I know many teachers love to have a classroom elf who moves places every night and helps keep the behavior in check and it works for some! But I know my students just go insane when they see that thing. We have ladies in our cafeteria who have an elf and the second they walk into the lunchroom, it’s crazy time!
Why I am really not a fan of the elf in the classroom....
Besides getting the kids all wild, which is exactly the opposite of what I want….there are some more important reasons why I am not a fan of having an elf in the classroom. First of all, it’s not inclusive. Many of my students do not celebrate Christmas and it is Christmas tradition. Even my students who do celebrate Christmas, many do not have an elf at home. So this brings up a lot of feeling about being left out or others bragging about their elves. Finally, the conversation always leads to elves and if they are real. Is Santa real? I always want to respect the traditions that each family has and would never want to ruin Christmas for any student. So I try to always keep the conversations neutral and far away from anyone ruining anyone’s holiday.
So, what do I do insead?
A couple of years ago I started a Behavior Incentive called Snow Bucks. I had a little snowman who brings little “Snow Bucks”. Each morning, I would have the snowman loaded up with snow bucks that I would give out during day. Some years, I would move him around the room but mostly I would just leave him on a shelf. The kids loved him! Right before Winter Break I would have a little celebration where they can cash in their snow bucks for candy canes, prizes or even activities they could do at our Winter Party. It was so much fun! And the focus was on making good behavior choices.
To make things even easier for you at this busy time of year, you can get your Snow Bucks here! It even comes with the cutest little poem!
