Warning Sticks From Darlene Roker, a fifth grade teacher at Vermont Avenue Elementary School: "Have you ever had a student who has one small but annoying habit? Calling out, talking out of turn, any of these can become a real problem when the habit persists. I now use Warning Sticks that are Popsicle sticks with the name of the student and WARNING on them. At the beginning of the week they receive five sticks in a plastic bag. Each time they speak at the wrong time I ask for a stick. The rule is that if they still have at least one stick left at the end of the week, they won't get any negative consequences. If they've lost all five, however, a letter home or another consequence will occur. Many students don't realize how many times you might warn them about their own habits. By having these sticks at their desks, it's a constant reminder of how many warnings they've already received. It also eliminates stopping the lesson to write a name."