Christmas Behavior Incentive (AKA...Bribery?)

You fellow teachers out there know that the three weeks from Thanksgiving until Christmas holidays can be CAH-RAZY.  There are so many activities, assemblies, crazy days, visitors, and our kids are just that- kids!  They're so excited for the holidays and for time off from school.  Behavior can kinda go to the wayside, youknowwhatImean?

I have implemented something this year that has already worked wonders.  I did not come up with this idea, but like any good teacher, I borrowed it from a fellow teacher.  

Last weekend I bought stockings for each one of my kiddos.  I found a TON at the dollar store.  I wrote their names on the stocking with puff paint.  {Side note: Applying puff paint is an art that I lost after I turned thirteen.  Sadly, a few of my students' names have little blobs of paint because the bottle just exploded.  It's harder than it looks!}  These stockings hang in the back of my room on a bulletin board.

The teacher I got the idea from goes all out and makes a mantle out of butcher paper.  I'm not that creative, so they just get pinned up.

Sorry for the terrible quality cell phone picture!  Also, please ignore the hot mess that is my desk in the bottom right hand corner.

Each day, the students must end the day on a positive note.  I use this fabulous clip chart for my behavior management system in my room.

My version of the clip chart.  Again, cell phone pic.

Basically, the students have to end the day on the top part of the chart- Good Day, Great Job, or Outstanding.  If they end up there, they get a treat in their stocking.  They do not know what the treat is.  I use candy, pencils, erasers, silly straws, homework passes, etc.  If students are EXTRA good and end the day on the top level-Outstanding, they get an extra treat (always a piece of candy, although they don't know this).  

On the day of our holiday party, the students get to open their stocking and see what they've earned.  I also slip a book that is my actual gift to my students in there.  

And, for your friends that don't celebrate Christmas or the holidays?  They can get some other type of container or a brown paper bag, decorate it, and earn the same thing, just not holiday related!

It's only been a couple of days, but my kiddos have been working so hard to get to the positive side of the chart and to stay there.

How do you encourage positive behavior during the holidays?