PBIS points can be real difference-makers in your classroom, this is your guide to making it happen.
Unfortunately, you can’t control all of these factors. But you can play a huge role in ensuring they’re aware of behavior expectations and rewarded when they meet them.
That’s what the middle school teachers at my school did when the students struggled to meet our classroom expectations. We implemented PBIS and tracked points using LiveSchool, and within two weeks we noticed a positive change in our students.
Not only were they meeting our expectations, but they were excited to do so. The number of behavior referrals dropped, and the overall school culture improved. If you’re looking for an evidence-based model to improve and maintain positive behavior in your classroom, you should be considering PBIS points.
PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” It’s a behavior management model that’s used to support students by reinforcing positive behavior. PBIS points are given to students when they exhibit the desired behaviors, which should be outlined during PBIS implementation.
For example, let’s say “Clean up after yourself” is a classroom management expectation. When the students clean up after themselves, they’ll receive a specified number of points. They can trade those points for rewards like toys for younger students or movie posters for older students.
Some schools create school reward stores specifically for this purpose, but if not, you can always create your own classroom store where students can redeem points. LiveSchool makes it easy to distribute, track, and trade points for rewards.
It can act as a cash register (without money of course) where you can select the student’s name, view their accumulated points, choose the reward they want, and complete the transaction.
It takes careful planning and execution to implement PBIS points, but the results are well worth it. Here are three reasons you should use PBIS Points in your classroom:
Let’s be honest. As much as we love our jobs, we’re still motivated by knowing we’ll get a paycheck. Students are no different.
When students know that they will be recognized and rewarded for their positive behavior, they’re more likely to meet the classroom behavior expectations.
For more information on motivating students check out “Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior”.
Unfortunately, we all have biases and expectations that can interfere with how we view our students. Sometimes students who exhibit positive behavior are taken for granted.
Teachers may pay more attention to students who frequently misbehave, which causes them to highlight their negative behaviors more than the other students.
On the other hand, when that same student behaves well, they might receive more positive attention than the students who consistently meet the behavior expectations.
This can be discouraging for students and viewed as unfair. Students notice these discrepancies, and it can reduce their motivation to behave.
PBIS points can make you aware of your subjectivity because you have the data to show how you distribute points. If you use a behavior management platform like LiveSchool, you can easily view all of your student’s data in one place.
This allows you to quickly see if you’re harder on certain students and more lenient with others.
Regularly reviewing this data could allow you to transform your classroom management just like Bowmar Elementary did.
Although PBIS points shouldn’t be related to academics, they can have a positive impact on student performance. By gamifying behavior with PBIS points, students will be more inclined to pay attention in class, be on time, and turn in assignments.
Students will come to class eager for opportunities to earn points, which means their attention will be on you and the lesson–exactly as it should be.
Using PBIS points in your classroom creates a positive learning environment, prevents disruptive behavior, and sets clear expectations for student behavior.
When classroom management is not prioritized, we are not able to teach effectively and efficiently. We all want to spend more time teaching and less time focusing on behaviors. This is how you can leverage PBIS points in your school to improve behavior in your classroom:
Students earn and redeem points for their own behavior. The students do not impact each other’s points. Individual rewards like snack packs, wristbands, and stickers can ensure that each student is accountable for their own behavior.
Students work together to earn points for their team. The reward is typically a team reward such as a pizza party. Some schools use House Points systems to divide students into teams and manage their points and rewards. Group rewards place an emphasis on teamwork and foster a sense of community
At my school, we used a combination of individual and group reward events like old-school cookouts, silent discos, and karaoke nights.
We used a House System to divide students into teams, and students earned points individually. The House Points System motivated students to encourage their teammates to earn points as well.
Oftentimes, I didn’t have to correct a student’s behavior because their team members would beat me to it! At the end of the month, students could go to the school store to redeem their points for prizes.
Although they earned and redeemed points individually, their points contributed to the House total. The Houses competed with each other to earn the most points. If students redeemed their individual points, it did not impact the total points earned for the month.
At the end of the month, the House with the most points would have a special event such as a pep rally or ice cream party.
To learn how to launch your own House Points System check out Episode #1 of The LiveSchool Podcast.
Systems are everything when it comes to implementing PBIS points in your classroom. You need a system to record, distribute, and track points. If you have a rewards center, you also need to track the “prices” of each item and keep a running record of how many points each student has left.
