will jot down what happened. :) In a month or so I will start the fancy purple card. This is "when I catch em being super good "card!!! I will give these out to super rule followers and these will always override a white card, if they have one in their pocket:) I want these kiddos to be as successful as possible!!! I am excited to try our next WBT adventure!!! As always contact me with questions. If you are not receiving my daily emails please let me know!!!
Wendy, These practice cards should be very helpful as they "practice to make permanent" all of those great procedures in your classroom! Here are 25 certification points!
I truly appreciate your support this year and how very active each of you are in your student’s education. We have been enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) system for learning throughout this fall. Each student has made incredible progress using the Super Improver goals and other systems in WBT. We are now ready to “level up” in our class management game plan. The next level is call “Practice Cards.” We will begin using it when we return from winter break. The practice cards will be color coded and directly connected to our classroom rules. They will give us the structure needed to keep our class running smoothly.
Step 1: White Cards Receiving a White Card indicates that the student needs additional practice in following a certain rule. The student will spend 2 minutes of recess whispering and practicing the gesture for the rule. They will not receive more than 2 White Cards or 4 minutes practice time on any given day. Every time a student receives a White Card, a note will also come home explaining the events of the day. Please discuss the note, sign it, and return it to school the next day.
Step 2: Purple Cards A few weeks after the implementation of the White Cards, Purple Cards will be introduced. Purple Cards are awarded for great behavior. When a student is doing an especially excellent job at following the rules, they will be given a Purple Card. A note of congratulations will then be sent home.
Step 3: Green Cards Once the White Cards have been in place for several weeks, I will then implement the Green Cards. If a student needs practice in a certain rule, they will be given a Green Card. The student will then place a tally mark on the card each time they remember and use the particular rule during the day. If the student then does a good job at the rule, they may earn a Purple Card.
Again, thank you for your support this year. I love working with your student!
Geni, Great job! The parents will appreciate being kept in the loop as you implement new strategies to help their children be successful! Here are 25 certification points!
It has been a great year in kindergarten! We have a whole classroom of students who have made growth and I am so proud of each of them. As a matter of fact, I believe our class is ready for Level Three!
You remember that we started our year at Level One. At Level One, students were able to earn “Oh Yeah!” or “Mighty Groan!” points as a class toward a daily reward. We transitioned to Level Two at the start of September. At Level Two, students joined the Super Improvers Team and were able to earn individual stars based on personal improvement. I’m sure you have one or two of these hanging on your refrigerator!
Now, at Level Three, we will be using Practice Cards. There are three colors of practice cards: white, purple, and green. If your child receives a white card, it is because he or she needs some more practice at following one of our classroom rules. They will be required to practice their rule at recess for two minutes, or they may choose to sit by themselves for four. It’s my intention to help all of our kiddos be the best students they can be and help them get back on track toward earning their Super Improver stars. Please help me reinforce, when this white card comes home for you to sign, that this is not a punishment. We are all working towards helping our students make successful choices.
If your child receives a purple card, it means he or she is doing an excellent job of following one of our rules! These will not only cancel out a white card, but will earn the student a congratulatory note to bring home to you!
If your child receives a green card, they will use it to keep a tally of how many times they follow the rule they’re working on. It serves as a visual reminder so they will have extra time practicing it in class. These cards appear after several days of practicing at recess with white cards. This way the student has had time to practice the rule and is ready to start using it in the classroom. If the student does a great job and earns lots of tallies, a purple card may be awarded!
I am so excited to watch our kiddos thrive at Level Three! Please feel free to call me with any questions you have so we can work together to help your child be the rock star we both know they are!
Catherine, Excellent job! Your parents will feel like they are on top of your classroom management procedures and be able to support your efforts. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
As you know, I like to keep you informed of the Whole Brain Teaching techniques I use in the classroom. I start the year with the Scoreboard (level 1), and then comes the Super Improvers Team (level 2). At this time of year I implement level 3 – Practise Cards. These practice cards help students by either identifying class rules in which they need further practise or rewarding their behaviour.
Here is a reminder of the rules we follow in the classroom: 1. Rule 1- Follow directions quickly 2. Rule 2 -Raise your hand for permission to speak 3. Rule 3- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat 4. Rule 4- Make smart choices – (these choices are all linked to the virtues of kindness, leadership, courage, determination, and creativity) 5. Rule 5- Keep your dear teacher happy (Teacher is happy when children are on task and learning) 6. Diamond Rule – Keep your eyes on the target
These rules are practised every day in class, so feel free to have fun at home rehearsing them with your child.
Here is how practise cards work: • We start with white practise cards. If a student is consistently having trouble following a rule, they will receive a white practise card for that specific rule. The child will then stay in for one minute at break time to quietly practise the rule they are struggling with. No child can receive more than 2 practise cards in a day. • If a child receives a white practise card, his/her parents will get a letter home explaining this. This letter should be signed and returned. • Purple cards come next – these are used to reward students for exemplary rule following. If your child earns a purple card, a note will be sent home informing you how well your child is behaving in the classroom. When this happens please make a big fuss of your child when they come home, this will really reinforce the importance of their achievement. • Finally, after several weeks of white and purple cards, come the green practise cards. These are designed to help a child to recognise the elements of their behaviour that need improvement, and then self regulate this behaviour. If your child is struggling with a specific rule in the classroom, they will receive a green card on their desk. They will use this to record their successful execution of the rule using tally marks. When a child shows their teacher their green card at the end of each day, the teacher lets the child know whether or not they agree with the self assessment. If the teacher agrees then the green card can be exchanged for a purple card. Rehearsing rules will ensure that disruptive behaviour is minimised, and learning time is maximised: practise cards will help children to be successful learners and confident individuals in the classroom environment. Furthermore, this system allows you to be aware and involved in all aspects of your child’s achievements in the classroom.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or come in at the end of the school day.
Quentin, This is an excellent way to communicate your procedures with the parents. This will enable them to support you as you help your students learn to self monitor their behavior! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents, As we have reached our third month of school, I will begin to implement another Whole Brain Teaching strategy. Your child has learned the five basic classroom rules that enable our class to run smoothly and efficiently. There are times, however, when these rules need to be reviewed and practiced more than within our daily routines. This is where our new Practice Card strategy comes in.
If your child demonstrates that he/she is in need of extra practice (is not following one of our classroom rules), they will receive a White Card with a specific rule to practice at the beginning of our recess and lunch period. The practice time will be limited to two minutes of continuous practice. A note will be sent home on that day so that you will know which rule needed to be practiced. Your support at home in continuing this important conversation would be greatly appreciated. I ask that the note be signed and returned to school on the following day.
As the year progresses, I will also present Purple Cards to students who are demonstrating appropriate use of a classroom rule. You will receive an update of their successes when this happens. Finally, Green Cards will be handed out to students who may need more incentive to follow our class rules. Students will use the card to tally the number of times they have followed a particular rule correctly. Their hard work will help them to earn a Purple Card and a Star towards their work on our Super Improvers Team Wall. This routine of practice helps to solidify our rules and works to continuously improve our classroom environment. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this classroom strategy.
Thank you for your continued support at home! Nicole Desrosiers
Nicole, Nice job! This letter will help the parents understand how you are working with their children to help them be more successful! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear parent,
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to believe that 3 months have already flown by. It has been my privilege to have your child in my class.
So far this year we have introduced and practiced the rules in our class and have moved to level 2 our Super Improvers Team, where each student is given points based on personal performance. This has been going great! Now I think it is a great time to introduce the next level: Practice cards.
Practice cards are just another resource I am using to remember the rules. While the students remember them most of the time, they sometimes need a reminder and more practice. If your child comes home with one in their backpack, it is not a punishment, they are just for practice. There are three colors: white, purple, and green. Below is how the Practice Cards will work.
White Card means that the student has had a hard time following a particular rule and needs more practice. When a student continually breaks a rule, I will put the white card on their desk, which will mean to see me. During recess, the student will take 2 minutes with me and we will practice the rule. The student will continue to keep the white card in their desk and we will practice at recess for 2 minutes until it is signed and returned by the parent.
Purple cards are given to students who earn them by positive action and will cancel out the white card. The parent will receive a note home letting you know the student has had excellent behavior.
Green cards are the last to be introduced. Green cards are placed on the students’ desk with the specific rule to practice on it. Once they have the green card they will tally up all the times they followed that rule throughout the day on it. At the end of the day, I will count up the tallies and decide if they followed the rule for the day. If they did so, they will receive the purple card with a praising note to the parents.
I believe that with practice comes lasting knowledge. These are a fun way to modify behavior with opportunities for practice. I look forward to sending home letters of praise about your child. If you have any questions, please feel free to call.
Ms. Julie
Julie,
ReplyDeleteVery informative letter for the parents! Practice cards are such a wonderful reinforcement tool for our rules! Here are 25 certification points!
Kay Spencer
ReplyDeleteChapters 17 and 18
Dear Family,
Thank you for your positive involvement in your child’s education. These are exciting days. Our class is enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching system. It has revolutionized our teaching and learning. We have made great progress and now we are ready to expand our classroom management system. This part of our management system is called Practice Cards. This is a perfect time to begin Practice Cards because usage of the cards will insure our continued focus on our five rules. In fact, Practice Cards will give us the structure needed to take us to the next level and keep our class running smoothly.
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Here is the plan:
We’ll begin with White Cards. A white card indicates that additional practice is needed in following a classroom rule. Your child will use two minutes of recess and lunch to whisper the rule and practice the gesture for the rule. Your child will not receive more than two white Practice Cards. If your child receives a white Practice Card, your child will also receive a note that will come home to you. If you receive a note, please sign the note and work on the rule indicated. Please return the note to school.
In January, we will begin using purple cards. Purple cards are rewards for good behavior choices. When your child is doing a good job following the rules, a purple card will be put in our pocket chart. A congratulatory note will come home when your child receives a purple card. I can’t wait to send those notes to you.
If your child needs additional help in class, a green Practice Card will be put on your child’s desk. Your child will understand the rule that needs to be practiced. Your child will make a tally mark each time the rule is practiced. If your child does a good job following rules, a purple card can be given!
Thank you for sharing your child with me. We are learning and growing.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Kay Spencer
Kay,
ReplyDeleteNice job on your letter! The practice cards are such a positive way to help these students rehearse the appropriate behaviors, and the letter really helps make it a joint effort with the parents! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapters 17-18: Practice Cards- Madeline Mahan
ReplyDeleteDear Families,
Can you believe it’s been 5 months since the beginning of the year? Time is flying! Our class has been enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching system, which has been driving our learning and behavior. We are currently at Level Two and are ready to move to Level Three!
Our classroom rules are:
1. Follow directions quickly!
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
With Level One, we introduced the rules and earned points on our classroom’s Scoreboard. Level Two brought our Super Improver Wall, where students earn stars for improvement. Most of you have received letters about your student leveling up! The Scoreboard and the Super Improver Wall will continue throughout the year.
Level Three, starting this week, will involve Practice Cards. If your student needs practice with one of the classroom rules, they will receive a white card. A white card will let your student know to come in at recess for rule practice. They will sit at their desk for two minutes and say the rule with the gesture. Your student will never receive more than two white cards. The white practice card will be sent home for you to sign. Further practice at home is up to your discretion.
In January, we will add purple cards! Purple cards are given for positive behavior and cancel out white cards. Your student will receive a congratulatory note to celebrate their great behavior!
Later on in the year, green cards will make an appearance. Students make tally marks on this card each time they follow a specific rule. At the end of the day, their tally marks can earn them a purple card!
This system is not meant to punish. Practice cards are a chance to practice the rules, break negative habits, and reward positive behavior! These cards will help us stay focused as the year progresses. They will also keep you informed about your student’s behavior in the classroom.
As always, if you have any questions, please call or stop by! We would love for you to observe our learning.
Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Ms. Mahan
Madeline Mahan
Chapter 17
Madeline,
DeleteThis is a nice letter! You may want to clarify a little more about the green cards in that paragraph (they get a green card if they have already had the white card and positive and negative notes home-the green card is now needed to help the child practice following the rule in the classroom setting). Here are 25 certification points!
Dear parents,
ReplyDeleteThe school year is off and running and we are having a great time. I am so glad to have your child in my class. We have been learning so much using Whole Brain Teaching and I hope your child is sharing some of our good times with you. We are ready to move onto the next level, which is Practice Cards. These practice cards help students by either rewarding their behavior or identifying areas we need further practice in. Here are the rules we use in the classroom:
Classroom Rules:
Rule 1 Follow directions quickly
Rule 2 Raise your hand for permission to speak
Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
Rule 4 Make smart choices
Rule 5 Keep your dear teacher happy
Please practice these rules with your child. If you call out, “Rule 3” they can tell you what it is. It’s a lot of fun. Here is how the practice cards will work. White cards are the beginning of the program. If a student obtains a white card when struggling with a rule, the student will stay in for the first two minutes of lunch and recess to practice the rule they are struggling with. A note will be sent home to you to let you know if your child is struggling with a rule, please sign and return it.
Next are the purple cards. This is your student’s opportunity to be rewarded for their outstanding ability to follow the rules in the classroom. If your child earns a purple card, a note will be sent home to you letting you know how great your child is doing in the classroom.
Finally, green cards can be used to help your child recognize and self regulate his/her own behavior. This is very important. If your child is struggling with a specific rule in the classroom, they will receive a green card on their desk on which they will record their successful execution of the rule. They can then turn in their green cards to possibly earn them a purple card.
