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Houses!
That might not be the catchiest riddle, but Houses can engage even the most challenging students. When my school implemented a House system for our 7th-grade students, there was an immediate drop in behavior incidents. The Houses didn’t just decrease negative behaviors– it increased positive behaviors as well. House Systems can be tailored to fit the student’s needs, making it an effective behavior strategy for all grade levels.
Want to launch one in your own school? Well, Sabrina Hughes-Tate and McKissack Middle School proved it can be done in as little as one year. But before we get into how she did it, let’s talk about what exactly a House System is.
What is a House System?
A House System is a behavior strategy where students are divided into teams called Houses. The students within each House work together to earn points, support each other, and compete against other Houses. Usually, each student is assigned to a House during the House induction ceremony, and they stay with that House until they leave the school. House systems do more than promote positive behavior and deter negative behavior. They also promote self-esteem, self-identity, teamwork, and pride. Another advantage of a House System is that you can customize it to fit your student’s needs, wants, and personalities.
Our Houses
S.NO
House Name
Color
Perosnality
1.
Vivekanand House
Saffron
2.
Subhash House
Green
3.
Radhakrishnan House
Yellow
4.
Blue
Key Components of House Systems
Culture
Each House needs a unique culture. Collaborate with the students to design a House flag and create a House motto. If you’re working with younger students, let them vote on team colors and a mascot. At Brain Discovery World School, each House has its own chant, dance, and handshake they can use to greet their Housemates. By including the students in building the school culture, they’ll feel a stronger sense of community and pride in the House.
Clear Expectations
Students and teachers need to know what kind of behaviors will cause them to gain and lose House Points. This keeps unconscious bias from creeping in and reassures students that their behavior will be assessed fairly and consistently regardless of whose class they’re in. Your school’s student code of conduct and PBIS expectations are a good starting point for identifying positive and negative behaviors. Teachers also need to know how frequently they’ll be expected to update points, assign point-giving activities, and distribute incentives.
Teacher Buy-In
The House System must be implemented consistently, which means teacher buy-in is critical. Students will notice if one teacher takes away points for certain behaviors but another one doesn’t. A major barrier to teacher buys-in is that a House System will be another task on their already-overflowing plate. Behavior management platforms like Live School ease the burden by making it easy for teachers to add and subtract points, communicate with parents, and update students on their progress.
Rewards
Students need to be able to redeem their points for rewards. There are a few ways to do this. One popular way is to create rewards store full of items that students love such as stickers, wristbands, books, movie posters, and snacks. Another popular way to reward students is to host a House celebration for the team with the most points at the end of each month. By using both types of rewards, you can motivate your students on an individual level while encouraging them to hold each other accountable.