Rewards, Incentives, and Prizes for Middle School Students

As I mentioned in my previous post, there are several different external rewards I use in my classroom.  They not only give the students something visible and tangible to work towards in the short term, it's just plain fun! Usually I give out 4-6 prizes when we do ticket drawings. {For more info on how I run my ticket system click the link}

My Rewards and Prizes

1. Sit in the teacher's chair: Who doesn't love a swivel chair??

2. Chew Gum in Class: With the expectation they will not pop it!

3. Sit with a friend during class: I am a big believer in assigned seating, so this is a special treat!
 
4. No Homework: Who doesn't need a night off?

5. Take a Quiz with a Friend:  Both students must submit a paper or Google Form, but they are allowed to collaborate during the quiz.  Usually I send them to the library to take it.

6. 10 minutes of Free Time:  I usually let them cash this one in on quiz and test days. They can get on the computer, draw, sleep, read, etc.

7. Pick candy from the bucket: I have a wide variety of candy for them to choose from: from lollipops to movie boxes of candy.

8. Ice Cream at Lunch: If they win this one, I tape the money needed, .75, to the back of the ticket.  They love it!

9. Cookie at Lunch:  I do the same thing with this one, tape the money to the back of the card.

10. Library Time: I let them cash this in when we are doing individual work, or if they get done early.

11. My Signature: This is a random one!  You have to sell it BIG time, make a huge deal of it, sign it in front of them.  It is always funny!

12.  5 Pencils: Because you know how they disappear into thin air and no one seems to have one. Ever.

13. First in the Lunch Line: I have no idea why the students always fight over the front of the line.  It's not like the food is going to go anywhere, but what do I know? Lining up for lunch is like the start of the Hunger Games.

14.  Class DJ for the Day: I play music while to students are writing for our bell ringer.  They always want to select a song! If a student wins this prize, they get to select the songs for the day.  They must give you the list ahead of time so you can make sure it's appropriate.

15. One Free Test Answer:  They can cash this in with you at any time you're taking a test.

16. One Free Question During a Test: This is different then the answer. They can ask you ONE question to help them figure out the answer.

17. Complete Class Assignment with a Friend: Always a favorite! They both must complete the assignment, but they can collaborate on it.

18. Get into the School Dance for Free: Most administration will not have a problem with you doing this, just make sure you clear it with them ahead of time. Same for the next item...

16. Get into a Sporting Event for Free
 
17. +5 points EC: I let them attach this to any assignment or test.

18. +10 points EC: Again, they can use this on whatever they feel they need to.

19. Free 100 on an assignment: They still have to complete the assignment, but they automatically get a 100.

20. Wear a hat for a day: You may only be allowed to do this in your classroom, and not the whole school.

21. 3 Extra Hall Passes: I give every student 3 hall passes every quarter. For someone who forgets stuff in their locker a lot, this is like gold to them!

22. Listen to music while working: Ever since we got the Chrome Book Cart, this is all the students want to do.  Maybe I'm old, but I just don't like them listening to their headphones when they are supposed to be working or reading. This is a big prize all students are excited to win.

23.  Computer Helper: This student gets to stand at my computer and run my Prezi or Presentation.

24. Ask the Teacher Anything: They get one personal question. I tell them on the front side that it can not be mean or inappropriate.  A lot of times it's, "Where did you meet your husband?" and questions like that.

25. Decorate my White Board: Students love to draw on the white board, and since I don't allow that on an everyday basis, they like this prize.

26. 5 Minutes of Funny Videos: They can take the last five minutes of class and watch funny Vine or AFV videos.

27. Leave Class 5 Minutes Early: Who doesn't like the extra time to get to their locker and go to the cold water fountain?!

28. Eat Lunch Outside with a Friend: Obviously this is a spring and early Fall prize.  Make sure to designate a spot where an adult can see them.

29. Teacher Assistant for the Day: They will pass out papers, erase the board, run errands, etc....

30. Sheet of Bubble Popping: I get a lot of these in my stuff from Amazon.  I set the expectation they will not pop it in my class or other classes.

31. 5 Minutes of Drawing Time: I give them a mini white board if they want, or white paper.

32. 5 Pencil Cap Erasers: They are always asking me for this!

33. Take a Selfie with the Teacher: Because that is always fun

34. Take a Groupie with the Class: I let them do this the last five minutes and EVERYONE has to been in the picture.

35. Show the Class Your Favorite Cat Video: Because everyone has at least one.

36. 5 Extra Minutes at Lunch: Make sure your clear this with the class that comes in after you.

37. Wear the Class Crown for a Day: Get one at the dollar store or Burger King. To make it extra fun, have everyone address them as Your Highness!

38. A Forever High Five: Trace your hand on a paper plate and attach a Popsicle stick as a handle.  The student who wins this can high five the plate whenever they feel they need one!

39. 10 Minutes of Computer Time: Most of the time they want to play Cool Math Games or get on YouTube.