It can be tedious, but LiveSchool makes it easy to go down your roster and add points in just seconds. Not only is it easy to distribute points, but it’s easy to identify behavior trends and address them early on.
This presents a great opportunity to get your students involved. Students are more likely to buy in if they play a role in setting classroom behavior expectations. This also ensures that they fully understand what’s expected of them.
Be sure to choose behaviors in your PBIS matrix that allow you to be objective. For example, “be respectful” leaves room for subjectivity because different cultures and even households have different definitions of respect. Instead, have a conversation with the students about what respect looks like, and use those behaviors to set expectations.
For more on including your students in the process, check out “Wirt High School Improved Referrals by 48% and Attendance by 4% in 3 Months”.
This is another opportunity to involve your students. Students will be excited to share what kind of items they want as rewards. Use your best judgment when choosing which rewards to use and how many points each reward should be worth.
Choose high-ticket items such as backpacks and low-ticket items like special pens, so students can redeem points regardless of how many they have. Rewards don’t have to cost money to be effective. Something as simple as Lunch with an Admin can motivate students to earn points.
PBIS points can completely transform your classroom for the better, but it’s important to be consistent. As a teacher, you already have a million things to do, so make giving points a part of your routine.
I taught six classes, so I used the last five minutes of every class period to record points in LiveSchool while the students packed up. By making it a habit, I didn’t forget to give anyone their points because the students were still in front of me.
When you use PBIS points in your classroom, you create an environment where students feel motivated, valued, and rewarded for their positive behavior.
Unfortunately, you can’t control all of these factors. But you can play a huge role in ensuring they’re aware of behavior expectations and rewarded when they meet them.
That’s what the middle school teachers at my school did when the students struggled to meet our classroom expectations. We implemented PBIS and tracked points using LiveSchool, and within two weeks we noticed a positive change in our students.
Not only were they meeting our expectations, but they were excited to do so. The number of behavior referrals dropped, and the overall school culture improved. If you’re looking for an evidence-based model to improve and maintain positive behavior in your classroom, you should be considering PBIS points.
PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” It’s a behavior management model that’s used to support students by reinforcing positive behavior. PBIS points are given to students when they exhibit the desired behaviors, which should be outlined during PBIS implementation.
For example, let’s say “Clean up after yourself” is a classroom management expectation. When the students clean up after themselves, they’ll receive a specified number of points. They can trade those points for rewards like toys for younger students or movie posters for older students.
Some schools create school reward stores specifically for this purpose, but if not, you can always create your own classroom store where students can redeem points. LiveSchool makes it easy to distribute, track, and trade points for rewards.
It can act as a cash register (without money of course) where you can select the student’s name, view their accumulated points, choose the reward they want, and complete the transaction.
It takes careful planning and execution to implement PBIS points, but the results are well worth it. Here are three reasons you should use PBIS Points in your classroom:
Let’s be honest. As much as we love our jobs, we’re still motivated by knowing we’ll get a paycheck. Students are no different.
When students know that they will be recognized and rewarded for their positive behavior, they’re more likely to meet the classroom behavior expectations.
For more information on motivating students check out “Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior”.
Unfortunately, we all have biases and expectations that can interfere with how we view our students. Sometimes students who exhibit positive behavior are taken for granted.
Teachers may pay more attention to students who frequently misbehave, which causes them to highlight their negative behaviors more than the other students.
On the other hand, when that same student behaves well, they might receive more positive attention than the students who consistently meet the behavior expectations.
This can be discouraging for students and viewed as unfair. Students notice these discrepancies, and it can reduce their motivation to behave.
PBIS points can make you aware of your subjectivity because you have the data to show how you distribute points. If you use a behavior management platform like LiveSchool, you can easily view all of your student’s data in one place.
This allows you to quickly see if you’re harder on certain students and more lenient with others.
Regularly reviewing this data could allow you to transform your classroom management just like Bowmar Elementary did.
Although PBIS points shouldn’t be related to academics, they can have a positive impact on student performance. By gamifying behavior with PBIS points, students will be more inclined to pay attention in class, be on time, and turn in assignments.
Students will come to class eager for opportunities to earn points, which means their attention will be on you and the lesson–exactly as it should be.
Using PBIS points in your classroom creates a positive learning environment, prevents disruptive behavior, and sets clear expectations for student behavior.
When classroom management is not prioritized, we are not able to teach effectively and efficiently. We all want to spend more time teaching and less time focusing on behaviors. This is how you can leverage PBIS points in your school to improve behavior in your classroom:
Students earn and redeem points for their own behavior. The students do not impact each other’s points. Individual rewards like snack packs, wristbands, and stickers can ensure that each student is accountable for their own behavior.
