24 January 2012

Are You A Bucket Filler?

Are you a bucket filler?  This year has been the year of encouragement through our bucket filling program.  As early finishers, my students are allowed to write messages to their friends and deposit their kind notes into the recipients bucket.  I noticed the kids messages started out meaningful and most recently became superficial.  Sooo... the teacher in me decided to find a way to encourage positive praise.  I decided to send the kids electronic bucket fillers.  These really help build our writing stamina and encourage deeper messages.  I displayed the message with the LCD projector.  The kids loved that they received an email.  So. Simple!  Afterwards, the kids and I began writing a few messages to various classrooms.  We have received positive feedback.

You can send your own electronic bucket fillers here. 

You'll find some useful bucket filling resources here.

I want to fill your bucket too. Please read here!!!
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15 comments:

  1. BarbaraJanuary 24, 2012 at 7:50 PM

    You are an EXPERT bucket filler! Thanks for sharing your creative touch with us. Love, love, love it!

    Carol McCloud is coming to Houston in June - I can NOT wait! I'd love to get her to sign a bookplate (or your actual book!) for you - let me know if that's something you'd like.

    Sending smiles,

    Barbara
    The Corner On Character

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  2. ErinJanuary 24, 2012 at 8:22 PM

    Today was a really difficult day for me in the classroom.... No one was filling any buckets! Then I came across your post. Perfect timing.

    Many thanks ... Erin egiles@cisdv.bc.ca

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  3. AliJanuary 24, 2012 at 8:26 PM

    You have inspired me to be a better teacher! You have such great ideas and always share! Thank you for all you do!

    I need to revisit bucket filling in my room as well....it seems some students are choosing the path of a dipper!

    Ali
    alischepis(at)gmail.com

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  4. CupcakeJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:04 PM

    Thank you for filling my bucket today! :)

    A Cupcake for the Teacher

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  5. YearntoLearnJanuary 24, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    Blogs like yours fill my bucket everyday.


    Yearn to Learn Blog

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  6. Run Teacher Run!January 24, 2012 at 9:57 PM

    Love Bucket Filling. Another school in our district decorated some trash cans and made them into colorful buckets and the kids nominate each other for good things! It brightens the hallways, and makes it a school-wide focus. Hoping to do it next year!


    Mary Beth
    Run Teacher, Run

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  7. KarynJanuary 24, 2012 at 11:21 PM

    I love bucket filling! I'm grateful to you for sharing your bucket filling ideas and for the cute "bucket filler drop" that you made for all of us that follow your blog. Your blog is one of my favorites and you are inspiring me to start my own blog (hopefully soon) so I can share too!

    Kideducator@comcast.net

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  8. maryJanuary 25, 2012 at 12:22 AM

    thanks for the idea, i started buckets last year and have continued. the students really like having their own buckets. thanks for sharing. mary at apopovic@primus.ca

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  9. Jo, aka, The Book BugJanuary 25, 2012 at 12:40 AM

    Thanks for sharing so many of your ideas with the rest of us. You are reaching kids you don't even know because you cared enough to share your ideas with others. And that's what teaching is all about! =)

    ~Jo
    jnase1@gmail.com
    http://mrsnthebookbug.blogspot.com/
    http://bit.ly/atbotws and
    http://www.facebook.com/ATBOT

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  10. EmilyJanuary 25, 2012 at 6:36 AM

    I believe that bucket-filling has changed my classroom culture in so many ways.

    Thanks for always sharing your great ideas with us and providing inspiration to keep the bucket filling going. =)

    Emily
    Second Grade Silliness 

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  11. Jennifer K.January 25, 2012 at 12:39 PM

    Your blog always fills my bucket! I love reading all of your wonderful ideas! Thanks for sharing!

    Jennifer @ Herding Kats In Kindergarten

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  12. Buzzin' on Cupcakes in 1st Grade!January 25, 2012 at 2:28 PM

    I absolutely LOVE reading your blog! You have such great ideas and great freebies! You are amazing and I thank you for taking the time to blog about your days at school!

    Marcy
    Buzzin’ on Cupcakes!

    busybeesandcupcakes at gmail dot com

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  13. jenJanuary 25, 2012 at 5:22 PM

    i love reading your great ideas! Thank you for sharing all that you do!

    msob123@gmail.com

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  14. Mrs. SaoudJanuary 26, 2012 at 9:36 PM

    Oh.My.Goodness! @Barbara I'm just reading your messages now and saw your wonderful offer to get my copy of Have You Filled a Bucket Today? signed by Carol McCloud. YES!!! I'd love to have her sign my copy. I will email you.

    Thanks,

    Cheryl

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  15. Heather's HeartJune 2, 2012 at 8:46 PM

    Thank you for being a bucket filler to all of your readers and to all of the little hearts you are touching through inspiring us to be better teachers and examples to our kiddos.

    Filling buckets has been one of the most powerful and encouraging things I have done in Our School Family. We fill Our School Family bucket with helpful hearts (heart beads). The kiddos go and tell the person they are adding the heart for "I am going to add you a helpful heart for_____________". That child answers them by saying "Thank you for noticing that". At the end of the year everyone makes a helpful heart bracelet to remind them to be a helpful heart and a bucket filler.

    I just shared a picture of my kiddos and their bracelets. I would love for you to come and check it out. =)


    Heather
    Heather's Heart

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