It's the end of the day, and your classroom is a mess. There is trash ALL OVER the floor. What do you do?
I've got the answer! I learned this "game" years ago, and it's the best thing I have ever found for getting my classroom clean at the end of the day.
And the best part?
Kids LOVE it! They think it's awesome.
Kids love it so much that when I forget, they remind me. Seriously.
So here's how it works.
When it's time to clean up, you pick a piece of trash on the floor and announce that you have chosen the "magic piece of trash". It can big or small. To really make your kids work (especially when it's super messy), pick a piece of trash that's really tiny or hidden.
Then you say "go" and all the kids work to find the "magic piece of trash". They will get on their hands and knees to find it. It's awesome just to sit back and watch them clean your room.
I always watch to see who picks up the magic piece. Otherwise you'll have 20+ students coming up to you showing you their pieces of trash. I'll admit that sometimes I don't see who picks up the magic piece, so I'll have to look at their trash.
The winner in my classroom got Star Bucks. I would give away a random number of Star Bucks...6, 9, 23 (if the piece of trash was hidden). They LOVED it!
You could use whatever classroom management system you use in your classroom...tickets, classroom cash, etc.
Let me know how it works!
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I've got the answer! I learned this "game" years ago, and it's the best thing I have ever found for getting my classroom clean at the end of the day.
And the best part?
Kids LOVE it! They think it's awesome.
Kids love it so much that when I forget, they remind me. Seriously.
So here's how it works.
When it's time to clean up, you pick a piece of trash on the floor and announce that you have chosen the "magic piece of trash". It can big or small. To really make your kids work (especially when it's super messy), pick a piece of trash that's really tiny or hidden.
Then you say "go" and all the kids work to find the "magic piece of trash". They will get on their hands and knees to find it. It's awesome just to sit back and watch them clean your room.
I always watch to see who picks up the magic piece. Otherwise you'll have 20+ students coming up to you showing you their pieces of trash. I'll admit that sometimes I don't see who picks up the magic piece, so I'll have to look at their trash.
The winner in my classroom got Star Bucks. I would give away a random number of Star Bucks...6, 9, 23 (if the piece of trash was hidden). They LOVED it!
You could use whatever classroom management system you use in your classroom...tickets, classroom cash, etc.
Let me know how it works!
I call it Magic Scrap. A kid told me about it a few years ago. He said his teacher at his old school did it. I used to give out small prizes for the kid who found the magic scrap, but now we use tickets as part of our behavior plan, and I give out tickets instead. It is the best thing ever to get the class clean.
ReplyDeleteIt really is the best thing ever!
DeleteI love this. My kids ask to "play" all the time!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny that they beg to pick up trash? Love it!
DeleteThis is awesome...been playing my version called "Secret Scrap" for over 22 years...kids still LOVE to play!
ReplyDeleteLove it!
DeleteI do this but call it "mystery object". They dive right in!
ReplyDelete