Mrs. Swamp Day

This year, I have a very energetic and challenging class. About a month or so ago, the students were struggling to keep themselves under control and behave in a respectful manner. I decided to tell them if they did not regain their self control and behave correctly, they would have a Mrs. Swamp day. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Miss Nelson is Missing, I will give you a quick summary. Miss Nelson is a teacher who is teaching a very challenging and disrespectful class. Nothing is working and the students are not behaving. One day, a substitute, Mrs. Swamp, arrives. Mrs. Swamp is very strict and mean. The students do not like her. Mrs. Swamp is there for a few days and the students really want Miss Nelson to return. Eventually, Miss Nelson returns and the students are so grateful and happy to have her back. The students now realize what a wonderful teacher Miss Nelson is and their behavior greatly improves so they don't have Mrs. Swamp return. 

I wrote Mrs. Swamp on the board and told them every time I had to stop for interruptions or students were disrespectful, I would erase a letter. If they had letters left at the end of the day, Mrs. Swamp would not be there. However, if all the letters were erased, Mrs. Swamp day would follow. The first day, they did very well. The second day, their true colors came out and they earned Mrs. Swamp. 

For Mrs. Swamp Day, I copied a stack of worksheets for them to do, numbered them, and set them out on my table. 

On the board, I wrote:

1. Take worksheet #1. Do both sides. SHOW ME. 

2. Take worksheet #2. Do both sides. SHOW ME.

3. Take worksheet #3. Do both sides. SHOW ME....and so on like that. They were not allowed to talk and could barely move. I had so much fun playing Mrs. Swamp. 

The stack of worksheets they got to work on during Mrs. Swamp Day. 

The best news is they have been incredibly amazing since that day. I just have to ask if Mrs. Swamp needs to return and they immediately shape up. :)