This system allows your child to rehearse those skills which will allow them to be successful learners in the classroom environment. Further, this system allows you to be aware and involved in all aspects of your child’s achievements in the classroom. It is going to be a great year!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or come in. Thanks for sharing your child with me.
Sincerely,
Amanda Blum
Amanda, you kept the focus on fun and practice: two very important aspects of all WBT strategies.Good job! Here are 25 Certification Points.
DeleteCarrie Wood
ReplyDeleteWBT Ch. 17-18
Dear Parents,
We are off to a great start in Kindergarten this year. Our class is enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching system. We have learned the classroom rules, which are as follows:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your
seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Our class is now ready to incorporate a new part of our classroom management system called “Practice Cards.”
We will begin with White Cards which indicates that a student needs extra practice on 1 of the 5 rules. Your child will practice the rule for 2 minutes during recess. A note will also come home, please sign the note and return it to school the next day.
A Purple Card will be a reward for good behavior choices. A note will come home to you so that you can also show your support in positive behaviors.
We are very excited to begin the Practice Cards, and I truly appreciate all the support you give in your child’s education daily.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Wood
Carrie,
DeletePractice cards are a wonderful addition to your behavior plan! You will want to include information about the 3rd practice card (the green one). You may need more information about the white and purple to tell more about "why" and "how" they will be used and how they work together with the green as well . Here are 20 certification points.
Chapters 17-18 Practice Cards More Ways to Use Practice Cards-Bethany Kirkland
DeleteDear Parents,
It is hard to believe we are at the halfway point of this school year. Since day one our class has learned and practiced rules and procedures of Whole Brain Teaching. With the beginning of a new semester, I would like to introduce a new level of classroom management: Practice Cards.
As you know, we have five classroom rules that help keep our classroom organized and orderly. Sometimes a student may need extra practice to reinforce a rule. Practice Cards will be used for extra practice. There are three colors of Practice Cards: white, purple, and green. Please be reminded Practice Cards are not punishment.
White Cards: Your child will be given a white card if he/she needs extra practice following a classroom rule, not to exceed two white cards per day. During extra recess he/she will spend two minutes practicing by whispering the rule and using the rule gestures. Your child will bring a note home to inform you which rule was practiced. Please sign, return the note, and have your child spend time practicing the rule at home.
Purple Cards: Sometimes a student may receive a white card for not following a rule. If later in the day the student corrects their behavior and follows the rule, they may earn a purple card. Purple cards override white cards. The student does not have to practice the rule or have a note signed with a purple card however, a purple card may earn a positive note home to parents!
Green Cards: A student may be given time during class to practice a rule. If this is the case, a green card will be given to the student. The green card will have the rule needing practice written on it. Every time the student follows the rule, they will place a tally mark on the card. Students may be rewarded with a purple practice card if he/she receives enough tally marks for that rule.
This is a brief description of the new level of classroom management. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support. I appreciate partnering with you in your child’s education.
Sincerely,
Bethany Kirkland
Bethany,
DeleteSharing this information with your parents will be very beneficial. You included enough information that made it easy to understand and follow! Here are 25 certification points!
Oh No, Placed first time under assignment 16!
ReplyDeleteJulia Berry / Chapters 17-18 / November
Dear Parents,
You received a letter, at Open House, explaining that we would be using Whole Brain Teaching throughout the year. It is very important for your child to follow the Five Class Rules, so our teaching time is not compromised. The following are our Five Class Rules:
1. Follow Directions Quickly
2. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Speak
3. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Leave Your Seat
4. Make Smart Choices
5. Keep You Dear Teacher Happy
In class, I will be using color-coded cards to help your child succeed with our rules and be rewarded for making smart choices!
White cards: Your child needs extra practice following a rule. No more
than two white cards will be given in a day.
Purple cards: When a behavior is corrected later on in the day, a purple card is
given as a reinforcement and a positive note may be sent
home.
Green cards: When a child needs to practice a rule in class, they will be given a green card. Once the rule is being followed, the child gets to add a tally mark (s) on the card. Your child can also earn a purple card for positive note.
I will be sending home notes to let you know how your child is doing. Please sign and return the next day. If he or she is having difficulty with a rule (s), I ask that you take a couple of minutes to have your child practice. I will also keep you informed of your child’s smart choices with an “A for the day” note several times a week.
I know with time and practice, all of our students will be able to follow our Five Class Rules! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call.
Thank you for all your support in making this year a great success!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Berry
867-5309
Julia,
DeleteThe practice cards are a perfect addition to your classroom, especially after the winter break, to keep them on top of their best behavior! You may want to specify how long they will be expected to practice with the white and the green cards. You had 1 tiny error in #5- (you/your). It is always very helpful to keep parents updated and your letter will be very helpful! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
ReplyDeleteWe are very excited this year to be using Whole Brain Teaching in our classroom. The strategies we are learning have really helped with student engagement and learning. We have made excellent progress and are now ready to expand our classroom management system. We will be starting a system called Practice Cards. These cards will ensure our continued focus on our five rules to keep our class running smoothly.
Class Rules:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
I encourage you to practice these with your child and ask them to demonstrate how we say the rules.
Here is the plan:
We will begin with white cards. If your child receives a white card they need additional practice with one of the classroom rules. Your child will spend time practicing this rule during the day at school, but I would appreciate you having them practice the rule at home. Please sign the white card and return it to school. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
In January we will introduce purple cards. Purple cards are rewards for good behavior choices. When your child has done a great job on the classroom rules they will receive a purple. A note will come home when they receive a purple card so you can celebrate their good behavior.
Later we will introduce green cards. Green cards indicate your child needs to work on a specific rule. Your child will tally each time they practiced and used the rule during the day. Those tallies could earn them a purple card at the end of the day.
Practice Cards are not meant to punish your child. They are used as a chance to practice, break negative habits, and promote the positive behavior. These cards will help us stay focused in our progress and keep you informed about your child’s behavior.
If you have any questions or concern, as always please contact me.
Thank you for sharing your child with me and your continued support,
Mrs. Tonya Shoupe
Tonya,
DeleteGreat letter! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteThis year has been off to a great start! In order to make it even smoother, I’m sending home this letter to inform you on some of our classroom's management system and what will be expected from your child. Our five main classroom rules are:
1) Follow directions quickly.
2) Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3) Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4) Make smart choices.
5) Keep your dear teacher happy.
When students are having a difficult time following a specific rule, they will be given a white card with the rule written on it. During recess time, the rule will be practiced for two minutes. This rule is practiced by gestures and whispering the actual rule. In addition, a letter will be sent home informing you about the rule your child needs to work on. Please encourage your child by practicing this rule at home as well. This note will also need to be signed and returned to school.
By November, purple cards will be used too. These are reward cards. When your child receives a purple card, this means that they have done a great job following a specific rule. A purple card also cancels out a white card, which is a rule that the student is currently practicing.
Upon returning from Christmas break, we will also be using green cards. Green cards are a way for students to tally each time they follow the rule they are working on. For example, if a student is working on raising their hand for permission to speak, they will tally the green card each time they raise their hand quietly. If they have received several tallies, that student has the possibility of receiving a purple card to bring home.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thanks for your support.
Liz Cheney
Well done, Liz! Here are 25 points!
DeleteChapter 17 and Chapter 18—Practice Cards: A Letter to Parents
ReplyDeleteDeborah Gardner
Dear Parents,
Welcome to the Second Semester in Room 313. We had a sensational beginning to the school year with the introduction and practice of the Whole Brain Teaching program. The class has learned and practiced the five classroom rules, used the “Scoreboard” to record behavior, and added the “Super Improvers Team” to “climb the ladder” of success. Now it is time to add a personal component to behavior management –The Practice Cards.
Practice Cards are a positive way to reinforce our classroom rules. The Practice Cards are color coded (white, purple, and green), and target individual behaviors. Each card has one of the five rules printed on it.
The White Card: A white card indicates that a student has broken the rule and needs more practice to remember/ practice the rule. The student will use two (2) minutes of recess to whisper the rule and practice the hand/arm gesture associated with the rule. If your child receives a white card, a note will be sent home for you to sign and return. This will give you an opportunity to help you child remember and practice that specific rule. Please note that your child will not receive more than two white Practice Cards.
The Purple Praise Card: Later on, a purple card will be added. This indicates that the student has consistently followed the rule that was previously broken. This Purple card “cancels out” the white card. It indicates your child is doing a great job following the classroom rules. Again, a note congratulating your student will be sent home for your celebration.
The Green Card: The Green Card is the last component of our practice system. The Green Card is placed on the student’s desk if additional practice during the school day is needed. The specific rule is printed on the card and each time the student follows the rule, he/she makes a tally mark on the card. These tallies will be counted at the end of the day, and a Purple Praise note will come home for all to applaud the success of consistently following classroom rules.
Here are the classroom rules we have learned. ..
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy!
Thank you for you continued support as a partner in your child’s education. Deborah Gardner
Deborah,
DeleteNicely done! In regards to the Green Card, a Purple card may be sent home, but not always. You had a small editing error, '...opportunity to help you child remember...' Here are 20 points for you!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteWe are WILD about Kindergarten and this year is off to a roaring start! We have learned a lot but still have so much more to learn. Thank you for your help and encouragement thus far. As you know, our class has been using the Whole Brain Teaching system. Your children are amazing and we have made great progress.
We recite and practice our Five Classroom Rules daily. These rules are:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
While I am confident that all of your children KNOW the rules, some have a little trouble following them at times, SO we are going to embark on a bigger and better adventure. We are going to implement the use of Practice Cards. Here is the plan:
We’ll begin with White Cards. A White Card is used to indicate that a student needs additional practice following a specific classroom rule. The child will use two minutes of Recess and/or Center Time to whisper and practice the gesture for that rule. No child will receive more than two White Practice Cards per day. Each student who receives a White Practice Card will take home a note explaining the offense. Parents should practice the rule that is indicated. The note must be signed and returned to school the next day.
After the students begin to show positive gains from using the White Cards, we will begin using Purple Cards. Purple Cards are rewards. When a child is doing a fine job following rules and making good behavioral choices he will be awarded a Purple Card. A Purple Card will cancel out a White Card and a congratulatory note will be sent home to parents. This is quite an accomplishment and is worthy of much praise! If a student needs additional practice following a specific rule in the classroom, a Green Card labeled with that rule will be placed on the child’s desk. The child will understand that the rule needs to be practiced. A tally mark will be given each time the rule is followed appropriately. Each child who does a good job following his targeted rule will be awarded a Purple Card!
I know this is a lot to understand all at once, but I am sure that together we will be successful. Thank you in advance for your support.
Your Partner in Education,
Julia Simons
Julia,
DeleteYour parents will appreciate the detailed explanation of your management plan! Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteThis week, our class will begin a new program to help our students better follow the class rules. Since the start of the year, our class has followed these rules:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy!
Starting next week, students who do not follow class rules will be given a white Practice Card to help the student remember the rule. The cards will have the rule in question printed on the card and will be used by that student to practice the rule during recess. These students will practice the rule for two minutes at the start of recess after which they may resume normal recess activities. If your child receives a white Practice Card, you will receive a note from me to let you know that your child needs practice a specific class rule. It is certainly appropriate for students to practice their rules at home if necessary.
After several weeks, I will also introduce Purple Practice Cards. The Purple Practice Card is given to students who are showing positive behavior. Should a student already have a White Practice Card, the Purple Practice Card will cancel out the White Practice Card.
Shortly after the introduction of Purple Practice Cards, I will introduce the Green Practice Cards. Green Cards will be used by students who have had difficulty following a rule to keep track of positive behavior. For example, a student who has been given several White Practice Cards for “Raise your hand for permission to speak” might be given a Green Card after they are showing progress in following the rule. They will keep the card at the desk and tally every time they follow the rule in question. If a student were successful in completing the Green Practice Card, then they would receive a Purple Practice Card as a reward.
If you have any questions, you may email me or call me at the school number.
Thank you,
Stephen Sublett
Stephen,
DeleteNice job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents, This year we will be using the Whole Brain Teaching strategy in our class. This technique allows students to learn lessons in a fun and engaging way, and learning the rules is no exception. Your child should be familiar with these rules and be able to show you how we do them in class with gestures:
ReplyDelete1. Follow Directions Quickly
2. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Speak
3. Raise Your Hand For Permission To Leave Your Seat
4. Make Smart Choices
5. Keep You Dear Teacher Happy
6. Keep EVERYBODY Happy
Throughout the year, students will be using cards when they need to be reminded of certain rules they need to follow. It will save class time since students will be familiar with the consequences of their behavior using a color code. They will be in three colors and be used accordingly:
White: Students need to practice following a rule they have broken. They will receive no more than two of these cards. When they receive a white card, a note will be sent home letting you know what rule has been broken. The note must be signed and returned or they will have to practice the rule again the next day.
Purple: When students have made smart choices following the rules, they will get this card in recognition of their efforts as well as a note home letting you know how well they did.
Green: When students earn a green card they will have to practice following that particular rule. When I catch them doing the right thing, they will earn a tally and a positive note home.
Thank you so much for your support in helping your child’s behavior improve. Working together will help your child recognize the importance of accountability for his or her actions as well as keep you better informed.
Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions!
Thanks,
Mrs. Brown
Josephine,
DeleteGreat letter to the parents! (I did notice you added an extra rule though :) Here are 25 certification points! Keep all of your posts and points in a word document to submit later.
