LATE COUPONS
It's difficult to enforce a "no late work" rule in class if there are sometimes
legitimate excuses from students, says Albuquerque, N.M., middle school teacher Karen
Blackmom. She now issues a specific number of "late work" coupons each grading
period. Each coupon is worth one day of homework lateness, and she tells students to save
them for emergencies, because it is the only way they can turn in work late. Students also
may use more than one coupon on one assignment to buy extra days of lateness.
HELP SIGNAL
Elementary computer lab teacher Donna Rosenberg of East Boston, Mass., keeps a paper cup
next to each monitor in her lab. If a student needs help, he or she is asked to put the
paper cup on top of the monitor. Rosenberg quietly walks over to help the student; she
then puts the cup back on the desktop. 'It has stopped children from calling out my name
or waving their hands frantically," she says. If the cup falls, it doesn't make much
noise, and they are easy to replace, she adds.
PENCIL TAG
Have students tag their pencils and pens with one-inch masking tape, suggests elementary
school teacher Elaine Agnew of Manassas, Va. Wrap the tape around the instrument to make a
"flag" and have students write their names on the flag. No more fights over
pencils; when students see a pencil or pen on the floor or counter, they quietly return
it.
