“Make good choices” is one of those phrases that seems to come out of a teacher’s mouth without even thinking about it. You’re heading into the hallway, so you remind your students to make good choices. You send them off to centers and tell them to make good choices. You see a student about to do something questionable, give them the teacher look, and say, “Make a good choice.”
The problem is that “make good choices” doesn’t actually tell kindergarten students what you want them to do.
You know what you mean. You want them to follow the classroom rules, think before they act, and do what they’re supposed to be doing. But a five-year-old might have a very different definition of a “good choice.”
When it comes to kindergarten classroom management, clear and specific behavior expectations are much more useful than asking students to figure out what we mean.
Think about a student who realizes the rest of the class is halfway down the hallway and decides to run to catch up. You know running in the hallway doesn’t meet your expectations. But from that student’s perspective, running might seem like a pretty good solution to the problem.
Or maybe you’re teaching a whole group lesson and a student turns around to talk to their best friend. Obviously, that’s not what you want them doing. But maybe they really, REALLY need to tell their friend they have the same Pokémon shirt at home. That information is important. At least to them.
Kindergarteners aren’t necessarily choosing between behavior that is “good” and behavior that is “bad.” They’re making decisions based on what makes sense to them in that moment.
That’s one reason vague reminders like “make good choices” don’t always change kindergarten behavior. We’re asking students to interpret an expectation we haven’t actually stated.
There’s another problem with labeling behavior as a good choice or a bad choice. The appropriate behavior can change depending on where a child is, what they’re doing, and which grown-up is in charge.
Talking is a perfect example. During partner work or centers, you might WANT your kindergarten students talking. Ten minutes later, you’re giving directions and need those same students to stop talking and listen.
The behavior didn’t suddenly change from good to bad. The expectation changed.
The same thing happens when students move from your classroom to art, music, library, or another classroom. Different settings and different grown-ups can have different expectations.
As adults, we understand how to read a situation and adjust our behavior. That’s a lot to expect from real five- and six-year-olds when all we’ve told them is to “make a good choice.”
And it’s also why I’m not a huge fan of sorting behavior into red choices and green choices. Behavior and life aren’t always that black and white. Or red and green, I guess.
The context matters.
You’ve probably heard me say this before:
If students don’t understand the expectation, they can’t meet it.
“Make good choices” isn’t really an expectation. It puts the responsibility on a five-year-old to figure out what the grown-up means at that particular moment.
Instead, ask yourself one simple question:
What do I actually want them to do?
If whole group lessons at the carpet are falling apart, “make good choices at the carpet” could mean sitting in their own space, looking at you, keeping their hands to themselves, raising their hands, staying quiet, or about twelve other things.
You probably don’t need to work on all of those things at once.
In this episode, I’m sharing how to narrow down the problem, choose a specific behavior expectation, and make that expectation something you can actually teach, practice, and reinforce.
Because once you get specific, your students don’t have to guess what you mean.
You don’t need to make a giant list of everything your class needs to work on. That’s overwhelming for your students and for you.
Start with the ONE behavior that’s making your day harder right now.
Maybe it’s calling out during whole group. Maybe it’s talking in the hallway. Maybe it’s cleaning up after centers.
Choose one behavior and get really clear about what you want your students to do instead.
And remember the free Build-a-Reward Monster chart from last week’s episode? Pull that back out. In this episode, I’ll show you how to use it to reinforce that one specific behavior so your students know exactly what they’re working toward.
Simple systems build consistency. And when your students can see the goal and understand exactly what you’re looking for, it’s much easier for you to notice and reinforce the behavior you want to see more often.
Getting specific about behavior expectations doesn’t mean you need another complicated classroom management system.
It means making the expectation clear enough that a five-year-old can actually understand it.
And visuals can make a huge difference here. Visuals are a non-negotiable in kindergarten because they give students something concrete to connect to the words we’re using.
Instead of repeating a vague reminder all day and getting frustrated when it doesn’t work, you can teach a specific expectation, pair it with a visual, practice it, and reinforce it consistently.
That’s much more manageable for you and much clearer for your students.
The Kindergarten Management Toolbox is filled with behavior systems that help you do this with your whole class or an individual student.
You choose the specific behavior goal your students need to work on, make that goal clear and visual, and use a consistent system to reinforce it.
And when another behavior pops up later in the year, because kids are kids and we both know it will, you don’t have to start searching Pinterest or Instagram for another behavior chart or come up with a whole new plan.
Go to the Toolbox, choose the behavior you want to work on, find the system that fits, and start there.
You can join the Kindergarten Management Toolbox using the link below.
The next time you hear yourself saying, “Make a good choice,” ask yourself what you actually want that student to do.
Make it specific. Teach it. Practice it. Reinforce it consistently.
Because if students don’t understand the expectation, they can’t meet it.
You’ve got this.
The Kindergarten Management Toolbox gives you visual, easy-to-use behavior systems for the different challenges that pop up in a real kindergarten classroom. Choose the behavior you need to work on, find the system that fits, and make the goal clear for your students.
Teaching Exceptional Kinders Links and Resources:
The Kindergarten Writing Toolbox
The Kindergarten Management Toolbox
Follow me on Instagram @teachingexceptionalkinders
More about The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast
Welcome to The Kindergarten Toolbox Podcast, your go-to guide for creating calmer classrooms and more confident writers in the wonderfully unique world of kindergarten.
I’m Amy Murray — former kindergarten teacher, Type C “organized-in-piles” human, and vanilla-latte enthusiast. After years of helping teachers streamline their classroom routines with tips and tools that actually make sense for 5- and 6-year-olds, I created this podcast to support you with the practical strategies you’ve been craving.
Each episode is short, actionable, and designed to help you:
✔ simplify classroom management
✔ reduce behavior chaos with systems that stick
✔ teach writing in a way that meets beginning writers where they are
✔ build routines that make your day flow
✔ use visuals, tools, and expectations that really work in K
Whether you’re a brand-new kindergarten teacher or a seasoned pro looking for clarity and calm, you’ll find step-by-step support to help you feel more confident and in control.
Because kindergarten isn’t just the new first grade, it’s a world all its own, and you deserve tools that actually work.
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Here’s to calmer days and more confident writers!