Students work together to earn points for their team. The reward is typically a team reward such as a pizza party. Some schools use House Points systems to divide students into teams and manage their points and rewards. Group rewards place an emphasis on teamwork and foster a sense of community
At my school, we used a combination of individual and group reward events like old-school cookouts, silent discos, and karaoke nights.
We used a House System to divide students into teams, and students earned points individually. The House Points System motivated students to encourage their teammates to earn points as well.
Oftentimes, I didn’t have to correct a student’s behavior because their team members would beat me to it! At the end of the month, students could go to the school store to redeem their points for prizes.
Although they earned and redeemed points individually, their points contributed to the House total. The Houses competed with each other to earn the most points. If students redeemed their individual points, it did not impact the total points earned for the month.
At the end of the month, the House with the most points would have a special event such as a pep rally or ice cream party.
To learn how to launch your own House Points System check out Episode #1 of The LiveSchool Podcast.
Systems are everything when it comes to implementing PBIS points in your classroom. You need a system to record, distribute, and track points. If you have a rewards center, you also need to track the “prices” of each item and keep a running record of how many points each student has left.
It can be tedious, but LiveSchool makes it easy to go down your roster and add points in just seconds. Not only is it easy to distribute points, but it’s easy to identify behavior trends and address them early on.
This presents a great opportunity to get your students involved. Students are more likely to buy in if they play a role in setting classroom behavior expectations. This also ensures that they fully understand what’s expected of them.
Be sure to choose behaviors in your PBIS matrix that allow you to be objective. For example, “be respectful” leaves room for subjectivity because different cultures and even households have different definitions of respect. Instead, have a conversation with the students about what respect looks like, and use those behaviors to set expectations.
For more on including your students in the process, check out “Wirt High School Improved Referrals by 48% and Attendance by 4% in 3 Months”.
This is another opportunity to involve your students. Students will be excited to share what kind of items they want as rewards. Use your best judgment when choosing which rewards to use and how many points each reward should be worth.
Choose high-ticket items such as backpacks and low-ticket items like special pens, so students can redeem points regardless of how many they have. Rewards don’t have to cost money to be effective. Something as simple as Lunch with an Admin can motivate students to earn points.
PBIS points can completely transform your classroom for the better, but it’s important to be consistent. As a teacher, you already have a million things to do, so make giving points a part of your routine.
I taught six classes, so I used the last five minutes of every class period to record points in LiveSchool while the students packed up. By making it a habit, I didn’t forget to give anyone their points because the students were still in front of me.
When you use PBIS points in your classroom, you create an environment where students feel motivated, valued, and rewarded for their positive behavior.
Deiera Bennett is a freelance EdTech copywriter with a background in marketing and 6 years of experience as an educator. When she’s not writing, you can find her binge-watching The Office for the 5th time, spending time with family, or looking up recipes on Pinterest.
Unfortunately, you can’t control all of these factors. But you can play a huge role in ensuring they’re aware of behavior expectations and rewarded when they meet them.
That’s what the middle school teachers at my school did when the students struggled to meet our classroom expectations. We implemented PBIS and tracked points using LiveSchool, and within two weeks we noticed a positive change in our students.
Not only were they meeting our expectations, but they were excited to do so. The number of behavior referrals dropped, and the overall school culture improved. If you’re looking for an evidence-based model to improve and maintain positive behavior in your classroom, you should be considering PBIS points.
PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” It’s a behavior management model that’s used to support students by reinforcing positive behavior. PBIS points are given to students when they exhibit the desired behaviors, which should be outlined during PBIS implementation.
For example, let’s say “Clean up after yourself” is a classroom management expectation. When the students clean up after themselves, they’ll receive a specified number of points. They can trade those points for rewards like toys for younger students or movie posters for older students.
Some schools create school reward stores specifically for this purpose, but if not, you can always create your own classroom store where students can redeem points. LiveSchool makes it easy to distribute, track, and trade points for rewards.
It can act as a cash register (without money of course) where you can select the student’s name, view their accumulated points, choose the reward they want, and complete the transaction.
It takes careful planning and execution to implement PBIS points, but the results are well worth it. Here are three reasons you should use PBIS Points in your classroom:
Let’s be honest. As much as we love our jobs, we’re still motivated by knowing we’ll get a paycheck. Students are no different.