*Note: I will be combining the website classdojo.com with the practice cards. It is a great website that allows teachers to note student behavior and also allows parents to check the noted behavior. This website will be mentioned in the parent letter.
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
We are looking forward to a great year here at LLMS. It is my belief that communication is one of the most important aspects of making sure your child succeeds this school year. In my classroom there will be many exciting practice systems and procedures. One of the overarching ideas throughout this whole year will be practice, practice, practice!
Students have only 5 rules they need to follow in my class. However, these rules are essential to having the most success possible this school year. We will be using practice cards throughout the year to help students stay on track with following these rules. There are different types/colors of cards. White cards indicate that students will stay after class to practice following the rule. Purple cards reward excellent behavior. Green cards remind students that they need to practice the behavior during class.
Students will very quickly become accustomed to the different types and meanings of the cards. In order to easily keep you informed I will be using a website (and app) called classdojo. Your son or daughter will soon be bringing home a username and password for classdojo.com. Anytime your child receives a white card it will be noted within the program and you will be able to see it. This is an easy and convenient way for you to stay informed and to be able to encourage your child. Positive behavior will also be noted in this program along with notes from the teacher.
Again, I look forward to working together to help ensure your child has a productive and successful school year. Please contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
~Jason McKinney
Jason,
DeleteGood job! The practice cards are really effective this time of year when they are getting spring fever! Sending a positive letter home when they have received the purple card is a great way to motivate and build self esteem. You can connect this to your SIT board as well. Here are 25 certification points!
March 16, 2013
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
As your child’s teacher, I am expected to provide a safe environment that is conducive to learning. I have been implementing the Whole Brain Teaching system in our classroom; it is a consistent and reliable system that reinforces positive behaviors, discourages negative behaviors, and makes learning fun!
In our classroom, students are expected to follow our five classroom rules:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
In addition to our classroom rules, to reinforce positive behaviors, we have our Super Improvers Team where students accumulate stars for positive behaviors, and have the opportunity to move up, or advance through the various levels of our Super Improvers Team based upon their goals and their positive behaviors.
Students are given several opportunities throughout the day to practice the classroom rules. However, if your child is having difficulty following a rule, he or she will be given additional time to practice at recess. If your child has broken a rule, requires additional practice time, and loses part of his or her recess, you will receive a note explaining which rule was broken. Please review the rule with your child, sign the note, and return the note to school with your child.
We have a pocket chart in our classroom that contains our practice cards. This week, I will introduce the white practice cards, which indicate the rule that has been broken. When a student breaks a rule, a white card will be placed in that student’s pocket on the chart. At recess, the student or students with white cards will have the opportunity to practice or rehearse the rule at recess for two minutes. Please note: students will never receive more than two white cards per day, as it is not the length of practice time, rather the frequency, which will assist in achieving the desired behavior.
Next week, I will introduce purple cards, which serve as a reward for positive behaviors. If your child is doing an outstanding job of following a particular rule, he or she may receive a purple card acknowledging and rewarding the positive behavior. A purple card cancels a white card. If your child ends the day with a purple card, you will receive a note home indicating that your child received a purple card, and you will have the option of giving your child a small reward at home (For example, you might reward your child with five additional minutes of play time.).
In two weeks, I will introduce green practice cards. Green practice cards will be given to students who may require additional class time practicing a particular rule. The student who receives a green practice card will monitor his or her own behavior, by making a tally mark on the green card each time he or she follows the rule they need to practice. The green card is kept at the student’s desk. At the end of the day, I will review the card and the tally marks. By demonstrating the desired positive behavior (following the rule), your child may have the opportunity to earn a purple card.
Parental support is critical to student success. I thank you for your kindness and continued support. I know that, working together, we can continue to help your child have a successful year in third grade, and assist your child in reaching his or her full potential.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Nessuno
Jacqueline,
DeleteThis is a wonderful letter to the parents! The practice cards are very effective, and having parent support makes them even more so. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parent(s)
ReplyDeleteWe have had a great year so far and have learned many new things and are excited as we have lots more to learn! As you are aware, we have been using the Whole Brain Teaching method this school year within the classroom and the students absolutely love it! Your children have practice EVERY day saying the 5 rules while making BIG GESTURES that go along with the rules.
Rule #1 - Follow directions quickly.
Rule #2 - Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule #3 - Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule #4 - Make smart choices.
Rule #5 - Keep your dear teacher happy!
Whenever a rule is quickly followed meaning EVERYONE is doing it, the class (whole group) gets a point; however, when everyone isn't following all the directions, I get a point. This is the scoreboard which is basically teacher vs. class.
However, now we are going to start doing things a little differently. Now the focus will be geared towards individual students as opposed to whole group. We will start with white practice cards. If a student is having difficulty following one of the classroom rules, the student will be given a white practice card and have the opportunity to whisper the rule along with using the gestures for two minutes during lunch and recess. A student will not ever receive more than 2 cards in a day. If a student has difficulty and needs more practice he/she will also have a note sent home for their parents to sign and return to school the following day. This isn't punishment, rather an opportunity to practice a bit more while at home.
In January purple cards will be introduced as a reward for students making the right choices and following ALL the rules. Students who receive purple cards will also get a note of congratulations to be sent home.
If a student needs additional help practicing/reviewing rules then that child will have a green practice card placed on their desk with the understanding that they need to practice this particular rule. Every time they perform this rule accurately, they will give themselves a tally mark thus having the opportunity to earn a purple card.
This is going to be very exciting and serve as positive reinforcement! I'm expecting nothing but the best from your children.
Sincerely,
Ms. Karlyn Davis
Karlyn,
ReplyDeleteYour emphasis on the positive effects of this plan will strengthen the parent support of your classroom management. Nice job. Here are 25 points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, from parent orientation, our Kindergarten class focuses on Whole Brain Teaching (WBT). One of the strategies we use to promote individual student growth and accountability for choices is by using practice cards. There are five different colored practice cards. These cards are used as a management system for student behavior is relation to our five class rules.
The class rules are:
Rule #1 Follow directions quickly.
Rule #2 Raise your hand to speak.
Rule #3 Raise your hand to leave your seat.
Rule #4 Make smart choices.
Rule #5 Keep each other happy.
The system works by having your student earn one of the colored cards. That card specifically coordinates to the behavior choices your student made that day.
• Green: Each day students start out with this card. This is their visual that is a new day and a new opportunity to follow the rules and be successful. The student had a great day.
• Gray: The student received a warning about a specific rule and we discussed it. The student was forgetful of a rule.
• Purple: The student receives a time out after 2 of these cards (this is their opportunity to practice the rule they struggled with). The student needed extra practice following the rules.
• Red: The student is given a note to take home (parent signature is requested). They are given the opportunity to practice the rule at school and it is requested that they practice at home as well.
• Black: This card cancels out a purple card. The student made attempt to improve their behavior.
• White: The student was a great role model for their peers and did an excellent job following the rules (a note is sent home to parents).
I believe that the colored cards, both positive and negative, are earned by the student based on their behavior choices for the day. Children are always learning and often simply need some additional practice, and this is taken care of in our classroom. If I feel that additional practice is need outside of the classroom I will be sure to let you know via a red card. As always, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.
Mrs. Monroe
Nichole,
DeleteYour parents will appreciate your communication on your classroom management plan. It is your classroom, so you make the choices. However, for the purpose of this chapter assignment, go back and review the card use and the purpose of the WBT white, purple, and green cards. Thanks for your effort!
Dear Parent,
ReplyDeleteIn order to insure that students know and understand classroom rules, they will practice the five class rules using gestures.
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly
Rule 2:Raise your hand before speaking
Rule 3:Raise your hand before you leave your seat
Rule 4: Make smart choices
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy
This practice will take place in the classroom and, if needed, during the first few minutes of recess or at home. When students receive a white practice card they will need to practice at home. A green practice card means students will practice during class and a purple card means they are doing a good job of following the rules.
In the case that your student receives a white practice card, please have them repeat the appropriate gesture for the rule for 2 minutes. The card will contain a description of the rule and the gesture to be practiced. Thank you for your cooperation.
Adrienne
Adrienne,
DeleteThe Practice Cards add another element to the Scoreboard. Your parents may need more information about the specific use of each card. Revisit the description of the Green Card and the Purple Card to see how each is used in conjunction with the White Cards. Here are 20 points.
Chapter 17&18 Practice Cards
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
Our class has been using Whole Brain Teaching techniques for some time now as you know, and we are ready to move to the next level. This new level will bring a higher level of academic achievement and resolve behavior problems without the students being punished.
When a child breaks one of the following rules:
1. Follow Directions Quickly
2. Raise Your Hand for Permission to Speak
3. Raise Your Hand for Permission to Leave Your Seat
4. Make Smart Choices
5. Keep Your Dear Teacher Happy
They will not be punished! Instead they will practice. I will not stop instruction or interrupt class. I will simply place a “Practice Card” on that students’ desk. This card will serve as a reminder of the rule that has been broken. Students that still have a “Practice Card” on their desk when lunch time arrives will have the option of practicing that rule for two minutes after lunch but before recess or sitting out of recess for four minutes.
Students will not receive more than two cards a day to practice. Parents, I feel that it is necessary for you to know how your child is doing in school, therefore, you will be notified by a colored card. If your child receives two cards to practice, a white note will be sent home informing you of what rule was broken. This note will need to be signed and returned to school the following day. If the note does not come back the next day your child will spend a second day practicing the rule that was broken. A green card means that you child only had one “Practice Card” and decided to practice that rule during recess. A purple card means that your child is doing well and does not need to practice.
Our second graders are getting ready for third grade. They have been practicing hard all year and they know the rules. Now when students behave inappropriately they will have the opportunity to practice being better.
I appreciate all of your support. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or concerns regarding these changes. I look forward to seeing you all on our next report card night.
Sincerely,
Brandi Young
Brandi,
ReplyDeleteYour student's parents will appreciate your positive letter. The more positive support you can get from a parent the better you can reach these challenging students. You may want to revisit the use of the purple and green cards again.
You also had a pesky little error (A green card means that you child only had one “Practice Card”) Here are your 10 certification points.
Dear Mom and Dad,
ReplyDeleteWe are using Whole Brain Teaching in our classroom. I am having some trouble with rule # ___- ________________. I got a white practice card today. That means I need more practice with this rule at home. I am already practicing it at school during recess and lunch. Please listen as I recite the rule and use the gestures for two minutes so that I can do my best. After I finish, please sign this note so that I can bring it back to school. My teacher will then know that I am ready to try my best tomorrow. If I do really well, I can get a purple practice card and my teacher will give me another note telling you how well I am doing! I can even get a green practice card for my desk to help me remember the rule! I will try my best to do a good job following this rule now.
Signed,
Your Child
Liz Howard
Liz,
DeleteYour parents will appreciate it when you share information behavior management methods used in your classroom. You may want to include more information though. You may also want to revisit the card information for the green and purple cards and how they are used. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear parents,
ReplyDeleteIn our classroom, we use many whole brain techniques, including learning our 5 classroom rules with gestures. The rules are: 1. Follow directions quickly, 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak, 3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat, 4. Make good choices, and 5. Make your dear teacher happy. Please ask your child to demonstrate these rules to you. These rules are important to create a positive classroom environment for all the children.
We have been practicing these rules since the beginning of school and some students are still having difficulty with them which is causing a disruption to our school day. The next step for the students who are having difficulties with the rules is to use practice cards. These are white cards with one rule written on them. If a student is having difficulty following one of the rules, I will place a white practice card in the pocket chart with his or her name on it. Then, as a consequence, for each practice card, the student will sit at recess and practice the rule – 2 minutes for each card (never more than 2 cards at a time) by whispering the rule and repeating the gesture.
At the end of the day, the student will bring home a note stating which rule was broken and asking you to practice the rule at home. Please sign and return the note the following day.
Later in the school year, I may add purple cards. Purple cards are for when I notice a student doing a good job following a classroom rule. This will NOT happen all the time. Purple cards cancel the effects of a white card so, it gives the child a chance to turn their behavior around. If a student has only purple cards in their pocket, then at the end of the day, I will send home a congratulatory note with the rule that they did well. Please sign and return this note. Last, I may introduce green cards. Green cards are for the student to practice the rule in class. At the beginning of the day, I will place the green card on their desk and they will keep a running total of how many times they followed that rule by making tally marks. At the end of the day, the student may earn a purple card.
Your help and support with our classroom rules is truly appreciated. Please note that I am only adding the white cards at this time. I will add the purple and green cards as needed at a later date. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Mary Carlson
Mary,
DeleteGreat job! These practice cards can make a world of difference! It is amazing how effective two minutes of "recess practice" can be! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents or Guardians,
ReplyDeleteOur Whole Brain Classroom is off to a great start! Thank you for practicing the five rules with your child. Now that every student understands our five rules, we have a few students who choose not to follow the rules. These students will have a little extra practice with the rules so they can get back on the right track. I am asking for your help! First, I will briefly explain what the practice cards are.
White cards: More practice is needed in following a classroom rule. Your child will use two minutes of recess to practice the gesture and words for the rule that was not followed. Your child will not receive more than two white Practice Cards. If your child receives a white Practice Card, your child will also receive a note that will come home to you. If you receive a note, please sign the note and work on the rule indicated. Please return the note to school for my records.
Purple cards: These are rewards for good behavior choices! I will send home a positive note when your child receives a purple card.
