Monday, October 20, 2014

Bragging About Brag Tags!

Hey everyone! I'm so happy to be writing my first post to you on The Primary Pack! I'm Elyse from A is for Apples. I'm a Kindergarten teacher with a love for apples things... not eating apples!

Today I'm going to tell you about how I manage some classroom behaviors by using brag tags as an incentive. My students love earning these little pieces of paper and can't wait to show off their new tags when they get them!


If you're unfamiliar with brag tags, here's the rundown...

What are brag tags?
Brag tags are small, rectangular pieces of paper that students can earn as academic and behavior incentives. Brag tags can be hung on backpacks or made into a necklace.
Brag tags are an inexpensive and easy way to reward students! You're ready to use the tags in just a few quick steps. Print, laminate, cut apart, and punch a hole - done!

How do my students hang their brag tags?
Last year I purchased small ball-chain keychains off Amazon so my students could hang the tags on their backpacks. At the end of the year my students took the tags off their chains and made them into necklaces. This way I was able to keep the chains and they could leave Kindergarten with a brag tag necklace! This year I'm also using binder rings because some of my students keep "losing" their tags (or they're too rough with their backpacks and the chains come loose...)

Check it out!!


I really love seeing lots of tags hanging from bags! So far my students have been earning tags for: back to school activities (meet the teacher, first day, open house, picture day), monthly homework completion, monthly behavior, and character education traits. My "Rockstar of the Week" also gets a special brag tag for being the rockstar.

How do I store my brag tags?
Last year I stored my tags in one of those bead/string boxes. It worked well, but wasn't perfect. The tags are a little too long, so the box didn't close. I could deal with that, but... space was becoming an issue. Too many tags, not enough room.
Enter my summer project: create a teacher toolbox with lots of space for brag tags!
Best decision! I bought the toolbox from Lowe's, spray painted the top half orange and created labels for the tags I'd use the most.  They fit perfectly in the drawers, and I'm able to stack a couple different tags in each drawer. Lots of storage space now!

This sweet girl offered to pose with some of the tags you'll get in my October sampler pack at the end of this post. Her backpack is shown up above...pretty sure she has the most tags in the class! Go girl!

Here's your exclusive Primary Pack freebie! You'll only find it here!
{Click on the image to grab your freebie!}

I hope this little sampler of tags will help you get started right away! Leave me any questions or ideas for more tags in the comments.
P.S. If you order the ball-chain keychains from Amazon, they took about 3-4 weeks to arrive! Most of the binder rings are working out well - you just have to make sure they close tightly.

Check out my store if you fall in love with brag tags and just can't get enough!

Don't forget to come back tomorrow, and every day, to keep reading more from my amazing Primary Pack friends!


10 comments:

  1. These are adorable and such a great idea! Thanks!
    Laura

    ReplyDelete
  2. These are the coolest things ever! I am officially obsessed! :)

    Amber
    Mrs. Masters’ Kinder Love

    ReplyDelete
  3. Well you have officially sold me on brag tags. I'm going to take a closer look at yours to see if it's something that I can implement in January!!! What a great way to motivate kids. Thanks for motivating me to be a better teacher.
    Love, Amy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay Amy!! The kids really do love earning them! It's amazing what they'll work for! ;)

      Delete
  4. I am sold on brag tags too, Elyse! Off to Joann's or Hobby Lobby I go to find me some of those chains! :)

    Ashley
    One Sharp Bunch

    ReplyDelete
  5. These look great! I'll have to try the craft punches! Thanks for sharing this tutorial!
    Shilpi Creation

    ReplyDelete