When students know that they will be recognized and rewarded for their positive behavior, they’re more likely to meet the classroom behavior expectations.
For more information on motivating students check out “Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior”.
Unfortunately, we all have biases and expectations that can interfere with how we view our students. Sometimes students who exhibit positive behavior are taken for granted.
Teachers may pay more attention to students who frequently misbehave, which causes them to highlight their negative behaviors more than the other students.
On the other hand, when that same student behaves well, they might receive more positive attention than the students who consistently meet the behavior expectations.
This can be discouraging for students and viewed as unfair. Students notice these discrepancies, and it can reduce their motivation to behave.
PBIS points can make you aware of your subjectivity because you have the data to show how you distribute points. If you use a behavior management platform like LiveSchool, you can easily view all of your student’s data in one place.
This allows you to quickly see if you’re harder on certain students and more lenient with others.
Regularly reviewing this data could allow you to transform your classroom management just like Bowmar Elementary did.
Although PBIS points shouldn’t be related to academics, they can have a positive impact on student performance. By gamifying behavior with PBIS points, students will be more inclined to pay attention in class, be on time, and turn in assignments.
Students will come to class eager for opportunities to earn points, which means their attention will be on you and the lesson–exactly as it should be.
Using PBIS points in your classroom creates a positive learning environment, prevents disruptive behavior, and sets clear expectations for student behavior.
When classroom management is not prioritized, we are not able to teach effectively and efficiently. We all want to spend more time teaching and less time focusing on behaviors. This is how you can leverage PBIS points in your school to improve behavior in your classroom:
Students earn and redeem points for their own behavior. The students do not impact each other’s points. Individual rewards like snack packs, wristbands, and stickers can ensure that each student is accountable for their own behavior.
Students work together to earn points for their team. The reward is typically a team reward such as a pizza party. Some schools use House Points systems to divide students into teams and manage their points and rewards. Group rewards place an emphasis on teamwork and foster a sense of community
At my school, we used a combination of individual and group reward events like old-school cookouts, silent discos, and karaoke nights.
We used a House System to divide students into teams, and students earned points individually. The House Points System motivated students to encourage their teammates to earn points as well.
Oftentimes, I didn’t have to correct a student’s behavior because their team members would beat me to it! At the end of the month, students could go to the school store to redeem their points for prizes.
Although they earned and redeemed points individually, their points contributed to the House total. The Houses competed with each other to earn the most points. If students redeemed their individual points, it did not impact the total points earned for the month.
At the end of the month, the House with the most points would have a special event such as a pep rally or ice cream party.
To learn how to launch your own House Points System check out Episode #1 of The LiveSchool Podcast.
Systems are everything when it comes to implementing PBIS points in your classroom. You need a system to record, distribute, and track points. If you have a rewards center, you also need to track the “prices” of each item and keep a running record of how many points each student has left.
It can be tedious, but LiveSchool makes it easy to go down your roster and add points in just seconds. Not only is it easy to distribute points, but it’s easy to identify behavior trends and address them early on.
This presents a great opportunity to get your students involved. Students are more likely to buy in if they play a role in setting classroom behavior expectations. This also ensures that they fully understand what’s expected of them.
Be sure to choose behaviors in your PBIS matrix that allow you to be objective. For example, “be respectful” leaves room for subjectivity because different cultures and even households have different definitions of respect. Instead, have a conversation with the students about what respect looks like, and use those behaviors to set expectations.
For more on including your students in the process, check out “Wirt High School Improved Referrals by 48% and Attendance by 4% in 3 Months”.
This is another opportunity to involve your students. Students will be excited to share what kind of items they want as rewards. Use your best judgment when choosing which rewards to use and how many points each reward should be worth.
Choose high-ticket items such as backpacks and low-ticket items like special pens, so students can redeem points regardless of how many they have. Rewards don’t have to cost money to be effective. Something as simple as Lunch with an Admin can motivate students to earn points.
PBIS points can completely transform your classroom for the better, but it’s important to be consistent. As a teacher, you already have a million things to do, so make giving points a part of your routine.
I taught six classes, so I used the last five minutes of every class period to record points in LiveSchool while the students packed up. By making it a habit, I didn’t forget to give anyone their points because the students were still in front of me.
When you use PBIS points in your classroom, you create an environment where students feel motivated, valued, and rewarded for their positive behavior.
