Classroom management is always tricky when you don’t know what kinds of personalities will be in your class. Each year I looked for a behavior calendar that would be individualized, would encourage different kinds of learners, and would not add a ton of work for myself. I never found one that fit the bill, so I made my own monthly behavior calendars that also had individualized goal setting. These goal setting sheets helped my students who needed to focus on good choices and helped my students who wanted to work on their own academic goals. These monthly behavior calendars quickly became my best classroom management strategy that I have used year after year!
How Do I Use these Monthly Behavior Calendars?
These calendars are a wonderful way to keep easy parent communication, collect data, have students practice responsibility, teach creating goals, and differentiate classroom management.
There are two different types of calendars in this product. You have an option of using monthly or weekly calendars. I usually use the monthly behavior calendars with my class, and I sometimes use the weekly with students who may need more writing space for communication.
Open the behavior calendars in Powerpoint. You will see there is a square behavior key at the bottom of each calendar page. If you have already been in class for a few days, you have already worked on classroom management and made your class’ expectations. These rules are great to put in your key. Keep the numbers between 3-5, to make filling out calendars quick and simple.
I put a star in my key, so students can track their progress on the goal that they write on the back of the page.
Before printing your calendar page, decide if you want to add any events to the calendar. If you want to add any text, simply add a text box.
Then, choose which goal sheet that fits your classroom needs. I choose the “My Goals” sheets for my own classroom, but there is also a “Smart Goals” option.
Print the month sheet and the goals sheet front to back. Have students put them in their take-home folders. All calendar pages and goal sheets are available in color and black and white!
How Do My Students Use the Goal Sheets?
Before I introduce the monthly behavior calendars, I usually have my students sit at the carpet, and we brainstorm different examples of goals we can work on at school. I tell them the goals could be a goal they could meet in a month, or they could be a goal they could work on for a few months. Here are some examples my class has thought of in the past:
- My hands will be to myself at the carpet.
- I will remember to proofread my work.
- I will write my name on my papers.
- I will read my book when I’m finished working.
- I will be a leader in PE.
After we have brainstormed at the carpet, students will go back to their desk to get some personal think time and write down their goal as well as ways to work towards it.
Some friends may need some help. However, students will probably already have a good idea. I try for this activity to be as student-lead as possible. I want to make sure my class feels confident and excited about making goals for themselves.
At the end of each month, give students some time to reflect on their goals. Did they meet the goal? Is their goal short-term or long-term? Should they continue working on it the next month? Are they ready for a new goal? You may collect the calendars for data or send them home with families at the end of each month.
I Printed, I Taught Goals, Now How do my Students Fill out these Monthly Behavior Calendars?
At the end of each day, students will reflect on their day and goal. You can really decide what is the right way for your class to fill out their calendar. In my classroom, I start off with meeting with each student one by one during silent reading time, so I can truly focus on that student. The child reflects aloud, and I listen. If the student felt they tried their best that day, they draw a smiley face in the daily calendar square. If the child feels like they struggled with one of the numbers in the “key” at the bottom of the monthly behavior calendar, they put the corresponding number in the square.
I encourage my students to think about the whole day. Did they make some mistakes, but overall worked hard or learned from their mistakes? If so, the student may put a smiley face and a number. Then, the student thinks about their goal. Did they work towards it? If they did, they draw a star. Then, celebrate their effort!
After a few days of working with students one-on-one, have students reflect on their own. Walk around and check the calendars so there is some accountability. In my classroom, I make this activity as student-lead as possible, so they feel responsibility and pride for their own hard work and good choices!
Students may take these monthly behavior charts home each night to show parents and bring back to school. You could also ask parents to sign the calendar each night.
Final Thoughts
These monthly behavior calendars have truly been a game changer for me, and students love to see how hard they have been working on their goals. I also keep the calendars, so I can use them for data and conferences.
These calendars are great to introduce at the beginning of the year and can be used at any time you need to revamp your classroom management. Don’t worry about switching things up in the middle of the year! Check out these Editable Goal Setting Behavior Calendars for Classroom Management and relax knowing your classroom management just got a lot easier!
