What should you do when your students lose interest in your classroom management routine? You can use a classroom VIP table to inspire students to be their best. After reading, you’ll learn:

• what is a class VIP table?

• how to set up your VIP table.

• how to choose a VIP student.

What is a VIP Table?

A VIP table is a classroom management strategy that you can use to highlight the positive behavior that you are looking for in your classroom.

The table is a special place that a student or two may sit at for a given amount of time. At the table, students are able to use special supplies.

The VIP gets a special note sent home to their parents telling them about how their great behavior earned them the privilege to sit at the VIP table.

Students may also nominate a classmate that they think has been exhibiting VIP behavior.

Setting Up Your VIP Table

Your VIP table doesn’t have to be fancy! You can use whatever table you can find in your classroom or furniture closet.

Think about what you can do to make the table stand out from the rest of the tables in your classroom.

Can you move the table to the front of the room or in another prominent place?

I like to hang a tassel banner next to the table and pom poms from the ceiling to show that it’s an important place to be!

The most important feature of the VIP table is the supply caddie!

It is my students favorite part of being a VIP! They get to use the special supplies!

Some of the things that I have included in the caddie are Mr. Sketch Markers, colored pencils, glitter glue, hand sanitizer, stickers, stamps, fancy pencils, pencil sharpeners, and VIP sunglasses.

The last thing that completes the VIP table is the poster next to the table that reminds students of the ways that they can sit at the VIP table.

Choosing Students to Be a VIP

How do you choose students who are going to be VIPs? There are many ways that you can go about selecting your students.

I use sticks and pull a student’s name. I watch how their day goes and if they have a great day, then they are the VIP the following day. If they needed to work on their behavior, I put their name back into the jar, and we would not have a VIP that day.

Another way is to select a student that you see going above and beyond throughout the day on their academic work or doing great with social emotional learning.

Students may also use nomination forms to highlight a student that they have noticed exemplifying VIP behavior. You can also ask other teachers to help you with nominations.

My students and I look forward to seeing who the new VIP is going to be for the day. I love hearing their cheers when I announce the name of our honorary remember of the VIP club! The VIP table has not only become an integral part of my behavior management plan, but it has also become a way for my class to build classroom community by encouraging one another and building positivity.