Elementary Students "Caught Being Good"

Although your school recess monitors may already be using the "Caught Being Good" game slips, and handing them out to kids on your school playground, it can also become a classroom game, or behavior management tool as well. This good-behavior encouragement game will help your students be polite, and thoughtful in word and deed, toward fellow classmates, teachers, and assistants.

You will be able to minimize the need for disciplining strategies, allowing you to focus on your real job of teaching. Your children will become more helpful as you hand out "Caught Being Good" game tickets throughout the course of the day.

Incorporating Classroom Math Projects

You can easily integrate math projects into the "Caught Being Good" game, as students can be taught how to keep track of their winning tickets, and incorporate ongoing graphs for this classroom project. Counting the game tickets can be tied into almost any mathematical, vote-tallying, or statistics-type lesson plan.

Supplies and Instructions

One poster board - entitled "Caught Being Good Game" will display monthly student tallies. Each student's name should be listed alphabetically down the left-hand side, with the school months listed across the top (underneath the title) with lines creating a grid box, for individually recording monthly winning game-ticket numbers.

One large clean plastic jar per student - request that these be brought from home, with student's name written on it, in permanent felt marker. Non-breakable jars with screw-top lids are best, such as a 32-oz. size mayonnaise jar (sterilized) for holding all their "Caught Being Good" game tickets, waiting to be tallied on a monthly basis.

One inexpensive roll of raffle-prize numbered tickets - used for "Caught Being Good" classroom game tickets, with teacher's initials to validate as they are handed out. Outdoor playground monitors should also be furnished with a roll of tickets, to initial as they are handed out as well. Numerical series-printed tickets can be double checked based upon monthly ticket counts for accuracies, as part of ongoing classroom math projects.

One box of 12 candy bars or an assortment of small toys for prizes - going to monthly student winners who have the most "Caught Being Good" game tickets.

Approach your school principal to take the "Caught Being Good" game to a new level, suggesting classroom competitions by individual grade level, with one winning classroom at the end of each semester, or at the end of the year. Prize donations could be solicited from parents, community businesses or organizations, and are a wonderful way to bring about a spirit of cooperation at your school, all year long.