Mrs. Howbert's New Assistant & Gold Coins

Good news.  My pencils are holding.

None have escaped, as of yet!

I love it when the little kiddos say, 

"I love your leopard pencils, Mrs. Howbert"

-even the boys like them, the leopard reminds them of tigers.  

Go figure.

So I got my 2 new students in the same day after break, broken pipes, freezing temps, no more math books, or reading comp. books, and a copy machine that is still down.

These little sweeties are wonderful & couldn't be better!

I am blessed.

To help manage my crowded & growing class, I introduced my new assistant, Max.

I hand out gold booty (coins) to good listeners.

I always tell the kids, 

The best students are the best listeners.

So, when Mrs. Howbert says, 

"Meet me at your seats" 

and 2 come over right away & sit down, while 6 go over to get a drink, and 4 have huddle time at the cubbies, and two run out for recess, and 3 wander to sharpen pencils I quietly hand out one gold coin to those great listeners, who came right over, to sit quietly in their seats.

Rapidly, the REST of the kids all nest back into their seats, thinking their gold coins are coming.

I only hand out gold coins to the first FEW that have great listening ears.

These gold coins are collected in the kids' own little booty bag, with their names on the back just in case we get a pack of scallywagger theives in the classroom.

Once 5 gold booty coins are collected, kids donate them back to the coin chest here, and get to go visit the 

REAL PIRATE'S TREASURE CHEST!

Here's the thing.  I told the kids, Mrs. Howbert needs all the help she can get with a growing class, so I've brought in my assistant, Max to guard the gold coins.

If you've earned 5, and want to trade them in, go ask Max if now is a good time.

So, what did 2nd graders do today?

Yep.  You said it.

Each on their own time, would walk up & ASK MAX IF THEY COULD TURN IN THEIR GOLD COINS!

Some were whispers, some were in a normal voice, but either way, they each must have heard Max respond, because they would drop those 5 gold coins in, and wander away to get their real treasure!

This is why I LOVE 2nd grade.

Everything is still so believable!  

I don't know why this happens, but when a kid walks up to Max to ask permission if now is a good time, the REST of the WHOLE class sits silently, waiting...WATCHING Max.

Maybe it was because I told the kids if it weren't a good time to ask Max, like in the middle of reading or math groups, Max would bite them.

Second graders are not too old for classroom stuffed animals.

In fact, they love them, and they love Max.

And for behavior management, so do I!