Values

When I first began teaching preschool I used the traffic light method as discipline.  To be honest, it was already there when I got into the classroom and I just left it. Thinking that the method had worked before so I will just continue it.

If you are not familiar with the Traffic Light.  Green is Go:  you are having a great day
                                                                           Yellow: slow down and think about the rules
                                                                            Red: Stop and time out

I even went as far as making a little book to record the colors for the parents.  We could then write notes to one another or discuss the discipline problem. As the years went on I felt like this method was daunting.  It was me who "ruled" the traffic light.  I moved their clip or card to the next color and I was the one who (I felt) humiliated the little ones.  After a couple of years I decided to trash the whole idea and began a new system.

I created RULES that I felt were necessary to the classroom.  1. Eyes on me
                                                                                                   2. Turn on your ears
                                                                                                   3. Raise your hand to speak
                                                                                                   4. Walk in the room
                                                                                                   5. Keep your hands to yourself
                                                                                                   6. Use your inside voice
                                                                                                   7. Smile
I even had little motions for each one hoping this would help them to remember the RULES.

One day it finally dawned on me that I could condense the rules and have conversations about them instead of just repeating and memorizing them.  I would be able to sit down with the kids, shape behavior and put it into terms they will understand.

We now use Values.   Patience:  to wait without complaint (raise your hand to speak)
                                    Respect: be thoughtful of others or just be NICE
                                    Personal Space: One arms length away (sit criss cross applesauce)
                                    Self Control: Manage your actions and feelings (inside voice, walk in the
                                                           room, and keep your hands to yourself)
                                    Trustworthy:  doing the right thing even when no one is watching
                                     Joy:  Happy

Everyday we sit in our meeting and talk about the classroom values. I give examples and the kids give ideas.  It is now a discussion of behavior instead of a dictatorship.
 When there is an issue in the room, I only need to state a value and the issue is resolved.  Occasionally there is a time out given for repeat offenders, but most of the time it's a teaching moment.
To be honest, some adults need to be reminded of these values sometimes.  Character is incredibly important to me and I get share it with my little people everyday.