Unfortunately, you can’t control all of these factors. But you can play a huge role in ensuring they’re aware of behavior expectations and rewarded when they meet them.
That’s what the middle school teachers at my school did when the students struggled to meet our classroom expectations. We implemented PBIS and tracked points using LiveSchool, and within two weeks we noticed a positive change in our students.
Not only were they meeting our expectations, but they were excited to do so. The number of behavior referrals dropped, and the overall school culture improved. If you’re looking for an evidence-based model to improve and maintain positive behavior in your classroom, you should be considering PBIS points.
PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” It’s a behavior management model that’s used to support students by reinforcing positive behavior. PBIS points are given to students when they exhibit the desired behaviors, which should be outlined during PBIS implementation.
For example, let’s say “Clean up after yourself” is a classroom management expectation. When the students clean up after themselves, they’ll receive a specified number of points. They can trade those points for rewards like toys for younger students or movie posters for older students.
Some schools create school reward stores specifically for this purpose, but if not, you can always create your own classroom store where students can redeem points. LiveSchool makes it easy to distribute, track, and trade points for rewards.
It can act as a cash register (without money of course) where you can select the student’s name, view their accumulated points, choose the reward they want, and complete the transaction.
It takes careful planning and execution to implement PBIS points, but the results are well worth it. Here are three reasons you should use PBIS Points in your classroom:
Let’s be honest. As much as we love our jobs, we’re still motivated by knowing we’ll get a paycheck. Students are no different.
When students know that they will be recognized and rewarded for their positive behavior, they’re more likely to meet the classroom behavior expectations.
For more information on motivating students check out “Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior”.
Unfortunately, we all have biases and expectations that can interfere with how we view our students. Sometimes students who exhibit positive behavior are taken for granted.
Teachers may pay more attention to students who frequently misbehave, which causes them to highlight their negative behaviors more than the other students.
On the other hand, when that same student behaves well, they might receive more positive attention than the students who consistently meet the behavior expectations.
This can be discouraging for students and viewed as unfair. Students notice these discrepancies, and it can reduce their motivation to behave.
PBIS points can make you aware of your subjectivity because you have the data to show how you distribute points. If you use a behavior management platform like LiveSchool, you can easily view all of your student’s data in one place.
This allows you to quickly see if you’re harder on certain students and more lenient with others.
Regularly reviewing this data could allow you to transform your classroom management just like Bowmar Elementary did.
Although PBIS points shouldn’t be related to academics, they can have a positive impact on student performance. By gamifying behavior with PBIS points, students will be more inclined to pay attention in class, be on time, and turn in assignments.
Students will come to class eager for opportunities to earn points, which means their attention will be on you and the lesson–exactly as it should be.
Using PBIS points in your classroom creates a positive learning environment, prevents disruptive behavior, and sets clear expectations for student behavior.
When classroom management is not prioritized, we are not able to teach effectively and efficiently. We all want to spend more time teaching and less time focusing on behaviors. This is how you can leverage PBIS points in your school to improve behavior in your classroom:
Students earn and redeem points for their own behavior. The students do not impact each other’s points. Individual rewards like snack packs, wristbands, and stickers can ensure that each student is accountable for their own behavior.
Students work together to earn points for their team. The reward is typically a team reward such as a pizza party. Some schools use House Points systems to divide students into teams and manage their points and rewards. Group rewards place an emphasis on teamwork and foster a sense of community
At my school, we used a combination of individual and group reward events like old-school cookouts, silent discos, and karaoke nights.
We used a House System to divide students into teams, and students earned points individually. The House Points System motivated students to encourage their teammates to earn points as well.
Oftentimes, I didn’t have to correct a student’s behavior because their team members would beat me to it! At the end of the month, students could go to the school store to redeem their points for prizes.
Although they earned and redeemed points individually, their points contributed to the House total. The Houses competed with each other to earn the most points. If students redeemed their individual points, it did not impact the total points earned for the month.
At the end of the month, the House with the most points would have a special event such as a pep rally or ice cream party.
To learn how to launch your own House Points System check out Episode #1 of The LiveSchool Podcast.
Systems are everything when it comes to implementing PBIS points in your classroom. You need a system to record, distribute, and track points. If you have a rewards center, you also need to track the “prices” of each item and keep a running record of how many points each student has left.
It can be tedious, but LiveSchool makes it easy to go down your roster and add points in just seconds. Not only is it easy to distribute points, but it’s easy to identify behavior trends and address them early on.
