“Focus on the positive” is a pretty common piece of advice. Sure, there are things that may not be perfect, but focusing too much on what isn’t going well amplifies the negative and often results in good things getting missed. That’s one reason why Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is used in schools to not only improve the social, emotional, and academic outcomes for students, but also to create a strong sense of community built on doing the right thing.
At ACGC Elementary, students are always excited for the weekly Friday drawings. Throughout the week, teachers and staff are encouraged to keep an eye out for kids going above and beyond to show the values of SOAR which are self control, ownership, attitude, and respect. Those moments are rewarded with a SOAR ticket, which means the student is now entered into the weekly drawing.
This kind of a program is becoming more and more popular for schools, but for School Social Worker Lynn Peterson, it’s something that has been taking place at ACGC for the past 23 years.
“We figured out a long time ago that it is better to focus on the positive with fun celebrations than to only talk about bad behaviors,” said Peterson. “It really is working and there have been less behavior problems over the years when you focus on the positive.”
In addition to the SOAR tickets, students also get visits from Peterson and School Guidance Counselor Jason Northrup each week for lessons on social emotional learning and important skills. They are able to develop a strong relationship with each and every student, which creates more opportunities for growth.
“Each year we train teachers and staff on what to look for with the tickets and each ticket is also an opportunity for a quick positive conversation about why they are getting the ticket,” said Northrup. “It’s a cool way to say ‘we caught you being good’ and reinforce that behavior.”
Each week six winners are drawn and are able to pick a small prize and get their photo added to the wall of fame. With each ticket that is given to a student, a portion also goes home so that families can see that their child is being recognized and why. While SOAR tickets have been in place for the past five years, some older students might remember them being called positive attitude tickets.
It’s not just an individual achievement, ticket totals are tracked per class with different prizes offered at 60, 90, and 120 tickets collected. Students always go for the highest prize which has included activities like getting to play a Mario Kart tournament or the option the kindergarten class chose, coloring Principal Goracke’s hair.
“We highlight and celebrate the good instead of focusing on the bad and the kids get really into it,” said Northrup. “It’s a system that you have to stick with and our building really buys into it. We usually have about 100 tickets handed out every week.”
“It’s a way for good kids to get good recognition for things they should be doing but may not always get seen,” added Peterson. “We really work hard to bring different ways to build positivity and encouragement as part of our school culture.”
Beyond the SOAR Ticket and PBIS programming, there are lots of other little celebrations and competitions. The team has hosted special events including a classic car show with tons of participation from the community who brought in a variety of vehicles that were featured as part of a carnival and fundraiser for PBIS activities. Another is the recent addition of a sensory wall in a hallway with different textures and hands-on activities with plans to expand those types of resources to outdoor spaces.
There are even weekly competitions designed to engage and excite the staff, including a Name That Tune style game each Friday where Northrup chooses a mystery song for staff to submit the name of the artist and the song. He says it gets competitive with a traveling trophy and an end of the year grand championship in the gym that the students can attend.
“We also do a staff shout out on the announcements where staff can shout each other out and acknowledge their colleagues for going above and beyond,” said Northrup. “We have a really fun and supportive group of staff here and we enjoy being able to celebrate with each other!”
While schools across the country roll out their own sorts of PBIS programming, ACGC Elementary has a strong foundation in place. District and school administrators encourage creativity and the team takes that charge and runs with it, one SOAR ticket at a time.