How to Use Ways to Be Helpful in the Hallway

The first step in helping children be successful is for adults to focus on the behaviors we want to see, and then convey that information to children clearly (with visual aids whenever possible). The more clearly we state the expectation, the more likely children are to fulfill it! Remind yourself to focus on the behaviors you want to see more of, and help children see exactly how to be successful by creating a Ways To Be Helpful Board. Individual classrooms will each have a Ways To Be Helpful Board and/or Book that develops from a class-wide discussion, however, it is helpful to include this structure in the main hallway as well.

Take a moment to focus on how you want your school to run. Write out a list of the behaviors necessary to fulfill this mental image. Use clear language, positive terms and specific behaviors. If “taking turns,” “walking in line” and “asking for help” are behaviors you want to see more of, then you would include them in your list. You will need a way to change the behaviors on your school-wide Ways to Be Helpful Board, so decide if you will use a sentence-strip system, a set of Velcro-backed cards or other interchangeable method. Illustrate or take photos of the behaviors and place them on the interchangeable method you’ve chosen. Post 3-5 of these visually-depicted behaviors on your Ways To Be Helpful Board. Change the behaviors weekly or as needed to target behaviors that arise naturally throughout the school year. Additional information about Ways To Be Helpful can be found in the Creating the School Family and NEW Conscious Discipline Expanded & Updated books.