The Cone Game

Have you ever had a class of students that the normal level of noise is LOUD? Well that is me this year. I feel like I am constantly having students check themselves for the noise level, especially during Centers time. Well, if that sounds familiar, let me introduce you to "The Cone Game." Before ever starting this game, you set all your expectations and explain to the students how the game works. Here's how it works...put the cone on a student's desk who is meeting all your expectations, and tell them the game is beginning. If you see that some students are not meeting the expectations, you call out a code word. In my class it's "Monitor" -- meaning  monitor your voices. I know that code word is kind of lame, but hey, it works. The student who has the cone has to find another student who is meeting expectations and put it on their desk. If the students ask for the cone, they can't have it. At the end of Centers, the student who has the cone gets some small reward, etc. Hopefully this is an idea you can use. It sure has helped in my class.