Rah Rah Rah!

Wouldn't it be nice to have a personal cheerleader who followed you around with encouragement and support from time to time? Well I know a little boy who has recently acquired one! Each morning, I check on a handsome dark-haired first grader. He's working on improving his school behavior and is usually motivated to try hard. His teacher gives him a daily 1-10 behavior rating, and he colors the corresponding number of squares onto a vertical bar graph, which we call a rainbow chart. For example, if his score is a 7, he'll color in a stack of 7 squares. For the past two days, a chubby-cheeked classmate with a curly blonde pony tail has been following the boy and me out into the hall when I stop by to check on him. Yesterday, she carried a piece of construction paper filled with hot pink tally marks, sat herself down on the table and announced that she had been helping her friend remember to "be good". She then explained that each time she sees him doing something kind or responsible, she makes a mark, and she keeps these in groups of five in order to be able to count them quickly. Today, the "cheerleader" reported that her classmate had earned 106 points the previous day! The little girl's inclusion in our daily check-ins seems to be perfectly okay with the boy, who nods and grins as she explains her tally mark chart to me. As far as I know, this collaboration isn't causing a problem in the classroom, and it certainly seems to be helping my dark-eyed boy stay on track! I'm so impressed with this little blonde cherub's initiative and kind heart, and I know she'll grow up to be a loyal friend, a nurturer, and possibly even a school counselor
!