I went ahead and started a new thread so other people with similar questions could check out your response.

Is the pocket chart for practice cards posted in a place that is visible to the students? One of the slides from the webinar showed it right beneath the scoreboard, but I didn't know if that was just to get everything on one page for your presentation.

Do you ever say anything when you put a white card in a student's pocket? Juana is talking without raising her hand. Do I just put a card in her pocket and keep teaching? Do I say, "Juana, you're breaking rule 2"? Do I call out "Rule 2" so the class (or just Juana) repeat(s) the rule out loud?

How do you respond when Juana complains about the white card? I envision many of my students complaining under their breath or louder - "That's not fair", "I wasn't talking", etc, etc. I don't want to get into a power struggle, but I feel a little hesitant to just ignore it.

I probably have more questions, but those are all I remember right now.

Here are my answers at -->

Is the pocket chart for practice cards posted in a place that is visible to the students? One of the slides from the webinar showed it right beneath the scoreboard, but I didn't know if that was just to get everything on one page for your presentation.

--> The Scoreboard is a drawing you place on your white board or blackboard ... place he card pocket chart anywhere in the front of the room with a stack of cards nearby.

Do you ever say anything when you put a white card in a student's pocket? Juana is talking without raising her hand. Do I just put a card in her pocket and keep teaching? Do I say, "Juana, you're breaking rule 2"? Do I call out "Rule 2" so the class (or just Juana) repeat(s) the rule out loud?

---> What you say is your option. We prefer saying nothing, because we don't want to interrupt the lesson ... if you decide to say something, you probably believe that more emphasis needs to be made about the rule ... but getting a white card is usually plenty of emphasis.

How do you respond when Juana complains about the white card? I envision many of my students complaining under their breath or louder - "That's not fair", "I wasn't talking", etc, etc. I don't want to get into a power struggle, but I feel a little hesitant to just ignore it.

--> Deal with this kind of back talk as you wish, or as you would usually ... of course, you don't want to get into a "back and forth" with the student ... so you might say, "Juana, we'll talk at recess" ... or, when you introduce the white cards you could ask students to deliberately back talk and then show them that when that happens, you'll walk over to the card and slightly fold down one corner ... that will add one more minute to the practice ... when back talk becomes a problem, it is time to go to Level 3, the Guff Counter which is used along with the Scoreboard and the Practice Cards ... see the "Levels" menu above.

Hi Mrs. Watson:

The pocket chart should be somewhere visible to all the students so you don't have to stop the class and make them realize about you putting a card in. I've got it in the front of the class right beneath the blackboard.

I agree with Chris. I would say nothing when you put the white card unless you want to really emphasize something.

So far (I've been using the practice cards for a month now), I only had one student complain about a practice card, and after talking to her I realized that I had made a mistake (the first mistake in my life, of course... ). Apart from that time, no one has ever complained. They usually understand they were braking one of the rules and they usually accept the card without problems. The idea of folding the card seems nice, but: wouldn't that mean that the practice card is indeed a punishment??? I'd rather grant them with a "Rule 5" card, so they can practice and get better at that.

Best,

Edward