Rituals: Green Bean Award System for Cleanup by Christine Loehr

RITUALS Green Bean Award System for Cleanup

by Christine Loehr Brown Elementary, DPS

After years of struggling with a decent cleanup routine, I finally stumbled on this easy solution for rewarding positive cleanup behavior. It happened accidentally one afternoon when I misplaced the packet of reward tickets. Desperate for a quick fix, I grabbed a green marker and drew a mustache on the index finger of a student. He was thrilled to show off this new green honor to his class and his teacher. This quickly became a standard routine in my class and I even created a nonsensical super mustache finger, Super Bean, heart, star,

hero: Super Bean.

Now Green Beans are my simple way of rewarding positive cleanup behavior at the end of each class for Grades 1 – 5. (Speaking from experience, I warn against doing this with kindergartners unless you are prepared to handle all the crying caused by the emotional trauma of not being chosen.) I start the game/cycle at the beginning of the trimester by choosing two Green Beans, then they will each choose someone who exhibits great behavior in the next class. Each Green Bean knows what to do as soon as they hear my cleanup alarm: they clean up their own art mess and then observe other they say why they are choosing them. For example, “I choose Kiah because she was a good friend during art and she helped clean up the paint around the sink.”

I make sure each child is chosen at least once but, as I tell my students, sometimes people deserve to be recognized more than once if they are extra super Green Beany. I can also assist students in their choices if I feel that students are being overlooked.

Items on the Green Bean menu include: students. When they make their selection,

and “I love art!” Sometimes kids ask for custom drawings, which is fun, but I have learned that my artistic skills are challenged and this can sometimes lead to disappointment. I only use a green marker so parents and teachers know where the drawing came from.

Yes, I have a student or two who prefers a high five or fist bump to a small drawing but, most importantly, kids are recognizing each other and it provides a small, but important connection with me and my students.

Helpful Green Bean Tip: I wrote a quick note on my website for parents and told my principal about this reward system. I would also recommend telling the classroom teacher about the rewards.

Bonus Tip: This reward system is also a great way to reinforce new vocabulary, skills, or concepts. Instead of only looking for students who are cleaning well, I might ask the Green Beans to look for students who are trying the new concept being taught or using new vocabulary in their work or routine. For example, “I choose Damian because he was brave and explored a new way of mixing colors for his portrait.” That would also boost any teacher’s evaluation if an administrator would happen to be observing this routine.