Green cards: These will be put on your child’s desk. Your child will understand the rule that needs to be practiced. Your child will make a line each time the rule is practiced. If your child does a good job following rules, I may send home a purple card!
Please help your child by encouraging positive behavior choices! Please praise your child if a purple cards is sent home. Please practice the rule if a white card is sent home and send the signed card back to me for my records.
Thank you again for all of your support!
Respectfully,
Mrs. Krissa White
Krissa,
DeleteGreat job! Your parents will appreciate the communication to help them understand how their child is performing in class. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of the school year our class has been working with a new classroom rules and behavior system called Whole Brain Teaching. We have made much progress with this system. We now have all of the rules down and we are ready to move on to the next phase of the Whole Brain Teaching system which includes practice cards.
Here are the five classroom rules we have learned:
Rule #1: Follow directions quickly
Rule #2: Raise your hand for permission to speak
Rule #3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
Rule #4: Make smart choices
Rule #5: Keep your dear teacher happy
The practice cards will include the following:
White cards: If your child receives a white card in his or her pocket chart then he or she is having trouble with a particular rule and needs some extra practice with this rule. A note attached to his or her calendar will also be sent home for you to sign and return. This way you are also aware of the problem.
Purple cards: If you child receives a purple card in his or her pocket chart then he or she is doing a great job following the rules. A positive note will also be sent home with his or her calendar. This note does not need to be signed.
Green cards: If your child needs some additional practice following a certain classroom rule, then your child will be given a green card to keep at his or her desk. The rule that needs practice will be made clear, and your child will place a tally mark on the green card each time he or she practices that rule.
Thank you for your support of our behavior system.
Mrs. Brown
Irish Brown
Irish,
DeleteNice job! The practice cards are a simple way to help students rehearse the rules when needed, and also eliminate teacher nagging! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear families,
ReplyDeleteI am so exited this year to be using a new program in the classroom called Whole Brain Teaching. The strategies within the program are helping tremendously with your students’ engagement and success. Now that we have established the basics of Whole Brain Teaching, we are going to start a system called Practice Cards. Using practice cards will guarantee that the students are focusing on and following our five classroom rules.
The rules are as follows:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Ask your student to recite these rules for you; you’ll be impressed with their understanding of the rules, as well as the gestures they use with them!
To begin this practice card system, we will have practice cards in class that are each printed with one of the classroom rules. If your child breaks one of our five classroom rules, they will first get a white card for that rule and have it placed by their name in a chart. The student will then have to spend time practicing saying the rule on that card. They will bring a note home explaining which rule they broke, and I encourage you to practice the rule with them. After practicing the rule with your student, please sign the note and send it back to school with them.
Following the use of white cards, I will introduce the following cards:
-Purple cards: If a student corrects behavior, they will be given a purple card and a positive note home.
-Green cards: If a student is doing a good job but occasionally needs some practice with a specific rule in class, they could be given a green card. Every time the student correctly follows the rule, they can add a tally mark to the back of their green card. At the end of the day, I will look at the back of the green card to determine if they have earned a purple card for positive behavior.
I realize this might seem like a lot, but I am so confident that my students are going to grasp onto these procedures quickly. The purpose of this program is to help my students learn positive habits to replace negative habits, not use as strictly a punishment. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me!
Thanks for everything YOU do,
Miss Wicker
Kasey,
DeleteThe Practice Cards are a simple way to maintain a great classroom community and higher levels of respect (between children and other children, and children and adults!). Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Chapters 17 & 18
DeleteDear Parents,
I am so excited to inform you about our new classroom routine. This routine comes to us from a new way of teaching that I am implementing this year called Whole Brain Teaching. The main principle from this way of teaching is that the Teachers must involve students’ whole brains in peaceable learning or lose them to their own dark entertainments.
We have classroom rules to follow. When a rule is not followed by your student then they will be given a white card. A white card will mean that your student will sit out for 2 minutes at recess to practice the rule he or she has broken. Your child will also get a note home with a white card.
Your child can earn a purple card for following class rules. A purple card cancels the effect of a white card and motivates students to get back on track.
A green card will also be used if I feel that your child needs reminders during class to follow the appropriate rule. He or she will tally how many times they followed the rule correctly and can also earn a purple card to take home to show that they are trying hard to replace undesired behavior with desired behavior.
Please ask your child to show you our class rules. If a white card comes home, just know that your child is not in trouble, he or she just needs some extra practice following the rules.
Thank you for your support at home.
Lori Crigler
Lori,
DeleteThese practice cards will help you create a very pleasant environment that focuses on learning rather than on distractions! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapters 17-18: Practice Cards
ReplyDeleteWrite a letter that your students will take home to their parents, describing why, and how you will use Practice Cards.
Let me begin by saving I would NEVER introduce this concept to parents in a letter. I would have a skit to model the procedure for parents and children regarding Practice Cards on our first Report Card Night. (All parents are required to come to school and pick up the child’s report card and conference with teachers each nine weeks.) I know when the parents sees the skit he or she will understand how and why the Practice Cards are used. This will give parent buy-in and support. It will become a concrete way for the parent to help the child succeed in school.
My letter would come after a skit modeling the procedure and after a phone call to the parent explaining what I need the child to do. My letter would be specific to the parent and the child. I would never send a letter explaining the procedure without parent contact first.
Dear Ms. Isert,
Dian is having trouble with ______. (State the specific behavior you need to change.) She keeps calling out the answer. While she has the correct answer, she keeps others from having a turn. I am send home a white card with the procedure she needs to practice. Please help her for two minutes a couple of times tonight. Sign the card and return it in her folder tomorrow. Together we can help Dian become an even better student. If you have any questions please text or call me. (#######)
Thanks for your help and support,
Dian Isert
I would create a letter that follows a parent contact for each card to help change the behavior.
Dian,
DeleteYour idea to introduce the cards with a skit is very clever! Make sure you have follow up notes for the green and purple cards too though to cover all of your bases! Here are 25 certification points.
Ch. 17-18: Practice Cards
ReplyDeleteDear Parents/Guardians,
We are very excited this year to be using the Whole Brain Teaching concept in our classroom. We are working on classroom management, student engagement and learning the words and gestures to our classroom rules. We will be starting a system called Practice Cards. This is to help ensure that our class rules are followed and that students are rewarded for good behavior.
Class Rules:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Please ask your child to demonstrate how we say these rules in our classroom and practice with them regularly.
Classroom Plan:
We will start with white cards. If your child receives a white card they need additional practice with a rule. Your child will spend time practicing this rule during the day at school. I will write the rule that has been broken on the card. Please sign the white card and return it to school the following day. If you have any questions you may contact me or write it on the card.
In December we will begin with the purple cards. These cards are for good behavior. Again, I will write a comment on the card as to the behavior that was shown and you can then celebrate this accomplishment with your child.
Later I will introduce the green card. This card will let you know of any specific rule your child needs to practice. They will tally each time that that rule is used correctly and the end of the day they could possibly receive a purple card.
These cards are not meant to be a punishment for your child. They are used as a chance to practice getting negative behavior turned into positive habits. The cards will help your child stay focused and keep you informed about your child’s behavior.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Ms. Karen Fleming
Karen,
DeleteYour parents will appreciate this letter helping them understand, and enabling them to work with you on this level! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteWe are having a great year already. The students are working hard in the classroom and learning a lot. We are now beginning the next level of our classroom management system, which is the Practice Cards. All of the students know our 5 classroom rules and the hand gestures that go with them. We practice them regularly in class, but sometimes the children need a little extra practice. Our Practice Cards will help the children to practice and remember our 5 classroom rules better. There are 3 different practice cards.
We start with the white Practice Cards. Your child will receive a white Practice Card if he or she breaks one of the classroom rules. The students can only receive a maximum of two white Practice Cards a day. Then they will practice the broken rule for two minutes per card during recess. I will also send a note home to you describing the rule broken. Please sign and return the note and have your child practice the broken rule at home to help him or her remember it. If the signed note is not returned, your child will have to practice it again at recess the following day.
The second card is the purple Practice Card. The purple Practice Cards are awarded for positive actions. If your child receives a white Practice Card and then works hard to follow the rule, he or she can earn a purple card, which cancels out the white card. I will happily send home a note telling you of your child’s excellent behavior.
The third card is the green Practice Card. This card is for those students who still need more practice with the rules in the classroom. A green card is placed on the students’ desks and they are able to put a tally mark on it each time they follow the card’s rule. Hopefully, they are able to turn their behavior around with the help of the green Practice card and then they can earn a purple Practice Card and a congratulatory note home.
The Practice Cards are very beneficial to the children. They focus on the positive practice of following the classroom rules. This helps the students to break bad habits and become even better students than they already are. The good habits that are created through the use of these Practice Cards help the classroom to run more smoothly and help everyone to maintain their focus. Please keep in mind that if a white card comes home, it is for practice, not punishment. All kids learn at different speeds. Therefore, some kids need more practice than others. We are working together to help our children create better habits. If you have any questions at all, please call me or send a note with your child.
Thank you,
Jackie Rabin
Jackie,
DeleteYes! These good habits do help our classrooms run smoothly with the added bonus of focused students! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteOur school year has gotten off to a great start. This year I am using a program with my students called Whole Brain Teaching. It is designed to create a fun, positive learning environment in which students' whole brains are engaged at all times. Each day we practice our five classroom rules using our voices and a gesture that accompanies each rule. Here are our rules:
Rule One: Follow directions quickly.
Rule Two: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule Three: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule Four: Make smart choices.
Rule Five: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Now that students have had time to learn and practice these rules, we will begin the card system. If a student breaks a rule, he/she will receive a white practice card. During recess the student will come in and practice for two minutes the rule that was broken. I will send home a note home with the student, letting you know which rule was broken. Please have your child practice the rule at home, and then sign the note and send it back to school the next day. If the note is not brought back signed the next day, the child will have to practice the rule again during lunch recess.
Students may also earn purple cards, which are rewards for positive actions. If your child receives a white card and then works hard to follow the rule, he/she will receive a purple card, along with a congratulatory note to take home.
Green cards are used only when a student needs a lot of help with following a certain rule. If this happens a green practice rule card with the rule that the student is having trouble with will be placed on the student's desk. He/she will then place a tally mark on the card every time he/she follows that rule. By working hard at making good choices, it is possible that he/she may receive a purple card and a congratulatory note to take home.
Practice cards are not about punishing students for poor behavior. Instead, they are about encouraging and reinforcing good choices. If you have any questions about the practice cards or anything else in Whole Brain Teaching, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely yours,
Joyce Ray
Joyce,
DeleteWell stated! I appreciate your ending paragraph, it reinforces the true purpose in a very positive manner! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Chapter 17 & 18: Practice Cards
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
Thank you for supporting me as I continue to implement Whole Brain Teaching into our classroom. Today we reached level 3 – practice cards. Starting tomorrow, I will have a pocket chart hanging in the front of the classroom with a slot for each student. There are three different colors of practice cards that may or may not end up in your students pocket on the chart. Each card has one of the five classroom rules printed on it. Below is an explanation of the practice cards and their colors.
First, let’s revisit our 5 classroom rules:
1. Follow directions quickly!
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Make your dear teacher happy.
White Practice Cards:
A white practice card represents a rule that was broken. If your child breaks one of the above rules, he/she will receive a white practice card. I will not argue with or correct the student. I will simply place a white practice card in the pocket chart next to that student’s name. Therefore, no instructional time is being interrupted or taken away from any student. When it is recess time, any student with a white practice card in their slot will have a timer set for 2 minutes. He/she will practice that rule with whispers & gestures until the timer stops – 2 minutes! This procedure will help your child understand that they are not “bad”, but simply need additional practice in following a classroom rule. If a child is refusing to practice their rule at recess he/she will be given a choice – 2 minutes of practice or 4 minutes to sit during recess.
In addition to the 2 minute recess practice, your child will be sent home with a note informing you about the rule that your child needs to work on. I encourage you to have your child practice the rule at home. Please sign and return the note with your child the next day so that I know you have read the note.
If your child is having difficulties with more than one rule, he/she may receive two white practice cards resulting in 4 minutes of practice during recess. Both rules will be indicated on the note home. A child will never have more than 2 white practice cards at a time. Again, the white practice cards are not viewed as punishment, only as an opportunity for additional practice.
Purple Practice Cards:
If your child has been receiving white practice cards for a while, I will introduce the purple practice card (a.k.a. The Wisdom Card). Your child will know that once a white practice card is received, he/she has the opportunity to work hard at following the broken rule. If I notice that your child is doing a much better job, a purple practice card will be place in the pocket chart. The purple card will cancel the effect of the white card. This will allow your child to be motivated to get back on track when he/she knows they have practice time ahead of them.
If your child ends the day with one or more purple practice cards (and no white cards) then I will send home a congratulatory note to you!
Green Practice Cards:
If your child continues to have difficulties following a rule even after he/she has received white and purple practice cards, a green practice card will be placed on your child’s desk with the rule labeled on it that needs to be practiced. I will explain to the child that with this green practice card, he/she will make a tally on it each time the rule is followed. At the end of the day, if there are enough tallies accumulated on the green practice card showing that the student has been following the rule, I will give the student a purple practice card. This allows for guided practice in class and the student is learning to control his/her impulses. This is also a simple way of tracking and nourishing the student’s positive behavior.
Please let me know if you have any questions about Level 3 – practice cards. I would be happy to go over it with you.