This presents a great opportunity to get your students involved. Students are more likely to buy in if they play a role in setting classroom behavior expectations. This also ensures that they fully understand what’s expected of them.
Be sure to choose behaviors in your PBIS matrix that allow you to be objective. For example, “be respectful” leaves room for subjectivity because different cultures and even households have different definitions of respect. Instead, have a conversation with the students about what respect looks like, and use those behaviors to set expectations.
For more on including your students in the process, check out “Wirt High School Improved Referrals by 48% and Attendance by 4% in 3 Months”.
This is another opportunity to involve your students. Students will be excited to share what kind of items they want as rewards. Use your best judgment when choosing which rewards to use and how many points each reward should be worth.
Choose high-ticket items such as backpacks and low-ticket items like special pens, so students can redeem points regardless of how many they have. Rewards don’t have to cost money to be effective. Something as simple as Lunch with an Admin can motivate students to earn points.
PBIS points can completely transform your classroom for the better, but it’s important to be consistent. As a teacher, you already have a million things to do, so make giving points a part of your routine.
I taught six classes, so I used the last five minutes of every class period to record points in LiveSchool while the students packed up. By making it a habit, I didn’t forget to give anyone their points because the students were still in front of me.
When you use PBIS points in your classroom, you create an environment where students feel motivated, valued, and rewarded for their positive behavior.
If you’re new to teaching, you’ll quickly learn that your students’ behaviors will change depending on a variety of factors. Their home life, relationships, health, and academic concerns will all play a factor in how they behave.
Unfortunately, you can’t control all of these factors. But you can play a huge role in ensuring they’re aware of behavior expectations and rewarded when they meet them.
That’s what the middle school teachers at my school did when the students struggled to meet our classroom expectations. We implemented PBIS and tracked points using LiveSchool, and within two weeks we noticed a positive change in our students.
Not only were they meeting our expectations, but they were excited to do so. The number of behavior referrals dropped, and the overall school culture improved. If you’re looking for an evidence-based model to improve and maintain positive behavior in your classroom, you should be considering PBIS points.
PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” It’s a behavior management model that’s used to support students by reinforcing positive behavior. PBIS points are given to students when they exhibit the desired behaviors, which should be outlined during PBIS implementation.
For example, let’s say “Clean up after yourself” is a classroom management expectation. When the students clean up after themselves, they’ll receive a specified number of points. They can trade those points for rewards like toys for younger students or movie posters for older students.
Some schools create school reward stores specifically for this purpose, but if not, you can always create your own classroom store where students can redeem points. LiveSchool makes it easy to distribute, track, and trade points for rewards.
It can act as a cash register (without money of course) where you can select the student’s name, view their accumulated points, choose the reward they want, and complete the transaction.
It takes careful planning and execution to implement PBIS points, but the results are well worth it. Here are three reasons you should use PBIS Points in your classroom:
Let’s be honest. As much as we love our jobs, we’re still motivated by knowing we’ll get a paycheck. Students are no different.
When students know that they will be recognized and rewarded for their positive behavior, they’re more likely to meet the classroom behavior expectations.
For more information on motivating students check out “Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior”.
Unfortunately, we all have biases and expectations that can interfere with how we view our students. Sometimes students who exhibit positive behavior are taken for granted.
Teachers may pay more attention to students who frequently misbehave, which causes them to highlight their negative behaviors more than the other students.
On the other hand, when that same student behaves well, they might receive more positive attention than the students who consistently meet the behavior expectations.
This can be discouraging for students and viewed as unfair. Students notice these discrepancies, and it can reduce their motivation to behave.
PBIS points can make you aware of your subjectivity because you have the data to show how you distribute points. If you use a behavior management platform like LiveSchool, you can easily view all of your student’s data in one place.
This allows you to quickly see if you’re harder on certain students and more lenient with others.
Regularly reviewing this data could allow you to transform your classroom management just like Bowmar Elementary did.
Although PBIS points shouldn’t be related to academics, they can have a positive impact on student performance. By gamifying behavior with PBIS points, students will be more inclined to pay attention in class, be on time, and turn in assignments.
Students will come to class eager for opportunities to earn points, which means their attention will be on you and the lesson–exactly as it should be.
Using PBIS points in your classroom creates a positive learning environment, prevents disruptive behavior, and sets clear expectations for student behavior.
