I'm asking so many questions because I'm researching whether WBT will work for my small groups and if I should try it next year.

Because I have 10+ groups of kids a day I don't think I can do a daily reward for each group (unless it is a quick round of SS or 1 minute of free talk time). Any suggestions for other 1 minute rewards?

I would much rather give a 10 minute reward to each group on Friday at the end of their group time. How would I fit this in to the Scoreboard game? When would it be appropriate to give them the Friday reward? If they got more smileys than frownies each day, 3 out of 5?

On the 3+/- rule....does that mean if they have 2 smileys they should not have more than 5 frownies? Or two frownies mean no more than five smileys? Do you ever take any away or just keep adding?

Guff- When you mark points for Guff where do those factor in to the scoreboard? Do you add frownies for the Guff points? I know the point is to erase them if students try harder, but what if you can't erase them all and you have points left? Do you add one mark for Guff or a mark for each word said?

Also, what do you do in the situation when a student will not stay on task? I have students who I have to say "John get to work" a million times during a lesson. The new excuse they like to use is "I'm thinking". I know that would be a GUFF mark, but would I put a frownie on the board each time I have to remind one of these students to work? Do you punish the whole group for someone who is continuously off task?

I'm really trying to wrap my head around how WBT can be used with so many small groups. The logistics of it are confusing me at this pint. Really, I am all over the place during the day. Some of the time I have to teach a group in a class while another teacher is teaching the class! I need something that isn't overly complicated with a lot of charts, ect. to keep track of.

You are asking lots of great questions, many of the same questions I had before I went to a Whole Brain Teaching Conference - the conference really cleared up a lot of my questions.

Friday Rewards: When I do a Friday reward, my students play all week long to earn time. They bank time based on the scoreboard, if they win by two points, then that is 2 minutes added to their Friday reward time. I don't use this every week, typically we do more/less homework but sometimes we do the weekly reward. I use the time to play a game, like Mind Soccer or one of the other review games they like to play.

3 +/- Rule: WBT rule of thumb, at any given time smileys and frownies should never be anyomore than three away from each other. If the students get too many smileys then they quit trying, if they get too many frownies that give up.

Guff Points: These are never actually added to the scoreboard (but they don't know that). The point of the guff counter is to unite the class against the person giving you guff. In my class if someone gives guff, I just have to say, "Wow, that sounded a little like guff - where's my chalk" - and the whole class shouts "Please - stop"
A person who is continously off task, may need Power Detention or the Bulls Eye game, we do not routinely punish the whole class for one persons mistakes - but we do use peer pressure to get students to do what they are supposed to do.

I hope this helps....

I would love to go to a conference and see this stuff first hand! I'm just waiting for one to come near me.

Let me see if I'm understanding your Friday time. So if you had 3 smilies and 1 frownie you would give 2 minutes of time for that day? If this works then I would mostly have them do education games for that free time, but sometimes throw in some just for fun stuff. I wouldn't tell them what they were working for. It would be a surprise.

Is my thinking on the 3+- correct? Say there are 6 frownies, then there should not be more than 9 smileys or less than 3 smileys, correct?

I understand that after the students catch on that the are supposed to say "please stop!" to the Guffer, but what about when you are just getting started? I would think that you would have to mark it in the beginning to get the point across, but what do you do with those marks?

I haven't figured out how I would use the bulls eye technique. I have SOOOOO many students and it could get overwhelming very fast. Plus, it sounds like you are supposed to talk to the student and rehearse the rules, ect. after each session. The problem is when one group is over then I have another group coming in. I just don't have any spare minutes to have individual conferences with so many students.

Here's what I don't get. I suggested on another thread that you send me an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we could arrange a phone conversation ... you have some wonderful problems, but I don't think they can be most efficiently solved via email. Let's chat on the phone.

I have posted to try to help answer these on the Whole Brain Teaching forum at atozteacherstuff.com.

My number one suggestion, above all others, is to go ahead and email, and then call Chris Biffle. He is extremely personable, and THE expert on applying this method. He is offering personal help. Take him up on it.

Keep the questions coming, but first, email/call Chris Biffle.

We are all here to help.

Really and truly, Chris and Jeff have been amazing!!! I started using WBT this year and, like you, had a million questions. It seemed they were both ALWAYS ready with a supportive and practical email response! Then Chris and I chatted on the phone and he is SO helpful!!! But eventually, you just have to just start. But start strong and with confidence. Don't worry if you don't know all the games and if you don't use ALL of WBT techniques. You can always add....have fun:)

First of all, I have to say, I empathize with you. You are where I was recently.

I also teach small groups - 8 of them a day - and I have also been asking lots of questions, because I had the same fear - that I wouldn't do it right. So I started with just a couple of the concepts at first, and it's worked great! I finally decided that even if I don't do it right at first, it's like anything else - it will get better with practice. I figure I'm practicing now so that at the beginning of next year, I'll be that much more sure of myself.

Yesterday I went to my first conference. All the questions I had were answered. Seeing the Whole Brain Teaching in action made it all come together.

The conference is free, but I paid for my flight, a rent-a-car, a motel, etc. However, I have to say, IT WAS WORTH EVERY PENNY! Compared to all the grad courses I've ever taken, the Whole Brain Teaching conference is the best thing I've ever done for my career. Not only does it teach you how to teach with some of the most current brain-based research out there, but it also teaches you how to manage your classroom in a way that is fun for your students and fun for you. I can't recommend it highly enough!

In the meantime, start out simple. Start with the rules, Class-Yes, and the Scoreboard. Do that until you feel comfortable with it. Then move on to something else that seems doable to you. Watch the videos over and over of the concept you want to learn. Read about it in the downloads. Don't worry about being perfect. And don't worry about not knowing how to do everything all at once. Just do something. You'll be so glad you did!