Love,
Mrs. Baird
Heidi,
DeleteExcellent job! Parents will appreciate this letter as it defines your behavior management system! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteThe year is off to a great start, and I am honored to be able to work with your student.
We have been learning five basic rules that make our classroom a safe and fun place to learn. Here are the rules:
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Students have been working hard to master these rules. But, we all slip up at times and need a refresher course. So, I will be implementing practice cards next week. There are three levels of practice cards: white, purple, and green.
We will start with the white cards. If a student is not following one of the five rules, they will be given a white card with the rule number on it. Then the student will practice the rule with me for two minutes at recess. In addition, I will send a note home to you detailing the area where your student needs practice. Please discuss the rule with your student, sign the note, and return to me.
Purple cards are the next step. A purple card indicates that the student is doing a good job following a rule, and it cancels a white card. The student will be given a note of recognition to share with you.
If a student continues to struggle with a rule, they will receive a green card. On this card, the student records the number of times they follow the difficult rule. Several tally marks may earn a purple card.
This system of positive recognition and practice will help your student have a successful, positive year in fifth grade. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Respectfully,
Sheryl Larson
sheryl.larson@k12.sd.us
Sheryl,
DeleteThis is very informative! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Room 102 Families,
ReplyDeleteWow this year is flying by and we are flying through levels of our scoreboard. We passed Level One using the Smiley/Frowny Scoreboard, soared through Level Two with the Super Improvers Wall, and are now making a safe landing in Level 3. During Level 3 your child will continue practicing our Five Classroom Rules. Remember the Rules are as follows:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Make your dear teach happy.
Sometimes students may struggle following a particular rule. If they do they will get an opportunity to practice these rules with Scoreboard Level 3: Practice Cards. There are three types of practice cards including white, purple and green. Each practice card is color coded and printed with a rule.
White practice cards mean a student often breaks the rule written on the card and needs some practice reviewing the rule. If a student breaks a rule, I will put a white card on his or her desk. This card reminds the student and myself that he or she needs to practice following the rule for two minutes at recess. Students who receive a white practice card will bring home a letter with the particular rule they need to practice. Students should share this letter with their parents, practice the rule, and return the letter the next day with a parent signature. Students will practice the rule at recess until they return the signed letter.
Purple cards mean a student is showing improvement by following a particular rule he or she had trouble following before. Each purple card is a celebration of success and cancels a white card. If a student earns a white card and a purple card in the same day, he or she will not need to practice the rule at recess because he or she showed improvement by following the rule. Each time a student earns a purple card he or she will also get a happy note home!
Finally, green cards are introduced to help students practice rules during class. After some practice at recess and home, students will receive a green colored card on their desk. Each time the student catches himself or herself following that particular rule they can make a tally mark on the card. At the end of the day I will review the tallies, talk with the student, and decide if he or she followed the rule to the best of his or her ability. If I feel they tried their best I may reward them with a purple card.
I believe these practice cards will be a great way to help students monitor their behavior and follow the rules. Level Three offers opportunities for practice, celebrations, and parent communication. Let’s get ready for take off and soar to new heights in our classroom!
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call.
Thank you,
Amber Hartzler
Amber,
DeleteI love your statement "Level Three offers opportunities for practice, celebrations, and parent communication"! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteThis year is off to a “Frogtastic” start. I am amazed at how much progress your kindergarten scholars have made this year.
As you know, our class has been using the Whole Brain Teaching system. Your children are amazing and we have made great progress.
We recite and practice our Five Classroom Rules daily. These rules are:
Rule 1: Follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule 4: Make smart choices.
Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
We have spent the first part of the year leaning the rules. They know and can recite the rules, but some of them are having trouble following them at times. I am confident they are ready for Practice Cards.
We will begin with white cards. If your child receives a white card they need additional practice with one of the classroom rules. Your child will spend time practicing this rule during the day at school. A child will never receive more than two white cards at a time. Your child will also bring home a white card informing you of the rule they are practicing at school. It would be helpful if you practiced the rule at home also. Please sign and return the bottom portion of the card the next day. Working together, we will help your child be the best scholar they can be.
After your child has had success with the rule they have been practicing, we will introduce purple cards. Purple cards are rewards for good behavior choices. When your child has done a great job on the classroom rule(s) they have been practicing, they will receive a purple card. A purple card means that they have worked very hard at following a specific rule. The purple note also cancels the white card practice time. When your child receives a purple note, we want to celebrate their success. A note will come home when they receive a purple card so you can celebrate their good behavior.
Later in the year, we will introduce green cards. Green cards indicate your child needs to work on a specific rule. Your child will tally each time they successfully use the rule during the day. Those tallies could earn them a purple card at the end of the day!
If a white card comes home, it is for meant for practice, not punishment. Together, we will work to help your child learn better habits. All children learn at different speeds and some children need more practice than others. By practicing at school and home, we will help them create better habits and be the best scholars they can be.
If you have any questions at all, please call me or send a note with your child.
Thank you so much for your support! .
Kim Kirkpatrick
Kim,
DeleteThe parents in your class will appreciate your detail in explaining this process. The practice cards eliminate so much of the stress in the classroom when dealing with behavior, it is amazing! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 17 & 18 Practice Cards
ReplyDeleteDear Grade 1/2 Families,
What a great year we are having! Here is an update on what is going on in Ms. Marvin’s Marsh.
As you know, we are using the Whole Brain Teaching System in our classroom this year. The 5 Classroom Rules are:
1. Follow Directions Quickly
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
4. Make Smart Choice
5. Make your Dear Teacher Happy!
We have been practicing these Classroom Rules daily since the first day of school. Now it is time for us to move up to the next level – Practice Cards! This is how they work: If a student is having difficulty with a certain rule, for example, they are speaking out of turn; they will be given a White Practice Card with the number of the rule on it. This is a visual reminder for the student. The student will stay in for two minutes of the recesses that day to practice the rule. (Two minutes of repeated practice will help with muscle memory.) There will also be a note sent home to let you know that your child was having difficulty with a rule that day. I encourage you to practice the rule at home as well. Please sign the note and return it the next day. If the signed note is not returned, the student will stay in for two minutes of the recesses again, to practice the rule.
Once the students are accustomed to the White Cards, they will be introduced to the Purple Cards, or Wisdom Cards. These are rewards for good behaviour. If a student has received a White Card and then demonstrates following the rule properly, they may receive a Purple Card which cancels out the White Card. If students have more Purple Cards than White at the end of the day, a congratulatory note will be sent home.
The third step of our Practice Cards is the Green Card. When a student is receiving White and Purple Cards, they may be given a Green Card. Green Cards guide student practice in class. The student, or a friend, will put a tally mark on the card each time they follow the rule, requiring practice, correctly. At the end of the day, they may receive a purple card for their efforts.
The three phases of the Practice Cards will be spread out over the remainder of the school year. It is an excellent system to help students with Self-Regulation. Students have a visual reminder of a goal to focus on. The Green Cards will help them to become more Independent and Responsible for their own behaviour. I appreciate all the support you give your child at home to help our classroom run smoothly.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Ms. B. Marvin
[I have a question about the cards – do you only receive purple cards if you have white cards? Self regulation is the big focus for our primary classes, in our board in the last year, so this system will be terrific for that.]
My copy and paste didn't come out exactly the same. There should be a space just before the classroom rules. And, I had them centred and bolded. :)
ReplyDeleteBonnie,
DeleteThis is a very informative and helpful letter that I'm sure your parents will appreciate! Yes, the purple cards are used to cancel out the white or green card as needed. Use the cards sparingly, I only give a maximum of two white or one green in a day. This helps focus on the behavior that has the most needed improvement. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear parents,
ReplyDeleteThanks for engaging with me and your kids in our adventure with Whole Brain Teaching. You have probably heard much about the scoreboard. Level 1 is The Scoreboard and Level 2 is Super Improvers Team and level 3 includes Practice Cards. We are ready for level 3.
We have 5 classroom rules.
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
In level 3, when a student is struggling to follow one of the rules, (s)he will receive a white card. I will send a note home indicating the rule in need of practice. This means that (s)he needs some extra practice with one of the rules. This is not a punishment. If a basket ball player missed many free throws, the coach would have him practice that skill to increase the behavior (of making free throws). So, two minutes of practicing the rule with the gesture at home should help reinforce the following of the rule. I will help students practice the rule for two minutes at recess each day until they bring back the signed note.
Later, I will also use purple cards, which indicate a turn-around. Maybe a child was struggling with rule 1 in the morning, but (s)he worked hard through the day to improve. I may send home a purple card to celebrate the improvement.
The last card is a green card. After a child has brought home a white card, if she continues to struggle with the rule, (s)he will have a green card on her desk. (S)he will mark the card each time (s)he follows the rule. At the end of the day, (s)he will count tallies and work with me to determine if (s)he followed the rule. The purpose of this card is to help a student strive for and recognize success by self-monitoring.
I am excited about our progress through the Scoreboard. I look forward to even more growth in our Super Improvers. I welcome any questions you have about the practice cards.
Sincerely,
Jim
Blog post by Jim Hobley, Advanced Novice Wholebrainer
Jim,
DeleteGreat idea to put the basketball player analogy in to show the reason for the practice cards! Nice work - here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteWe have been working hard this school year on our Whole Brain Learning in Music Class. The students have done so well that I think we are ready for the next level!
These are the classroom rules during Music Class:
Rule 1 Follow directions quickly
Rule 2 Raise your hand for permission to speak
Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
Rule 4 Make smart choices
Rule 5 Keep your dear teacher happy
This next level has been put in place to target areas that still need some practice. This is done on an individual basis. In the front of your student's agenda book there is now an additional page with 5 pockets labeled with the 5 rules. The card colors and their meaning are:
+ green card student had a great day
+ gray card students receives a warning
+ purple card student receives a time out
+ red card student is given a note to take home
+ black card student has been sent to the principal's office
Please check this page nightly in your child's agenda book.
Thank you for your continued support of your child's learning!
Musically Yours,
Mitzi Emblidge
Side note:
(I did not include the green card on the desk because I will be on a cart and will be moving from room to room. I only see the students once a week so it will be difficult to show improvement on a green card.)
Mitzi Emblidge
Your parents will appreciate your communication on your classroom management plan. It is your classroom, so you make the choices. However, for the purpose of this chapter assignment, go back and review the card use and the purpose of the WBT white, purple, and green cards. It's not a typical colored chart. It is very different. Thanks for your effort!
DeleteBecause I am an administrator, I wrote a letter to the staff, explaining how we would use practice cards in office timeout situations:
ReplyDeletedear teachers
We will be handling office timeouts for minor problems in a different way this year. We are going to try to incorporate more whole brain teaching techniques and minimize time students spend out of class. We believe that if students miss your wonderful instruction they will not be prepared to do well on the Assessments that help define our schools success and maybe, at some point, our pay.
First we have decided to change the name from timeout to reset. We want to give students the chance to "reset" their attitude and show they are ready to learn. again this should address minor issues. Major issues will be handled differently.
If a student has had issues that you deem worthy of a "reset" call the office using the help button on your phone or send the student with an adult. Communicate the rule that the student is having trouble with. They will be given a practice card and will be asked to practice that rule for five minutes with gestures in a whisper. If they do not practice or their practice is not acceptable to the adult in charge of them, their time will be doubled to ten minutes. A note will be sent home stating the rule that was practiced and asking the parent to have the student practice at home. An administrator will check with the student the next day. If they bring the note back signed they are done. If they do not bring the note back signed they get five more minutes of practice that day.
Five rules are Rule:
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
If a student is sent down with no rule indicated they will be asked to practice rule 4 or 5.
This is based on research that says that behavior is changed by repeated practice, not lengthy punishments.
Your #2 Faithful Servant
Carl Rust
Assistant Principal
Carl Rust 325 cp
Carl,
DeleteI think it is wonderful to have the administration on board with the practice cards! Keeping consistency across the entire school would be so helpful as the students learn what is expected of them in the classroom! Oops, there was a capitalization error at the beginning of the letter (dear teachers). Great job on your letter! Here are 20 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the detailed letter.
Thanks for the correction. It is interesting that I usually type a draft in a Word document and when I checked my draft it was capitalizes -- so not sure what happened there.
DeleteDear Parents,
ReplyDeleteOur year has really gotten off to a great start! As you all are aware, we have incorporated Whole Brain Teaching into our classroom and it is going incredibly well. The children have worked hard on learning our class rules and earning stars on our Super Improver Wall. At this point in our year, we are going to add another dimension to our classroom management system, the Practice Card System. This system will help any students who are still struggling with a class rule. Our goal with the practice cards is to give the student an opportunity to practice any rule that is difficult for them. As you all know, practice makes proficient and this is our goal. Here is a review of our class rules and an explanation of how the system works:
Class Room Rules Rule 1: Follow directions quickly. Rule 2: Raise your hand for permission to speak. Rule 3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. Rule 4: Make smart choices. Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.
Practice Card System:
White Card: If your child is struggling with a class rule, he/she will receive a white card with the corresponding number of the rule that was broken. No more than two practice cards will be given to any student on any given day. After receiving a white card, they will then be required to practice the broken rule (repeating the rule with gestures) for two minutes during fun center time and outside time. After practicing the rule the student is free to play. If your child receives a white card, you will be notified by a note brought home with the rule that was broken. It would be helpful if you practiced the rule at home. Once you receive the note, please sign it and return it to school. Any child who does not bring back the sign note will keep a white card and be required to practice the rule for the two minutes at fun center and outside time until it is returned.