When classroom management is not prioritized, we are not able to teach effectively and efficiently. We all want to spend more time teaching and less time focusing on behaviors. This is how you can leverage PBIS points in your school to improve behavior in your classroom:
Students earn and redeem points for their own behavior. The students do not impact each other’s points. Individual rewards like snack packs, wristbands, and stickers can ensure that each student is accountable for their own behavior.
Students work together to earn points for their team. The reward is typically a team reward such as a pizza party. Some schools use House Points systems to divide students into teams and manage their points and rewards. Group rewards place an emphasis on teamwork and foster a sense of community
At my school, we used a combination of individual and group reward events like old-school cookouts, silent discos, and karaoke nights.
We used a House System to divide students into teams, and students earned points individually. The House Points System motivated students to encourage their teammates to earn points as well.
Oftentimes, I didn’t have to correct a student’s behavior because their team members would beat me to it! At the end of the month, students could go to the school store to redeem their points for prizes.
Although they earned and redeemed points individually, their points contributed to the House total. The Houses competed with each other to earn the most points. If students redeemed their individual points, it did not impact the total points earned for the month.
At the end of the month, the House with the most points would have a special event such as a pep rally or ice cream party.
To learn how to launch your own House Points System check out Episode #1 of The LiveSchool Podcast.
Systems are everything when it comes to implementing PBIS points in your classroom. You need a system to record, distribute, and track points. If you have a rewards center, you also need to track the “prices” of each item and keep a running record of how many points each student has left.
It can be tedious, but LiveSchool makes it easy to go down your roster and add points in just seconds. Not only is it easy to distribute points, but it’s easy to identify behavior trends and address them early on.
This presents a great opportunity to get your students involved. Students are more likely to buy in if they play a role in setting classroom behavior expectations. This also ensures that they fully understand what’s expected of them.
Be sure to choose behaviors in your PBIS matrix that allow you to be objective. For example, “be respectful” leaves room for subjectivity because different cultures and even households have different definitions of respect. Instead, have a conversation with the students about what respect looks like, and use those behaviors to set expectations.
For more on including your students in the process, check out “Wirt High School Improved Referrals by 48% and Attendance by 4% in 3 Months”.
This is another opportunity to involve your students. Students will be excited to share what kind of items they want as rewards. Use your best judgment when choosing which rewards to use and how many points each reward should be worth.
Choose high-ticket items such as backpacks and low-ticket items like special pens, so students can redeem points regardless of how many they have. Rewards don’t have to cost money to be effective. Something as simple as Lunch with an Admin can motivate students to earn points.
PBIS points can completely transform your classroom for the better, but it’s important to be consistent. As a teacher, you already have a million things to do, so make giving points a part of your routine.
I taught six classes, so I used the last five minutes of every class period to record points in LiveSchool while the students packed up. By making it a habit, I didn’t forget to give anyone their points because the students were still in front of me.
When you use PBIS points in your classroom, you create an environment where students feel motivated, valued, and rewarded for their positive behavior.
If you’re new to teaching, you’ll quickly learn that your students’ behaviors will change depending on a variety of factors. Their home life, relationships, health, and academic concerns will all play a factor in how they behave.
Unfortunately, you can’t control all of these factors. But you can play a huge role in ensuring they’re aware of behavior expectations and rewarded when they meet them.
That’s what the middle school teachers at my school did when the students struggled to meet our classroom expectations. We implemented PBIS and tracked points using LiveSchool, and within two weeks we noticed a positive change in our students.
Not only were they meeting our expectations, but they were excited to do so. The number of behavior referrals dropped, and the overall school culture improved. If you’re looking for an evidence-based model to improve and maintain positive behavior in your classroom, you should be considering PBIS points.
PBIS stands for “Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports.” It’s a behavior management model that’s used to support students by reinforcing positive behavior. PBIS points are given to students when they exhibit the desired behaviors, which should be outlined during PBIS implementation.
For example, let’s say “Clean up after yourself” is a classroom management expectation. When the students clean up after themselves, they’ll receive a specified number of points. They can trade those points for rewards like toys for younger students or movie posters for older students.
Some schools create school reward stores specifically for this purpose, but if not, you can always create your own classroom store where students can redeem points. LiveSchool makes it easy to distribute, track, and trade points for rewards.
It can act as a cash register (without money of course) where you can select the student’s name, view their accumulated points, choose the reward they want, and complete the transaction.
It takes careful planning and execution to implement PBIS points, but the results are well worth it. Here are three reasons you should use PBIS Points in your classroom:
Let’s be honest. As much as we love our jobs, we’re still motivated by knowing we’ll get a paycheck. Students are no different.
