Elizabeth “LibBa” Waldron LeE County

In Elizabeth “Libba” Waldron’s fourth grade class at Lee County Elementary School, students can earn class rewards for good behavior through The Key System.

With this behavior management system that Waldron just implemented this school year, students decide on something they want to improve such as “talking at appropriate times” and a reward they want to earn. Some class-chosen rewards this year have included lunch with the teacher in the classroom and “donuts and downtime.”

Waldron then identifies six requirements the class must achieve to earn the reward. When they earn five of the six, they get to unlock their prize.

“We work as a group. It’s something the class earns as a whole,” said Waldron. “For example, if the class comes in rowdy in the morning, they don’t get to check off anything to earn their key. But if they come in quietly, sit down and put things away and start their daily language assignment, I will compliment them on how well they are doing and give them a check.”

Rewards and goals are visual –both are posted in the classroom – and the keys can take weeks to earn. Each time a prize is unlocked, a new goal is set.

“They absolutely love it. They are always asking if they earned a key and when they do earn one, it’s a really big deal,” said Waldron. “I really push the idea that we have to be responsible for one another so that we can help to create an environment where other students can learn.”

Waldron, who was named the 2022-23 Lee County School Systems Teacher of the Year, got the idea of The Key System from her partner teacher. They use the system in both of their classrooms, which helps build consistency, Waldron said.

“If the classroom environment is not managed – if students don’t feel like it’s safe or if it’s out of hand – I don’t feel like learning can happen,” said Waldron. “If there are too many distractions that cause other students to not be able to focus, then no one is learning.”