Purple Cards: Purple cards are the next level of our Practice Card System. You will not be seeing purple cards come home for at least another month. A purple card is awarded to a student that has been practicing a particular rule, and I see improvements in the classroom. A purple card can cancel the effects of a white card. If your child has one or more purple cards (and no white cards) at the end of the day, they will receive a congratulatory note to bring home.
Green Cards: Green cards are the last level of our Practice card system. They will be implemented about a month after the purple cards. The green card will be placed on the desk of any student who has been practicing a particular rule as a reminder and a motivator to follow the rule in class. The green card will be labeled with the rule being practiced. I will let your child know how proud I am of how hard they are working on practicing the rule, and this will help them be even more successful at earning a purple card. Then I will explain that each time they follow the rule in class, they are to put a tally mark on the green card. At the end of the day, I will evaluate the student’s performance and decide whether or not a purple card should be awarded. The green cards will be used as a simple way to track and nourish positive behavior.
The students and I are very excited about implanting this new system. Thank you all for your support with this. When parents and teachers work together, out children benefit. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Blackmore
(My students will be practicing the rules during Fun Centers and Outside Time, due to licensing regulations.)
Melissa,
DeleteYou have written a great letter that will be very helpful keeping the parents informed of your procedures and expectations! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for supporting my efforts this year as I fully implement Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. The positive energy and excitement among my students, along with their motivation to excel academically, is greater than anything I have ever experienced in my entire career!
Your child has probably come home and shared with you the 5 WBT classroom rules that we refer to daily. However, if your child has not, please allow me to share them with you.
1. Follow directions quickly!
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak!
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat!
4. Make smart choices!
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
Since school started, my class has worked diligently to be victorious each day on our class Scoreboard, WBT’s Level 1 Classroom Management Technique. This technique is intended for students to work together in an effort to promote a positive classroom environment, as well as build teamwork. In September, I introduced the Super Improvers’ Team, WBT’s Level 2 Classroom Management Technique. This system encourages positive behavior and motivates students to excel academically on an individual basis. Each student has the opportunity to earn stickers for the leveled star that they are currently on. The ultimate goal is to reach Level 10, “The Captain of the Crew”. Once a student reaches this level, their picture will be hung in a designated, framed area in my classroom for all of my current students, future students, and school faculty to see. Their picture will remain on my wall for the rest of my teaching career!
I would now like to share with you the next WBT technique that is soon to be introduced to my students…(Drum roll please!)… LEVEL 3, THE PRACTICE CARDS! Beginning in October, this method will be replacing my monthly behavior calendar. To make certain that you understand the principle behind this system, I would like to take the opportunity to explain how it works.
In the front of my classroom hanging next to the 5 WBT rules, I have a pocket chart with everyone’s class number on a slot. I have created sets of Practice Cards on white, purple, and green cardstock. Each Practice Card has one of the five rules printed on it. The colors are symbolic of each important part of this system. As the old saying goes, “Practice makes Perfect”; therefore, I would like to provide my students the practice they need to enhance their educational experience.
(continued in the next post)
White Practice Cards:
ReplyDeleteIf a student is not following one of the five classroom rules, they will receive a white Practice Card in their slot. The student will not be punished, nor will I even cease to discuss the infraction. I will simply place the practice card in their numbered slot. This will serve as a reminder to the student of the rule that they need to practice. Any student that has a white card in their slot will practice for two minutes by reciting the rule and making the gestures that accompany it during recess. After all, a coach cannot expect a player to succeed in a game if the player has not been offered practice to improve a skill. If a student decides they do not want to practice the rule, they have the option of sitting out at recess for the doubled amount of practice time assigned. Additionally, your child will bring home a note informing you of the rule they practiced that day. The note will need to be signed and returned the following day. If the note is signed and returned, the practice card is then removed from their slot. If it is not signed and returned, they will have an additional day to practice the rule. A student will never receive more than two practice cards in a day. Please remember, these cards are not viewed as a punishment. They are only intended to provide additional practice for your child to maximize their potential.
Purple “Wisdom” Cards:
If your child receives a purple card, please know that it packs a POWERFUL, POSITIVE punch. As a matter of fact, a purple Wisdom Card has the power to cancel out a white Practice Card. Therefore, if a student receives a WHITE Practice Card, they can work diligently to redeem themselves by following the classroom rule that was broken. After noticing that the student is making effort to follow the broken rule, I can then reward the student with a purple Wisdom Card. Ahhhh…. Can you see the positive effect in this system? If the student receives a Wisdom Card, they will then bring home a congratulatory note to share with you!
Green Cards:
These cards are intended to guide practice in class; however, the student is responsible for tracking their own progress. The student will be given a green card with the rule printed on it that they are focusing on. The card will be kept at their desk, and each time the student follows the rule on the card, they will place a tally mark on it. At the end of the day, I will view the card. If progress has been observed, it is possible that the student will earn a Wisdom Card to place in their slot.
I am super excited about introducing your child to Practice cards, and I would like to thank you in advance for your continued support. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. The success of each one of my students is important to me, and I am looking forward to sharing their triumphs throughout this year with them. As I mention frequently to my students, “Fair is not everybody getting the same thing, fair is everybody getting exactly what they need to succeed.”
Sincerely,
Kelly Avery
2014-15 WBT Intern
Kelly,
DeleteFantastic post! You were very detailed and thorough in your description of all of the facets of the practice cards! Did you mean "cease teaching" in this sentence- "The student will not be punished, nor will I even cease to discuss the infraction." ? Here are 20 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the details added!
Dear Families,
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone is enjoying the lovely weather we’ve been having! Room B-29 is doing an awesome job of working hard, learning a lot, and having fun so far this year! I’m so impressed already with all of the growth I’ve seen in my students.
Everyone should be very proud of themselves!
I’d like to tell you about another piece of our Whole Brain Learning this year. At the beginning of the school year, parents and students were asked to sign a copy of our class rules. I wanted to elaborate a bit on what the practice card is that was mentioned in that note and describe how it will be used this year! The following are our class rules:
Rule #1- Follow directions quickly.
Rule#2- Raise your hand for permission to speak.
Rule #3- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
Rule #4- Make smart choices.
Rule #5- Keep your dear teacher happy!
If your child brings home a white practice card, this means that your child had a bit of trouble remembering one of our class rules. That rule will be on the practice card for them to review. During recess, that child will practice saying and gesturing that rule for two minutes, and then they will be allowed to go back to recess. That night, they will take the practice card home for you to see, next they will practice that rule at home, and then it is your job to please sign the card and return it to school the next day with your student so that the white practice card can be removed from their desk (signifying they’ve completed practice of the rule and now have a fresh start).
Please note, this is not a punishment; it is merely practice! Just like on the basketball court, if a player misses a foul shot, guess what they will be doing during the next practice? That’s correct! They will be practicing taking foul shots over and over again until they get it right! In this way my students are being held accountable for remembering the rules and realize that sometimes they might need extra practice. Short bursts of repetitive practice have been shown to be much more effective than long, drawn-out ones, which is why they are only practicing for two minutes (believe me, two minutes of non-stop practicing is tiring enough!).
Additionally, your student may someday take home the coveted purple card! This means your child has done a truly outstanding job on one (or more) of our rules and is bringing home some bragging rights! You should congratulate your child and praise them for doing such a stellar job!
Thanks for taking the time to read this and for your help with making your child the best student that they can be! Please contact me should you have any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Ms. Betz
Brianne,
DeleteVery informative! It was a nice addition to make the basketball comparison. You might want to add some information in about the green cards as well. Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 17
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
This year is flying by! I can’t believe we are already in the 5th month of school. Our class is thriving with the implementation of Whole Brain Teaching. The students are mastering our five classroom rules. They enjoy the scoreboard and the opportunity to earn extra free time at the end of the day.
It is time to begin the next level in our journey through Whole Brain Teaching. We will begin using Practice Cards. Here is how it will work. The practice cards will be based on our classroom rules:
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave you seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep you dear teacher happy.
When a student breaks one of these rules they will be given a white practice card that lists the rule they need to practice. They will then stay in for the first two minutes of recess to practice the rule. If a student earns a white card they will also bring home a note explaining what rule they need to work on. Please sign the note and send it back to class. When a student is doing an exceptional job following the rules they will earn a purple card. A note will be sent home letting you know what an excellent job they are doing following our classroom rules. If a student is repeatedly having a difficult time following a certain rule they will be given a green card with that rule written on it. They will know that they need to focus on following that rule consistantly. Each time they successfully remember to follow that rule they will make a tally mark on the green card. At the end of the day the child can turn in the green card to me. If they have earned enough tally marks they can then exchange the green card for a positive purple card.
As you can see, there are many different tools and levels available to us with the Whole Brain Teaching system. The goal is to make our class a successful and enjoyable learning environment for every student. Thank you for your continued support. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Amy Ehmann
Amy,
DeleteThis is a very informative letter that I'm sure the parents will appreciate! The Practice Card system has proven to be effective for students to help correct behavior in a positive way. Oops, there were a couple of small typos in rule 3 and rule 5 (your), but "that's cool!" Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteThis year I have been learning a new management system for my classroom. It is based on the book Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids written by Chris Biffle. I have really enjoyed adding in some fun factors like:
Class!, Yes! attention getters
Teach!, Ok! where students become the teachers.
Mirror, Hands and Eyes to add in movement to learning.
I started the WBT classroom rules in December. They are:
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
Beginning Monday I will be changing my color cards to practice cards. Students will begin the day with no cards on the chart. If they are struggling to follow one of the 5 rules, I will hand them a yellow card with the rule number on it. This signals to the student that they need to work on that specific behavior. During the following recess they will practice the rule for two minutes. Practice is done outside or inside (wherever I am that day). Practice includes repeating the rule aloud with the matching hand movements. After practice is complete the card goes away and they can continue to manage their own behavior.
If students are doing exceptional at rule following and/or receive a pride paw during the day they will receive a Wow! green card. This is taking the place of my blue cards as the positive behavior reward. I will introduce this new system to students on Monday morning. Please let me know if you have any questions about the system.
I have chosen to implement this new system to improve student engagement and self-reflection on behavior. The cards are designed to be a practice instead of punishment. If a student is struggling with shouting out then they can practice the rule in detail in order to improve their self-control. I believe this new system will streamline our classroom to increase learning, engagement, and therefore enjoyment for all!
Sincerely,
Miss Ramig
Veronica,
DeleteThis is a very well written letter that your parents will appreciate! As seen in this chapter, the WBT practice card method includes a white card indicating that the student needs a 2 minute practice on a particular rule, a green card that is placed on the desk for the student to tally their success on the rule that they are struggling with, and a purple card that cancels out the others (showing great improvement). Here are 20 certification points!
Dear parents and guardians,
ReplyDeleteYour help and support make our classroom a magical place where love of learning grows and where every student blossoms. Together, we make learning fun and exciting for our children. To continue in our tradition of using the most effective ways to learn, I introduced a new way to help our young learners to become even better.
Research shows that self-regulation is one of the six most important skills your child will need to learn to become a successful lifelong learner (Jenna Bilmes). We also know that practice makes permanent (WBT Coach, Chris Biffle). Our students have been practicing our classroom rules every day. They all know our five rules. Ask your child to show you gestures we use when saying our rules.
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Occasionally there comes a time when a student forgets the rule. To help to internalize their self-regulation, I have introduced white practice cards as a way to help our students become more independent. When a student breaks a rule, he/she gets a white practice card. The student then spends two minutes during recess or playtime practicing this rule. To strengthen home-school connection, a note is send home explaining which rule was not followed. Please, practice the rule with your child and then sign and return the note on the next day. The white practice card will not be removed until your child brings the signed note back to school.
In a few weeks we will introduce purple cards. Purple is a royal color for royal behavior. If your child gets a purple card he/she will bring a note home about what a wonderful leader he/she is. As an extra bonus, the purple card cancels the white card.
Next month, a green practice card will be introduced for in-class practice. If a student gets a green card for not following a rule, he/she will keep track of how many times he/she followed the rule. This positive reinforcement should help even the most forgetful to remember that the school is a place for fun and learning and to be able to do both, we have to be safe and respectful.
Thank you once again for your help and support. If you have any questions or comments about our new practice cards, please, let me know either via email (teacher@school.come) or phone (555-555-5555)
Have an amazing day,
Monika Fridrich
Monika,
DeleteThis is a great introduction for your parents as they learn about your Practice Cards. **Don't forget to add in our new rule: Rule #6: Eyes on the Speaker (the Diamond Rule). The WBT website has a poster you can hang up. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parent/Guardian,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful year it has been so far! We have learned so much about Ancient Greek and Ancient Rome, Mesoamerica, the Parts of Speech, Author’s Purpose, how to write a biography, and many other skills! Something else we have been learning and continuing to practice all year are classroom procedures and rules. At the beginning of the year, I included the list of five classroom rules for you to take a look at. On top of the five rules, we do other exciting and engaging things to remember information, practice procedures, and understand expectations.
One of the exciting things we have started to use is Practice Cards. Practice Cards use colored cards to keep track of a child’s positive and negative actions. There are five colored cards that mean five different things. The colors are green, gray, purple, red and black. Green means that the child had a terrific day! Gray means that the child received a warning for a negative action. Purple means that the child received a timeout. Red means that the child was given a note to take home. Black means that the child was sent to the principal’s office.
As a reminder, I have listed the five rules below.