When students know that they will be recognized and rewarded for their positive behavior, they’re more likely to meet the classroom behavior expectations.
For more information on motivating students check out “Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior”.
Unfortunately, we all have biases and expectations that can interfere with how we view our students. Sometimes students who exhibit positive behavior are taken for granted.
Teachers may pay more attention to students who frequently misbehave, which causes them to highlight their negative behaviors more than the other students.
On the other hand, when that same student behaves well, they might receive more positive attention than the students who consistently meet the behavior expectations.
This can be discouraging for students and viewed as unfair. Students notice these discrepancies, and it can reduce their motivation to behave.
PBIS points can make you aware of your subjectivity because you have the data to show how you distribute points. If you use a behavior management platform like LiveSchool, you can easily view all of your student’s data in one place.
This allows you to quickly see if you’re harder on certain students and more lenient with others.
Regularly reviewing this data could allow you to transform your classroom management just like Bowmar Elementary did.
Although PBIS points shouldn’t be related to academics, they can have a positive impact on student performance. By gamifying behavior with PBIS points, students will be more inclined to pay attention in class, be on time, and turn in assignments.
Students will come to class eager for opportunities to earn points, which means their attention will be on you and the lesson–exactly as it should be.
Using PBIS points in your classroom creates a positive learning environment, prevents disruptive behavior, and sets clear expectations for student behavior.
When classroom management is not prioritized, we are not able to teach effectively and efficiently. We all want to spend more time teaching and less time focusing on behaviors. This is how you can leverage PBIS points in your school to improve behavior in your classroom:
Students earn and redeem points for their own behavior. The students do not impact each other’s points. Individual rewards like snack packs, wristbands, and stickers can ensure that each student is accountable for their own behavior.
Students work together to earn points for their team. The reward is typically a team reward such as a pizza party. Some schools use House Points systems to divide students into teams and manage their points and rewards. Group rewards place an emphasis on teamwork and foster a sense of community
At my school, we used a combination of individual and group reward events like old-school cookouts, silent discos, and karaoke nights.
We used a House System to divide students into teams, and students earned points individually. The House Points System motivated students to encourage their teammates to earn points as well.
Oftentimes, I didn’t have to correct a student’s behavior because their team members would beat me to it! At the end of the month, students could go to the school store to redeem their points for prizes.
Although they earned and redeemed points individually, their points contributed to the House total. The Houses competed with each other to earn the most points. If students redeemed their individual points, it did not impact the total points earned for the month.
At the end of the month, the House with the most points would have a special event such as a pep rally or ice cream party.
To learn how to launch your own House Points System check out Episode #1 of The LiveSchool Podcast.
Systems are everything when it comes to implementing PBIS points in your classroom. You need a system to record, distribute, and track points. If you have a rewards center, you also need to track the “prices” of each item and keep a running record of how many points each student has left.
It can be tedious, but LiveSchool makes it easy to go down your roster and add points in just seconds. Not only is it easy to distribute points, but it’s easy to identify behavior trends and address them early on.
This presents a great opportunity to get your students involved. Students are more likely to buy in if they play a role in setting classroom behavior expectations. This also ensures that they fully understand what’s expected of them.
Be sure to choose behaviors in your PBIS matrix that allow you to be objective. For example, “be respectful” leaves room for subjectivity because different cultures and even households have different definitions of respect. Instead, have a conversation with the students about what respect looks like, and use those behaviors to set expectations.
For more on including your students in the process, check out “Wirt High School Improved Referrals by 48% and Attendance by 4% in 3 Months”.
This is another opportunity to involve your students. Students will be excited to share what kind of items they want as rewards. Use your best judgment when choosing which rewards to use and how many points each reward should be worth.
Choose high-ticket items such as backpacks and low-ticket items like special pens, so students can redeem points regardless of how many they have. Rewards don’t have to cost money to be effective. Something as simple as Lunch with an Admin can motivate students to earn points.
PBIS points can completely transform your classroom for the better, but it’s important to be consistent. As a teacher, you already have a million things to do, so make giving points a part of your routine.
I taught six classes, so I used the last five minutes of every class period to record points in LiveSchool while the students packed up. By making it a habit, I didn’t forget to give anyone their points because the students were still in front of me.
When you use PBIS points in your classroom, you create an environment where students feel motivated, valued, and rewarded for their positive behavior.
Every day, the LiveSchool Vision becomes reality.
