Hey yall! By now we're all enjoying summer full force and school seems a million days away. But somewhere in the back of your mind, you're secretly already planning for next year. It's a sickness, I tell ya. Luckily for you, the sickness is widespread. So even though its the middle of June, another round of Bright Ideas is coming your way! Today I'm going to tell you about a little game we sometimes play called The Quiet Game. We play it when we're standing in the hallway for an extended amount of time (like a bathroom break), waiting in line (like in a lunch line), or any other time of the day when my kiddos are expected to be quiet for any length of time (like waiting for busses at the end of the day). It's a very simple game, but it seriously works like a charm. every. single. time. You start by finding a student that is doing exactly as they should: standing quietly, eyes forward, hands behind their back-whatever your rules are, they should be following them. You tell that student that they get to start The Quiet Game. Then that student stands off to the side and gets to choose who else is following all the rules. They choose that person and then get back in line. That person then gets to choose who the next one is...and so on. Now, usually just being able to stand out of line for a minute is motivation enough for the rest of my students to straighten up. As soon as I choose someone to start The Quiet Game, the rest of my class quickly gets it together. I usually don't offer any type of reward, especially when we're standing in the hall. My students know what to look for and know they can only choose classmates who are following all the rules. However, sometimes I will throw in something small to keep it interesting. Sometimes I might give them an M&M or a sticker for being chosen. But not often. That's it. Seriously. It WORKS! If you're new to my blog, check out some of my past Bright Ideas! Cheap and Easy Bulletin Boards Save the Trees! Organizing Teaching Books Interactive Word Wall For more Bright Ideas from over 100 other bloggers, check out the links below! An InLinkz Link-up