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Your child will come home with a colored card based on their behavior for the day. When a card other than green comes home, the rule or rules that were broken will be listed on the card so that you can see why your child received that particular colored card.
I have decided to use this as a classroom management tool because I believe it is effective, and I believe that it is important to communicate positive and negative actions with the parent or guardian. This will prove to be a positive way to communicate about classroom behavior and it will make you aware of any consistent issues that we are facing in the classroom.
I would love to answer any questions that you have about this new classroom system! Feel free to give me a call or send me an email if you have any questions. I cannot wait to see the positive changes that will be made in the classroom!
Thank you for your constant support,
Miss Meacham
Hannah,
DeleteThis is close to the WBT method, but in WBT we use white (2 minutes practice on particular rule needed and note sent home), purple (student has corrected behavior and cancels out the white) and green (need to rehearse the rules a little more and self monitor with a card on their desk). Notes to parents are available for all three of the cards to encourage their child to work on the rule needed. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Families,
ReplyDeleteSince the beginning of the school year, I have implemented a highly structured and fun system of behavior management and instructional strategies, called Whole Brain. Until now, we have participated in level 1, the rules and scoreboard, and level 2, the Super Improvers Team. I’m sure you have heard a lot about it at home!
We are now ready for the next major component of this system. In level 3, I will be implementing something called “Practice Cards” to support our 5 classroom rules. Our rules include:
Rule 1- Follow directions quickly
Rule 2- Raise your hand for permission to speak
Rule 3- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
Rule 4- Make smart choices
Rule 5- Keep Mrs. Heeter a happy teacher!
If a student needs practice with a specific rule, he/she will receive one white card with the broken rule written on it. The white card will let the child know that as a consequence for breaking the rule, two minutes of practicing the rule with gestures must be completed during recess and lunch. A student will never receive more than two practice cards. If your child receives a practice card, a note will be sent home letting you know what rule was broken. I encourage you to discuss and practice the rule at home, but please sign and return the next day.
Later on, we will add purple cards to the mix! Purple cards cancel the white cards and are awarded for getting back on track. The student will also receive a congratulatory note home. Lastly, green cards will be introduced. Green cards will be used to remind students to follow a specific rule during instructional time. They will keep tally marks on the frequency they follow to rule, which keeps this system focused on positive reinforcement. At the end of the day, the green card can possibly earn the student a purple card!
This system is based on reinforcing positive choices and behaviors. They are not scolded, but merely practicing to make better choices. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you so much for your support!
Sincerely,
Shila Heeter
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteShila,
DeleteIsn't it wonderful to have a behavior system that focuses on the positive? What a nice (and effective) change! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
ReplyDeleteWe are off to a wonderful school year! This year, our class is very excited to be using Whole Brain Teaching, a proven teaching method that targets and engages all students. Whole Brain Teaching techniques allow students to talk, listen, move, and think, all while learning content and practicing higher order thinking. We began the year learning the 5 classroom rules and practicing basic techniques. The students have done a fabulous job and are ready to move to the next step, Practice Cards. The Practice Cards ensure that students continue to focus on the classroom rules in order to maintain a positive learning environment. The 5 rules are:
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
Here’s how it works:
We will start with white Practice Card. Students are given a white Practice Card when then need additional practice on a classroom rule. They will be given time at school to practice this rule, but it is very helpful if you take the time to help them practice at home. You will know that your student received the white card because it will be sent home with your student. Please sign and return the card. Continuous practice of the rules will result in improved classroom practices and environment conducive to learning.
In January, we will begin using purple Practice Cards. These are used as praise for excellent behavior choices. You will receive a letter when your student receives this recognition. Rewarding good choices has proven to be very effective in encouraging students to continue making this type of choice.
Later in the year we will introduce green cards. Green cards serve as a way for students to monitor and keep track of how much they are practicing a rule that they are working on. They will use tally marks to track how often they have practiced a particular rule. This allows them to monitor their own growth and practice with their personalized goals.
Practice cards are meant to simply improve practice procedures. We all need practice to improve, the cards serve a structured means of practicing our rules. Please contact me with any questions or concerns. Also, please check your student’s backpack each night! Thank you!
Kindly
Mrs. Copeland
Megan Vescio Copeland
Goldfarb Elementary School
Las Vegas, NV
Megan,
DeleteThis is very informative and helpful for the parents. You had one minor editing error "Students are given a white Practice Card when then need additional practice on a classroom rule" (they). Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Kindergarten Family,
ReplyDeleteThis year, we will continue to use Whole Brain Teaching! We have had a wonderful beginning. We began with our five classroom rules, Level One. These rules help us with our daily learning and behavior.
Our classroom rules are:
1. Follow directions quickly!
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
With Level One, we introduced the rules and earned points on our classroom’s Scoreboard. The class was continually praised for doing well and often rewarded points for classroom success. Next, with Level Two, we have our Super Improver Wall. Each student earns stars for improvement in academics, behavior, or specified personal goals. During the year, we will continue to use The Scoreboard and the Super Improver Wall.
The class has now advanced to Level Three! We will use Practice Cards to improve the classroom rules. If students are having trouble with a rule, they will receive a white card with the written rule. With this card, they come in at recess for two minutes to practice the rule. They will say the rule using gestures while sitting in their table seat. Your child will never receive more than two white cards. The white practice card will be sent home for you to sign. You may want to review it again before you return it.
Receiving a practice card is a way for your child to practice rules that are not followed correctly. This system is not meant to punish. Eventually the positive behaviors on the cards will replace the negative behaviors. The improvement will be charted for success.
In the near future, purple cards will be introduced to recognize royal behavior. This is an amazing card that will be sent home for you to sign. It shows that your child has been a wonderful leader.
Also, if needed, a green practice card will be used for practicing the rules. Your child will be able to track his daily success in the classroom with his own card at his table.
Our kindergarten class is doing so well! The Practice Cards will be another way for us to improve. Thank you for all that you do to support our class!
Regina-Champagne Babin
Regina,
DeleteThe practice cards are a fun, but extremely helpful, method that helps children learn to self monitor their own behavior! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe we are halfway through the year! Since the beginning of the year we have been learning and practicing our five classroom rules:
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
The students have been doing an excellent job of following the rules and are moving up the Super Improver Wall at astounding rates! I am so pleased with their progress. To keep that forward momentum going, I am going to be introducing another level to our scoreboard.
Many times during the winter when we aren’t able to go outside and play, that extra energy can be fuel for students to forget the rules. To help them remember, I will be introducing practice cards. Practice cards come in three colors and each color has a special meaning
We will start with white cards. Each white card is labeled with one of our five rules. A white card indicates that your child needs to practice the rule on it. Each white card equals two minutes of rule practice at the beginning of lunch and recess. White cards will come home for you to sign and return. Purple cards will be next. Purple cards are positive cards! Each purple card cancels out a white card and its practice time. Purple cards will be issued at the teacher’s discretion based on how a student is following the rules. Green cards are last. Green cards are given to students to keep track of how often they follow the rules in class.
This level reminds students of the importance of rules and their success with following them. Please feel free to write, call, or set up an appointment to discuss this further with me! I look forward to an amazing second half of the year with your child.
Thank you for your continued help and support!
Mrs. Elisabeth Thompson
Elisabeth,
DeleteThis letter will be very beneficial to you as you get the parents on board this year with your Practice Cards. It is so helpful to have the parents reinforcing these rules at home, and supporting their child as they work toward their goals! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear parents and guardians,
ReplyDeleteI am excited to introduce a wonderful practice to help our classroom be the best for our students to learn. This is a list of our classroom rules that we have been practicing and memorizing, sometimes the rules are forgotten and may need some extra practice.
1. Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
6. Keep your eyes on the speaker. (the diamond rule)
When the student breaks a rule the white card is placed in the student's pocket chart at the front of the room. They are required to come to me during access and practice this rule for 2 minutes for every card they have received. I will also send one home with you. Please, practice the rule with your child have them show the motions as you go over the rule broken. Sign and return the note on the next day. The white practice card will not be removed until your child brings the signed note back to school.
You will also notice a purple card come home. That is reason for celebration! Your child has done a great job and needs to be recognized. FYI this card cancels out the white card.
Soon I will also be introducing the green practice card for in-class practice and guidance. If a student gets a green card placed on their desk for not following a rule they are expected to count (by making tally marks) how many times the follow the rule. This is a great tool to help students to refocus on the correct behavior. I will not notify parents of green cards.
If you have any concerns or questions please call or email me. (303)982-2020
rloftus@jeffco.k12.co.us
¡Gracias!
Señora Loftus
Rebecca,
DeleteThe practice cards really help the students see that their behavior is really manageable, and they love to see those purple cards when they self correct! You had a minor error " times the follow the rule." (they). Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Sea Devil Parents and Families,
ReplyDeleteYour children are having fun and learning better than ever with the continuation of the Whole Brain Techniques. The children are progressing so well, that we are ready for the next level of classroom management: Practice Cards. The Practice Cards are an additional way to help the children maintain responsibility for their learning as well as enhance communication with you.
The 5 classroom rules were outlined and practiced with your children at the beginning of the year and we continually practice them throughout our school day. You have had the opportunity at Back to School Night to practice those same rules just as your child does. As the year progresses, some students may need additional practice to reinforce a rule. Practice Cards will be used for reinforcement. There are three colors of Practice Cards: white, purple, and green. The Practice Cards are used for practice and reinforcement to give children ownership of their own behavior. The explanation of each card is as follows.
White Cards: Your child will receive a white card if he/she needs additional practice following a classroom rule. During recess for two minutes, the student will repeatedly recite the broken rule in a whisper voice while practicing the corresponding gesture. Your child will receive no more than 2 white cards per day. When a child receives a white card, this also means that a note will be sent home to inform the parents about the rule that the student needs to work on. With your help and practice at home, he/she is sure to receive a Purple Card.
Purple Cards: If later in the day a student corrects his/her behavior after receiving a white card and follows the broken rule, he/she may earn a purple card. Purple cards override white cards. No time will be spent practicing the rule with gestures during recess and a note will not be sent home. Purple cards are cause for celebration and a positive note will be sent home.
As the children become comfortable with this new system, we will introduce the Green Cards to keep students further motivated.
Green Cards: Every time the student follows a rule, they will place a tally mark on the card. Students may be rewarded with a purple practice card upon my discretion depending on the quantity of tallies.
I am looking forward to maintaining a positive classroom community with your help. I am excited to keep the focus on positive reinforcement while helping the children take ownership for their own learning and growth. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your continued support in your child’s education.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Bethann Barneman
Bethann,
DeleteThe parents will appreciate your positive letter. This should garner you a lot support from the parents! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Families,
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe we are already in our 3rd month of school. We are having a great time learning all sorts of things each and every day. As you are aware, we are using Whole Brain Teaching to make our learning even better. Your child has demonstrated some of our gestures to you and you were able to see some of them during our Open House video too!
We have now advanced to the next level, which is Practice Cards. These cards help students identify areas that they need to practice in or they can receive a card for a behavior reward.
Here are the rules we use in the classroom:
Rule 1 Follow directions quickly
Rule 2 Raise your hand for permission to speak
Rule 3 Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
Rule 4 Make smart choices
Rule 5 Keep your dear teacher happy
White cards are the first cards to be distributed. A student will receive a white card if he/she is struggling with a rule. This tells the student that he/she needs to stay in for the first two minutes of lunch and recess to practice the rule. A note will be sent home informing you that your child received a white card and what rule your child is struggling with. Please sign and return this note.
The next phrase of cards to be added are the purple cards. These cards will be used to reward your student’s ability to follow the rules in the classroom. A note will be sent home informing you that your child received a purple card and that he/she is doing a fantastic job.
The last phrase of cards to be added are the green cards. If your child is struggling with a specific rule in the classroom, they will receive a green card on their desk. He/she will record their successful accomplishment of the rule. A green card can be turned in to possibly earn a purple card.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thank you for your support this school year!
Sincerely,
Courtney Wood
Courtney,
DeleteThese are so easy, yet so effective! They are the perfect way to reinforce your expectations without having to nag and gripe at students! Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
Chers Parents,
ReplyDeleteIn order to maintain a fun, happy learning environment, it is important for all of the students to follow the rules in the classroom. I know that this is not always easy to do! In an effort to help the students to learn and internalize the rules, I am going to start using “Practice Cards”. What are “Practice Cards”? Let me explain!
First of all, let me review the rules in our classroom:
Rule 1: I follow directions quickly.
Rule 2: I raise my hand for permission to speak.
Rule 3: I listen to the person who is speaking.
Rule 4: I make good choices.
Rule 5: I keep my dear teacher happy!
Since the beginning of school, we have been saying and practicing these rules. The students all understand each rule -- both what it looks like and what it sounds like. They are doing their best to remember them and follow them.
The “Practice Cards” are meant to help students practice and remember the rules. They are not meant as a punishment but rather as a gentle reminder. If I notice a child who is not following one of these rules, I will simply place a card with the rule number at their place at the table. The students understand that if they get a card, they will need to stay in for 2 minutes (at either recess or lunch) to practice that rule. (If the problem happens after lunch, they will practice for 2 minutes at the beginning of "Play Time".)
If your child receives a “Practice Card”, they will also bring a letter home to you stating the rule with which they were struggling. I would encourage you to have your child practice this rule at home a couple of times for no more than a few minutes each time. It does not need to be any longer than that since I firmly believe that “it is not the size of the penalty, but its frequency that changes behavior” (Biffle, 2013, p.116). As a sign that you got the note and are aware of your child’s struggles with a rule, please be sure to sign and send the note back to school on the following school day.
