WBT Wednesday! Lose the Clip Chart Part 2

If you missed part 1 of this post last week, go read it here!

Part 2 of losing the clip chart is all about the Super Improvers Wall!

With a Super Improvers Wall, you don't need to tell a kiddo to move their clip down, because instead they will be trying to IMPROVE academically or on a negative behavior... all POSITIVE reinforcement and no negative, hooray!
 
So what exactly is the Super Improvers Wall (or Super Improvers Team)?
It is a way to help students become intrinsically motivated to improve both behaviorally & academically! (like I said, all positive!)

Every super improver wall has 10 levels... such as the levels used on the WBT website and by Kate over at EduKate and Inspire:

Or something to fit your classroom theme such as the candy theme I'm going to try this year:

Or here's the sports theme Super Improvers Wall I made for my grade level partners:

Keep reading to get either of these themed walls/teams for free!

Okay so #1... a color coded 10 level theme.
(If you're going to use these throughout a building or across a grade level, it's nice for everyone to have the same color scheme to kiddos can talk about their improvements with kiddos not in their class)

Now #2, each kiddo has their name on a colored piece of paper that coordinates with their color level. So for example, everyone in my class will start out on a white piece of paper because they will be "bubblegum" or in my grade level partner's classes they will start out on white paper as "fans." Since I haven't set this up yet in my room (trying to enjoy July & stay out of there!) here is a great example of the beginning of the year from Kate (again) over at EduKate and Inspire.

So how do kiddos change the color of their card & move up in levels???

That brings us to #3, kiddos earn stars for making improvements (hence the name Super Improvers). When a kiddo earns 10 stars they move up a level. Meaning, they take home their star-filled card and get a new card with their name on it, in the SAME PLACE it already was on the Super Improvers wall... see yet another example from Kate (geesh I think I need to thank her for her awesome post when I'm done here!)

I really like that they stay in the same place all year no matter what color they are. It takes away the feeling I know kiddos have about clip charts that "Oh I'm always below everyone" or on the other side "Ooooh I'm always above everyone."
It also is powerful that kiddos are competing against THEMSELVES, not each other!!!

Okay so... to review:
#1 There are 10 levels to the Super Improver Wall/Team
#2 Each kiddo's name is on the color coordinating with the level they are on.
#3 Kiddos need to earn 10 stars to move up a level.

Got it? Okay. So now you may be asking how do kiddos earn a star? Well, that's up to you as a teacher... For me, I'll start the year with a couple class goals... improvements on following class rules such as Rule #1 Follow Directions Quickly & Rule #2 Raise Your Hand for Permission to Speak (check out my post on WBT rules here & go here to get my WBT rule & procedure cards). Then I'll probably add in that making personal improvements on our addition facts can earn a star.

Throughout the year, class goals can change &&& (best part) you can make INDIVIDUAL GOALS for certain kiddos (after all, the whole point is INDIVIDUAL improvements)...

Perhaps you have a child who cannot keep their hands to themselves... you tell them they will have a *special* goal to keep their hands to themselves, if they can make improvements on that, they get a star! Or maybe your class goal has moved beyond not shouting out, but you still have a kiddo who shouts out constantly... make that their *special goal*

The individual goal setting is my FAVORITE piece of the Super Improver Wall! I can't wait to manage behaviors in a POSITIVE way!!! However, I am promising myself here and now that I will not have individual goals for EVERY kiddo, because that just seems very overwhelming to manage!

So here are some ideas for how kiddos can earn stars either as a class or individually:

• Improving...
• following certain classroom rules
• math facts
• spelling certain words
• handwriting
• blurting
• challenging oneself (i.e. not saying "I can't do it!")
• rug behavior
• partner-work behavior
• length/meaningfulness of journal entries
• moving safely in the room
• the list goes on, and on, and on! 

I will definitely be posting more about the Super Improver Wall as the year goes on! I wanted to use it last year but didn't feel I completely understood how it worked. Feel free to leave comments with questions (I will email you back so you definitely see my response!) There is a lot more you can do with the Super Improver Wall too, such as take pictures at certain levels and of course there's the whole "picture on the wall forever" that happens if a kiddo reaches the top level, but we have many more Wednesdays for that!

In the meantime, thanks for sticking it out through this entire post, please click the images below to get a free copy of either of the Super Improver Wall Levels I featured in this post!

Candy Theme

Sports Theme

A final shout out to Kate over at EduKate and Inspire for her "help" with this post! Go check out her blog, she is also a 2nd grade blogger & a "Whole Brainer"

 

You can also check out the Whole Brain Teaching Website to learn more about the Super Improvers Wall