3 Behavior Management Strategies Every Pre-K Teacher Should Be Using
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OK, so a “Smelly Spot” is actually just a chapstick… but it has to be a chapstick that smells amazing.
Do you remember these Lip Smackers? They have been popular since my grade school days.
How does it work?
You spot a kid doing something great, and reach out your hand.
They reach out their hand.
You put a dot on the back of their hand.
They smell that delicious smell and smile almost immediately.
It might sound a little too simple, but trust me - please, try it.
I find myself just as into it as the kids. The photo from above was from St. Patrick’s Day and the Leprechaun had left us all those magical Smelly Spots, which made for a SUPER exciting drop off moment. Each kid was so excited to tell the next kid that arrived, “LOOK WHAT THE LEPRECHAUN LEFT US!”
Smiles were contagious.
I opened each one and excitedly told the kids what each one was called,
“OH MY GOSH, It’s VANILLA!”…. “COTTON CANDY!!”
“WE GOT KIWI!”….“THIS ONE IS MANGO!”
The kids were jumping up and down they were so excited to get a whiff.
That day, I put dots all over their hands, and they could keep enjoying the scents in their own quiet little celebration over and over again.
It’s a sensory experience. It’s a joyful sensation. It’s a SMELLY SPOT.
GET YOU SOME OF THESE.
I like to keep my smelly spots on an extendable key ring so I can quickly access them at any time.
#2 Capes
Yes, Capes.
Super hero style… Capes.
There's just something about putting on a cape that can make a person feel strong ... capable... proud ...inspired.... super-hero-ish? ☺️
These simple kid capes can be used to make examples of students showing certain qualities.
For example, you can bust out the green cape to highlight kids who are 🙌🏼 working hard.
How does it work?
You spot a kid exhibiting the qualities and put the cape on them.
They wear it for awhile and then, (the best part) THEY get to pick another kid who's exhibiting the same quality.
They pass it on.
*Make sure to MODEL & PRACTICE exactly how you want students to pass on the cape.
Other qualities you can highlight with capes:
being a good friend
patience
role models
It's pretty fascinating how quickly behaviors change when you bust out the ol' cape trick.
“There is a superhero in all of us.. we just have to be brave enough to put on the cape.”
CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM FOR QUICK TIPS
#3 Magic Sprays
These adorable little spray bottles came from Amazon.com.
I transform them into MAGIC sprays, by adding:
mostly water
a few drops of perfume (or essential oils)
a drop or two of food coloring (if you want to change the colors)
labels
CREATIVE NAMES
Click here to see my youtube video explaining Magic Sprays.
What is truly magic about them… is that one little spray can turn a child back into the super star they want to be.
It’s like a do-over, a chance for them to go back and try something again…
or to persevere instead of giving up...
And when you give kids a chance to stop, think, and try again (without shaming)…
They are quick to take the opportunity to do it better.
I get super dramatic and into it when I’m introducing the sprays to the class.
I have them covered up and I tell the class that I have bough something VERY EXPENSIVE for them. (For whatever reason, when they hear expensive, they get SO excited.)
I tell them I spent a lot of money on each special magical spray because they are my students and they are worth it!
They are all very careful in handling the sprays because they believe they are valuable.
We practice the correct way to spray them, out in front of our face, and then we lean in to smell the mist.
**(NOTE: It’s up to you whether you feel your students can handle spraying on their own. It’s perfectly fine for you to be the one in charge of the spraying!)
(From the left) FRIEND SPRAY, CALM SPRAY, SMART SPRAY
WATCH MY VIDEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAGIC SPRAYS:
PERFECT PROBLEM-SOLVING POTIONS
The YELLOW bottle is FRIEND SPRAY…great for any of these behaviors:
hitting
snatching a toy
difficulty sharing
sticking out tongue
name calling
The PURPLE bottle is CALM SPRAY…great for any of these behaviors:
wiggle worms
fidgety
consistently disruptive
running in classroom
anger issues
easily overwhelmed
The BLUE bottle is SMART SPRAY…great for any of these situations:
difficulty trying when things are hard
giving up easily
trouble persevering
saying “I can’t do it”
The possibilities with these magic sprays are ENDLESS.
Here’s another Favorite one of mine:
NAP-TIME SPRAY!!!!
NAP-TIME SPRAY!
I threw some glitter in there to spice things up.
I used this one right before nap-time. I go around and tuck each kiddo in and then I ask if they’d like a spray.
We practice closing their eyes and breathing deeply to get the “magic.”
**BONUS: IT ALSO GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH… which is always a good thing!