Thank you for your continued support in your child’s learning. If you have any questions or concerns about this, please do not hesitate to contact me either at the school 250-782-5206, or by email cmorgret@sd59.bc.ca.
Mme Morgret
As a follow-up to the previous letter, this letter will be sent home a month or so later:
DeleteChers Parents,
We have been using the “Practice cards” in the classroom for a month now. I really like the way they encourage the students to remember the rules! I think that we are all now ready to add to the “Practice cards”! Let me explain!
The cards that the students have been receiving so far have been white. I am now going to introduce purple practice cards and green practice cards!
A purple card will cancel a white card! If I have given a student a white card and then I notice that they are remembering to follow the given rule BEFORE they have had to stay in and practice it, the purple card will cancel the white card and the student will no longer need to stay and practice for two minutes. It will be as if the white card had never been issued! If your child receives a purple card, they will also bring home a letter praising them on successfully following the rule in question!
The green card will help those students who need to become a little more aware of their behaviour. We can’t change it if we aren’t aware of it! If I give a student a green card, they will keep it at their table. Every time they realize that they are following the given rule, they will give themselves a tick mark or a star on the green card. At the end of the day, the student and I will meet briefly to look at how many tick marks/stars they were able to give themselves. If we decide that it is enough, they may end the day with a purple card! If your child receives a green card, they will also bring a letter home explaining their progress with the rule in question.
The students are very excited about these additions to the “Practice Cards”. Please ask your child to talk to you about them tonight at home!
Once again, if your child does bring home one of the above-mentioned letters, please remember to sign it and send it back to school!
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement! If you have any questions or concerns about this, please do not hesitate to contact me either at the school 250-782-5206, or by email cmorgret@sd59.bc.ca.
Mme Morgret
Christina,
DeleteVery thorough! Your parents will appreciate the collaboration and the opportunity to see how their child's discipline is handled in the classroom. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Families,
ReplyDeleteStudents have settled into our routines and have become well-acquainted with our five powerful classroom rules. In some ways they are experts at following these rules, in other ways they are becoming complacent. Because of this, at this time of year I typically introduce the third level of our classroom management system. This level is called Practice Cards.
Practice cards come in five different styles, one for each of the five classroom rules. When a student forgets to follow one of our classroom rules I will assign them a practice card. These are designed to provide students with a non-punitive chance to practice any rule that they have forgotten to follow. Once receiving a rule-specific practice card, a student is then expected to spend two minutes at recess practicing that rule. The student will bring home a note for you to sign detailing the rule they have been working on and asking for your support in having them practice at home. No student will be assigned more than two practice cards per day.
I have enjoyed seeing the success of this program in previous years, and I hope that with your support this will continue to be an effective and positive experience for students.
Warmly,
Traci Katz
Traci,
DeletePractice cards are a simple and effective way to remind our students that we still have high expectations. You may want to include the rest of the practice card system in your letter, addressing the purple and the green cards as well. They are an integral part of the system. Nice work! Here are 20 certification points!
Thanks for the suggestion. I can see why you would want to see that explained here! I always try to carefully craft my letters home so that they aren't too long, hopefully increasing the chance that parents will read them. :) It was my understanding that purple and green cards were introduced later and I would plan to send home an additional letter at that time to update parents on the next portion of Practice Cards.
DeleteDear Families,
ReplyDeleteOur school year is off to a great start! We are working hard on using
Our Whole Brain Teaching every day. We have practiced and learned our classroom rules. Have your child recite and explain them to you (with gestures!) Here are the rules we have been practicing:
1, Follow directions quickly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to talk.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy.
6. Keep your eyes on the goal.
I have introduced the Super Improver Team and we are working at setting goals and improving in both learning and behavior. Our next step will be the Practice Cards.
The Practice Cards are printed with the classroom rules. If a student breaks one of the rules, a white card with that rule, will be placed by their name in a chart. At recess, the student will stay in the classroom practicing the rule for two minutes. A note will go home in the student’s folder, letting the parents know what rule was broken. Please sign the note and return it in the folder the next day. If a white card comes home in a folder it is meant as an opportunity for practice. By working together we can help your student become an even better class member.
After we have practiced with the white cards I will introduce the following:
Purple cards: A purple card is given when a student shows success with a rule he/she previously had difficulty following . A positive note will come home celebrating this success.
Green cards: When a child continues to struggle with a rule, he/she will receive a green card. On the card the student will tally how many times per day the rule was followed. A green card can earn a purple one!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. We also can talk during upcoming conferences.
Sincerely,
Susan Abrahamse
Susan,
DeleteThis is very thorough and your parents will appreciate having an understanding of your procedures. Great job! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I have used practice cards the last few years in kindergarten. I do not use the green cards with this age. I keep it simple and it has worked wonders. I use them a little at first, then I find I hardly use them the rest of the year. I also have a parent night before school starts where I tell the parents about WBT. I show them the SIW, Rules, and practice cards and explaining them a little in person. This is an amazing chance to answer questions and all be on the same page. Here is an example of my letter once I start the practice cards:
ReplyDeleteHello friend,
Our rules and behavior calendar has been going awesome!! Thanks for initialing the day on the calendar. When you see the smiley, you know your child has followed all the WBT rules. Remember, those are listed at the bottom of the calendar with a description and gesture. I am implementing the practice cards next week. I shared with the children that 'practice makes permanent" and that they all had to practice things to be good at them . We made a chart of things that we had to practice. We learned that rules are much the same way, if they show me they can't follow a rule, they are showing me they need more practice. I am here to help, them so if they choose to not follow a rule (after a couple of redirect) I will ask them to place a white practice card in their pocket chart spot. Then at their next recess or center time they will spend 2 minutes with me going over the gestures for the rule. You will know if your child gets a practice card because on their calendar they will have a # listed instead of a smiley. The code is with the rules at the bottom so you will know where they had trouble that day. If it is very specific I will jot down what happened. :) In a month or so I will start the fancy purple card. This is "when I catch em being super good "card!!! I will give these out to super rule followers and these will always override a white card, if they have one in their pocket:) I want these kiddos to be as successful as possible!!! I am excited to try our next WBT adventure!!! As always contact me with questions. If you are not receiving my daily emails please let me know!!!
Wendy,
DeleteThese practice cards should be very helpful as they "practice to make permanent" all of those great procedures in your classroom! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate your support this year and how very active each of you are in your student’s education. We have been enjoying the Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) system for learning throughout this fall. Each student has made incredible progress using the Super Improver goals and other systems in WBT. We are now ready to “level up” in our class management game plan. The next level is call “Practice Cards.” We will begin using it when we return from winter break. The practice cards will be color coded and directly connected to our classroom rules. They will give us the structure needed to keep our class running smoothly.
Step 1: White Cards
Receiving a White Card indicates that the student needs additional practice in following a certain rule. The student will spend 2 minutes of recess whispering and practicing the gesture for the rule. They will not receive more than 2 White Cards or 4 minutes practice time on any given day. Every time a student receives a White Card, a note will also come home explaining the events of the day. Please discuss the note, sign it, and return it to school the next day.
Step 2: Purple Cards
A few weeks after the implementation of the White Cards, Purple Cards will be introduced. Purple Cards are awarded for great behavior. When a student is doing an especially excellent job at following the rules, they will be given a Purple Card. A note of congratulations will then be sent home.
Step 3: Green Cards
Once the White Cards have been in place for several weeks, I will then implement the Green Cards. If a student needs practice in a certain rule, they will be given a Green Card. The student will then place a tally mark on the card each time they remember and use the particular rule during the day. If the student then does a good job at the rule, they may earn a Purple Card.
Again, thank you for your support this year. I love working with your student!
Sincerely,
Ms. Geni Ainge
Geni,
DeleteGreat job! The parents will appreciate being kept in the loop as you implement new strategies to help their children be successful! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Parents,
ReplyDeleteIt has been a great year in kindergarten! We have a whole classroom of students who have made growth and I am so proud of each of them. As a matter of fact, I believe our class is ready for Level Three!
You remember that we started our year at Level One. At Level One, students were able to earn “Oh Yeah!” or “Mighty Groan!” points as a class toward a daily reward. We transitioned to Level Two at the start of September. At Level Two, students joined the Super Improvers Team and were able to earn individual stars based on personal improvement. I’m sure you have one or two of these hanging on your refrigerator!
Now, at Level Three, we will be using Practice Cards. There are three colors of practice cards: white, purple, and green. If your child receives a white card, it is because he or she needs some more practice at following one of our classroom rules. They will be required to practice their rule at recess for two minutes, or they may choose to sit by themselves for four. It’s my intention to help all of our kiddos be the best students they can be and help them get back on track toward earning their Super Improver stars. Please help me reinforce, when this white card comes home for you to sign, that this is not a punishment. We are all working towards helping our students make successful choices.
If your child receives a purple card, it means he or she is doing an excellent job of following one of our rules! These will not only cancel out a white card, but will earn the student a congratulatory note to bring home to you!
If your child receives a green card, they will use it to keep a tally of how many times they follow the rule they’re working on. It serves as a visual reminder so they will have extra time practicing it in class. These cards appear after several days of practicing at recess with white cards. This way the student has had time to practice the rule and is ready to start using it in the classroom. If the student does a great job and earns lots of tallies, a purple card may be awarded!
I am so excited to watch our kiddos thrive at Level Three! Please feel free to call me with any questions you have so we can work together to help your child be the rock star we both know they are!
With Joy,
Miss Foreman
Catherine,
DeleteExcellent job! Your parents will feel like they are on top of your classroom management procedures and be able to support your efforts. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear parents,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, I like to keep you informed of the Whole Brain Teaching techniques I use in the classroom. I start the year with the Scoreboard (level 1), and then comes the Super Improvers Team (level 2). At this time of year I implement level 3 – Practise Cards.
These practice cards help students by either identifying class rules in which they need further practise or rewarding their behaviour.
Here is a reminder of the rules we follow in the classroom:
1. Rule 1- Follow directions quickly
2. Rule 2 -Raise your hand for permission to speak
3. Rule 3- Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat
4. Rule 4- Make smart choices – (these choices are all linked to the virtues of kindness, leadership, courage, determination, and creativity)
5. Rule 5- Keep your dear teacher happy (Teacher is happy when children are on task and learning)
6. Diamond Rule – Keep your eyes on the target
These rules are practised every day in class, so feel free to have fun at home rehearsing them with your child.
Here is how practise cards work:
• We start with white practise cards. If a student is consistently having trouble following a rule, they will receive a white practise card for that specific rule. The child will then stay in for one minute at break time to quietly practise the rule they are struggling with. No child can receive more than 2 practise cards in a day.
• If a child receives a white practise card, his/her parents will get a letter home explaining this. This letter should be signed and returned.
• Purple cards come next – these are used to reward students for exemplary rule following. If your child earns a purple card, a note will be sent home informing you how well your child is behaving in the classroom. When this happens please make a big fuss of your child when they come home, this will really reinforce the importance of their achievement.
• Finally, after several weeks of white and purple cards, come the green practise cards. These are designed to help a child to recognise the elements of their behaviour that need improvement, and then self regulate this behaviour. If your child is struggling with a specific rule in the classroom, they will receive a green card on their desk. They will use this to record their successful execution of the rule using tally marks. When a child shows their teacher their green card at the end of each day, the teacher lets the child know whether or not they agree with the self assessment. If the teacher agrees then the green card can be exchanged for a purple card.
Rehearsing rules will ensure that disruptive behaviour is minimised, and learning time is maximised: practise cards will help children to be successful learners and confident individuals in the classroom environment. Furthermore, this system allows you to be aware and involved in all aspects of your child’s achievements in the classroom.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me or come in at the end of the school day.
Sincerely,
Quentin Dalrymple
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteQuentin,
DeleteThis is an excellent way to communicate your procedures with the parents. This will enable them to support you as you help your students learn to self monitor their behavior! Here are 25 certification points!
Nicole Desrosiers Weare, NH
ReplyDeleteDear Parents,
As we have reached our third month of school, I will begin to implement another Whole Brain Teaching strategy. Your child has learned the five basic classroom rules that enable our class to run smoothly and efficiently. There are times, however, when these rules need to be reviewed and practiced more than within our daily routines. This is where our new Practice Card strategy comes in.
If your child demonstrates that he/she is in need of extra practice (is not following one of our classroom rules), they will receive a White Card with a specific rule to practice at the beginning of our recess and lunch period. The practice time will be limited to two minutes of continuous practice. A note will be sent home on that day so that you will know which rule needed to be practiced. Your support at home in continuing this important conversation would be greatly appreciated. I ask that the note be signed and returned to school on the following day.
As the year progresses, I will also present Purple Cards to students who are demonstrating appropriate use of a classroom rule. You will receive an update of their successes when this happens. Finally, Green Cards will be handed out to students who may need more incentive to follow our class rules. Students will use the card to tally the number of times they have followed a particular rule correctly. Their hard work will help them to earn a Purple Card and a Star towards their work on our Super Improvers Team Wall. This routine of practice helps to solidify our rules and works to continuously improve our classroom environment. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this classroom strategy.
Thank you for your continued support at home!
Nicole Desrosiers
Nicole,
DeleteNice job! This letter will help the parents understand how you are working with their children to help them be more successful! Here are 25 certification points!