I have used many behavior systems over the years. Most recently my job-share partner and I used a card turn system and this year we are doing an individualized clip chart. If I could do what is truly in my heart, I would use no behavior chart system at all. I would focus on the positive system which I currently use and love: Brag Tags. But for several reasons, I use the Brag Tags and an individual clip chart where students can get their clipped moved, but only in one direction. We have lots of discussion about what the colors mean and communicate that with parents. And it has several clip moves where essentially nothing "happens" to the child other than they are encouraged to self-reflect. To me this is the purpose and usefulness of the chart. (You can see my clip chart here in my TPT store). As far as behavior charts go, I love the one I use. I am careful to have students move clips in the most private way as possible and with the tone of teaching appropriate behavior, rather than an punitive or embarrassing manner. Students have a behavior calendar that they color each day to communicate to parents. Although my system works for me, it isn't perfect and I'm considering next year eliminating the card clips altogether and just using the brag tags. I'm just not sure I'm brave enough to give up the structure the behavior chart gives my classroom.
I'm hoping not to offend anyone and I know many teachers feel successful with their clip charts. And perhaps with all the right explanations both to parents and students and an exceptional implementation plan, they work. In my experience, I still think the negative aspects just might outweigh any positives. Here are a few reasons why I feel behavior charts are not the best thing for students:
1. They typically don't change behavior. These charts help track behavior, but rarely do they actually change behavior. For the students who you just need to move their clip one time and they get back on track, you could find an alternative and that student would still back on track. It isn't the clip system doing it's magic. That "type" of student has the skills and self-control to be able to get back on track with some type of cue from the teacher. My argument is that it doesn't need to be a colored coded chart for everyone to see to get them redirected. Although I agree it is an easy way to get students to understand the classroom expectations. My clip chart works very well for these type of students. For some students, moving their clip won't change their behavior at all. It's the same kids getting to the same color every day right? Why is that? Those students need more support. They aren't "bad" kids. They are children who lack the skills to do something different. They don't want their clip moved, but they don't have the skills and instead of turning clips, these students need their own individualized, private behavior system with a focus on teaching and supporting appropriate behaviors and skills. They need strong relationships with their teachers. Turning their clips is not going to change their behavior.
2. They can be embarrassing. I can't tell you how many times I have heard or said myself that I feel so bad for moving their clip. That quilt is a sign that something isn't right. You are embarrassing them. Yes, children need consequences and sometimes, especially, as a parent is can be hard to follow through even though we know it's best. We don't want to be "over coddling" parents or teachers. But a public display (and even the individual charts on desks count as public) is in my opinion not is in their best interests. I have heard my parents say that their children notice and tell them who was on what color at the end of the day. That just makes me feel so sad for that child who had his/her clip moved and is now the subject of another family's dinner conversation. I certainly wouldn't want a display of all of my mistakes for the day. It wouldn't motivate me. And I wouldn't be excited to return to a place where I knew that's what I would be faced with each day. A clip down or two might not be the end of the world for some students, but if it has this type of a negative impact for even just one, it has me questioning the value of the whole thing.
3. They create pressure and in some students, anxiety. Obviously, the student who typically has his/her clip moved each day would feel pressure and anxious. They probably don't want to go back and face the pressure and repeated "failure." I know that's not the message or environment we want to create for our students. We want our students to feel safe and excited to come to our classrooms each day. But also, think about the child who's clip you rarely or never move. That child might be feeling so much pressure each day to not move their clip. They might not every show any signs that it bothers them. Every time you move another student's clip, they feel anxious as they hope they don't make a mistake and can stay on "good" day. I know this because this is how my own children describe that pressure. My son never has had to move his clip. Not once. He is not an anxious child at all. He just happens to have excellent self-control. However, I know he puts pressure on himself as he sees others get their clips moved. He would be devastated if his was moved. Is that the environment we want to create? Where is our focus? I don't want to create an environment where students are distracted by the pressure of getting a clipped moved. I want a comfortable, safe, collaborate environment focused on learning and celebrating successes.
So what's my issue with the clip up chart? How could that be worse? Isn't a clip chart where students can move up at least a little more focused on the positive? My issue is that it is just too much. It's too much pressure. I listed three "issues" I have with all behavior charts, and in my opinion, the clip up charts make those three issues more extreme. Because with these charts not only do students have to worry about going down, they now have the pressure of making sure their clip goes up. Here are the additional reasons I think specifically the clip up, clip down chart doesn't work for me:
1. It is too subjective. If they clip can be moved down and up throughout the day, why wouldn't they all end up at the very top of the chart? Isn't the teacher seeing all of the positive things each child is doing? It depends on the teacher as to how many good choices he/she wants to acknowledge about where they child ends up. It would be ridiculous for the teacher to move a child up each time they are listening or making a good choice. So this is when it is too subjective and inconsistent. The teacher picks and chooses when to move up and therefore dictates the whole system of where the child is at the end of the day. And for me, that's too much pressure because it is unclear. I know as a parent I didn't find this type of chart helpful. So I kind of just ignored and didn't put too much value into where my daughter ended up. This is certainly not what I want in my classroom.
2. It really doesn't communicate anything to parents. Because the clip can be moved up, down, back up again-at the end of the day, it doesn't really tell parents (or the child) anything really specific about what kind of day the child had. It just tells them where they landed at the end.
3. It's distracting. I want my students to be focused on learning. And true, learning can't occur until we have clear routines and some type of system for managing behavior, but I don't want my students to actually be distracted by the system that is supposed to ensure more time for learning. And I do think that happens when students are trying to move up on the behavior chart (or earn points on class DoJo etc).
Again, I know so many love their behavior charts and especially the clip up, clip down ones, and I truly don't mean to offend anyone. I just am hoping to give a different perspective. We all want to create a comfortable, safe learning environment where our students can thrive.
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