Are you looking for a different way to manage behaviour in your classroom?
Motivate your students with ‘brag tags!’
Focusing on positive behaviour and giving positive feedback is crucial to help motivate your students. Brag tags are a great reminder of good behaviour, they also help the teacher remember to give positive feedback to students in a busy classroom environment.
What are Brag Tags?
Brag tags are an exciting, year round classroom incentive system! They are small tags that are collected on a lanyard. Students can wear their brag tags around the classroom, however, for safety reasons, I would suggest having them displayed on a display board during play times.
Students receive brag tags when they are demonstrating positive behaviour in the classroom, or even in the playground. They collect as many as they can through out the year!
Get Organised!
Firstly, you need to get laminating and cutting! Use good quality laminating sheets to ensure the brag tags last! I would suggest using some laminating sheets from a stationery store such as Officeworks. Here is a tip – you don’t need to cut out the brag tags first, then laminate, then trim again! Simply laminate the whole sheet of paper and then cut out! Put on your favourite TV show to make this time pass quickly! ?
To save time during the year – I would print and laminate as many of each brag tag as possible!
Use a singular hole punch to put holes at the top of each tag so that they are ready to go!
How to Store Brag Tags
Getting the right storage system for your brag tags will save you time and frustrations during the year. Making them easy to find is what you want! There are a number of storage systems you could use.
In this first example, I have simply used a large container with rubber bands to keep the bundles of brag tags together!
In this second example, I have used smaller containers for each brag tag and used one stuck to the lid, this makes it easier to find the brag tag you want!
There are a number of different options are available at Officeworks including the Keji 8 compartment organiser.
Brag Tag Lanyards and Classroom Display
I get nervous when I see pictures of the brag tag chains other people use with young children. I would prefer to use safety lanyards! Officeworks have a large selection of lanyards that you can purchase. They have a safety clip at the back of the lanyard, in case it gets pulled!
I found these brightly coloured lanyards at my local newsagent, however, I have also seen them at my local cheap shop!
When students are not wearing their brag tags around the classroom. I would display them on a classroom notice board.
Print out our Brag Tags Banner and the Name Tags – Abstract Spots for each student’s name. Place a hook under each student’s name so that they can hang their brag tag lanyard!
Rules for the Brag Tags
When setting up this incentive system in your classroom, it is imperative that your students understand how it works and the rules!
As a class, brainstorm a set of rules for the brag tags. For example; only the teacher can choose who earns the brag tags, brag tags are to be worn in the classroom only, look after your brag tags…
There may be other rules you wish to implement in your classroom – make sure your students understand these at the beginning of the year!
Brag Tag Ceremony
How many brag tags you give to your students is up to you. Most teachers give each student one or two a week.
Alternatively, you may wish to provide only a handful of students brag tags in a week.
A cute idea is to hold a brag tag ceremony at the end of each week. Perhaps the Principal could be invited for a couple through out the year! Make it really special!
Who’s Bragging?
Have you used our brag tags in your classroom? We would love to hear how it is going!
Leave us a comment in this blog or tag us in a photo on Instagram @teachstarter (#teachstarter).
I love your idea Melanie! I have just started a Year 1-2 class and a visit to our Principal every 15 tags is brilliant. Thank you
I use these daily in the classroom. During the week, I also send a couple with the my Teacher Aide, specialist teachers - PE, Music, Library and Science. The aim is to earn 15 to qualify a visit to the Deputy Principal to brag about your tags. The students LOVE it!
Hi Melanie, Thank you for your lovely comment. I am so glad you are enjoying our resources.
I love this idea! Has anyone ever used it in an upper primary classroom? I have a 5/6 class and think they would also love it, but would appreciate any feedback from people who have used it in a similar aged class. Thanks! :-)
I used a variation of brag tags in my year 6 class. Though I came into their class half way through the year and they were used to prizes. I used the tags as tickets they could earn to get prizes (though the most popular was using the teacher's chair). I also had a special prize for the student who could earn every tag and a class reward for reaching a set number of tags in the term (movie day with popcorn). This year I have year 3 and I'm going to try brag tags without prizes.
Hi Natalie, I know of some teachers that have implemented in their classroom for this age group. They have used a brag book rather than the brag tags on the lanyards. I hope this helps as a suggestion? Kind regards, Holly
I am considering using them a little differently. Rather than having a lanyard, I thought about having a 'brag booklet' to glue in the tags received with the date at the bottom. At the end of each term we send home each child's portfolio with completed work and they could be sent home to share with parents then. What are your thoughts?
I'm absolutely going to set this up this year. I'm a new teacher, in a Year 2 classroom... I think these brag tags will go beautifully with my growth mindset/always learning approach. Thanks!!