Beanie Behavior Buddies

In second grade we like to celebrate positive behavior in the classroom and Beanie Behavior Buddies have been a huge hit! Students have an opportunity to earn them for displaying different positive behaviors throughout the school. When they earn a beanie buddy it sits on their table for the rest of the day and they get a certificate to take home with them to show their family and friends. We have taken time to talk about the different beanie buddies and what it looks like to be showing those characteristics. Three of my favorite to give out are the Challenge Cheetah, Cooperative Cat, and self-control shark. The Challenge Cheetah is earned when students stretch themselves out of their comfort zone and work hard without giving up when a task is challenging for them. The Cooperative Cat is earned when students work well with their partners or tables. We do tons of partner and table work in our classroom so cooperation is a very important skill to have! This beanie buddy has even been earned by pairs of students or whole tables! Self-Control Shark is earned when a student works hard to stay focused and not shout out or talk to a friend during a mini lesson. 

One of the things I love the most about the beanie buddies is the excitement I see between kids when their classmates have earned one. Never do the kids say “but why didn’t I get one!” They are always cheering for their classmates and congratulating them which is what this is all about! 

My goal with the beanie buddies is that they are connecting doing these great things in school with a positive feeling. It’s always nice to celebrate the positive things kids do in the classroom and help build intrinsic motivation.