We are Bucket Fillers!

In our classroom, we will be practicing being “bucket fillers”! The concept of being a bucket filler comes from Carol McCloud’s book Have You Filled A Bucket Today? The concept is based around the idea that everyone carries around an invisible bucket. Throughout the day, your invisible bucket can either be filled or dipped into. It can be filled by the kind things that you do for others or that others do for you. A bucket filler is someone who shows positive character traits (kind, considerate, caring, respectful, helpful). A bucket dipper is some who does not exhibit these positive character traits (disrespectful, bullying, interrupting others, not sharing or taking turns). When our buckets are full, we feel happy and when our buckets are empty we feel sad.

In our classroom, we want to strive to have bucket fillers. We will be reading and re-reading Have You Filled A Bucket Today? so that we fully understand the traits of a bucket filler. In our room we will have a classroom bucket that anyone can fill. Whenever any student or group of students does something that demonstrates a “bucket filling trait”, we will add a fluffy (pom-pom) to our bucket. There are times when we can add more than one fluffy to our bucket. For example, if a group of students chooses to include a student in their play, we can add more than one fluffy. Just as the book reminds us, there are times when we choose to be bucket fillers. In turn, our classroom bucket can be dipped into. When students make choices that are not bucket filling choices, we will remove a fluffy from our bucket.

Once our classroom bucket is filled we will have a class celebration! This will be determined by me. Some examples of class celebrations would be an extra free choice period, outside play time (weather permitting), a movie, etc.

I believe that the bucket filling whole class reward system is another important piece to our behavior plan. It helps children understand the difference between good and bad choices not only in the classroom but at home. Having it be the whole class working toward the goal allows students to see that we must work together to have a positive and safe classroom. I also find that having the classroom bucket physically in the room helps students to better understand how their actions and words have an effect on others.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year with a fantastic group of bucket fillers!