Secret+Agent

Lynn Mayberry-Burke, grade 2 Introducing the Class Job of Secret Agent Standards: 1D, 3B, & 4A Materials: chart paper (optional) Time: 30 minutes Goal: Identify and recognize the positive contributions of students to our classroom community Lesson Steps: Gather the students in the meeting area and have them sit in a circle. Tell the students that we will be adding a new class job to our “Helping Hands” chart in our classroom. The job of the Secret Agent is to look for friends in our class who are being good friends, responsible, safe, respectful, etc. (We focused on our school’s Character Traits of the Month). Ask the children to think of things a person might do if s/he is being a good friend (or the character trait you choose to be your class’ focus). Share ideas with the whole group and write the examples down on the chart paper. Assessment/Activity: Tell the class that our Secret Agent will be someone who will secretly identify children during the week being a good friend. The Secret Agent will reveal himself or herself on Friday during our class meeting. We gather for our class meetings in our circle in our gathering area. Before the Secret Agent reveals himself or herself, our class likes to guess first who s/he is. Then we do a drum roll on our legs and the Secret Agent stands to cheers. The Secret Agent then tells the class who s/he saw during the week being a good friend (“I saw __being a good friend by__ _.”). The children who are identified by the Secret Agent receive an Eagle Pride coupon, which is connected to our class and school-wide reward systems. Each week we discuss the different character traits that the Secret Agent can look for students demonstrating. We also talk about how the Secret Agent can look for kids in the lunchroom, during recess, in line, in the classroom, in specials, etc. demonstrating the different character traits. I tell them that it is not possible for me to see all of the wonderful things they are doing in all areas of the school so I love hearing about these things from them. Being singled out by a peer is a source of great pride for the kids. They love our Secret Agent job, and it has been hugely successful.