40. Can of Spam: Always funny.  Set the expectation they have to open it at home.

41. Dust Bunny From my Room: I find a dust bunny, put it in a baggie, and give it away.  You have to play it up, make a big deal of it, let the winner name the bunny, etc.  Everyone always laughs and has a good time with this one!

42. Mini Bottle of Mustard: Because who doesn't need that?! Set the expectation they open it at home.

43. The Principals Signature: Again, play it up! Make it the biggest deal ever!

44. Can of Corn: Always funny!

45. 5 tickets: To use for the next drawing.

You can write these on your own cards, or if you want a set to start using ASAP, download here.

Let me know if you have any questions about how I do tickets and prizes in my classroom!

Happy Teaching,

Rewards for Middle School Students

Although I have extremely high expectations for my students, I do not expect them to come into my class with pocket fulls of intrinsic motivation.  Through my yearly mission of increasing and building their self purpose and motivation, I sprinkle in some fun tangible rewards to get them going.  These rewards range from dust bunnies I have found in popular teachers classrooms (yes, I really gave away dust in a bag. Funny thing is the students LOVED it.) to cans of Spam, to movie theater boxes of candy.  The trick is to intermix stuff they really want (candy) with random and off the wall things (mini bottles of mustard).



How to Start a Ticket System
    1. As students are doing what’s expected, or going beyond, give them a ticket. Tell them they are to write their name on the back, and save their tickets until the end of the week, month, quarter, etc.
    2. When you decide it’s time to draw for prizes, have the students turn all of their tickets in.
    3.  Have a grab bag of prizes ready. Pull out the prize first (this is key to get students excited about your random off the wall prizes!) Then pull out a ticket of the person who wins the prize. Watch the excitement unfold!

Tickets give students a tangible item to strive for. It’s instant gratification for good behavior.  The key is to scaffold the tickets.  I give out a ton of tickets the first couple of weeks of school, and then slowly decrease the amount of tickets and number of drawings I do.  By the end of the year, we are not even doing ticket drawings.  And shockingly, most students don't even notice!

Tomorrow I'm going to post the 48 rewards and incentives I use in my classroom!  If you would like a sneak peak, click here!








Happy Teaching,

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Increasing Motivation: The Effort Meter

Does anyone have those classes that are super hard to motivate?  The ones where the idea of a zero is not scary and reason enough to to the work.  I do... {insert heavy sigh}

I have tried several motivational strategies (tickets, rewards, praise, punishment) for those students who would just not do their work.

In a moment of frustration {and slight craziness}, I stomped to the white board and announced 7 people did their homework last night and promptly wrote it really big in red expo marker.

Then I announced we were going to do a little math lesson.  We counted how many students were in the class, 31, and I wrote it under the seven.  As a class we talked about how to find a percentage and I had the students figure out what percentage of students did their homework last night.

 Just 23%.

They were honestly shocked.

I kept the number on the board and told them we were going to see if we could increase the number the next time we had homework.  And they did.  Thus, The Effort Meter* was born.

 What do you do to increase student motivation in your classroom?

Happy Teaching,


*It's called The Effort Meter because I got tired of students saying they were not getting close to 100% turn in rate because they weren't "The Smart Class."  I tell them over and over it has nothing to do with what they have coined "smart" and has everything to do with effort.

 

Classroom Management Middle School Style: #Planb

Do you ever have those classes that are just crazy?  Like, if left to their own devices, would run around the room, throwing paper, stabbing each other with pencils crazy?

I have and I do.

I'm awful with keeping up with paperwork so unless a student does something completely outrageous, I don't write them up.

What I've done...instituted something I call #planb

What I do...
1.  Write #Planb on the board

2.  When the class gets a little rowdy, I put a strike under #planb
3.  When they get three strikes, I tell them in my kindergarten teacher calm voice {this freaks them out more than anything} "put everything away, plan A is no longer an option.  Your actions let me know you would prefer Plan b today. 
4.  I pass out the Plan B sheets that are always readily available.  NOTE:  This must be something completely boring that you will grade and hold them accountable for.

I make it so awful and boring that I usually only have to give it one or two times. 

Happy Teaching,

Classroom Management: Hall Passes

When I first started teaching I was in what we call "The Learning Cottage."  AKA: Trailer.

A trailer that sat pretty far away from the always requested bathroom and water fountain.

Students would ask to go to the bathroom and disappear for about 5-10 minutes.  It just took that long for them to trudge up the hallway, slowly use the bathroom, get water, and amble back to class.  By then they missed a whole mini lesson....super frustrating to me at the time and the students later on when they realized they didn't have a clue what was going on! My teacher sense told me they REALLY didn't have to go to the bathroom, they were just trying to escape my awesomeness {Sad face}

So I implemented the hall pass.

Get a reproducible sheet here

How it works...
1.  Each student gets three hall passes each quarter.
2.  If they need to go to the bathroom, locker, water fountain, etc they have to use one of their hall passes.
3.  When they hand it to me, I rip it up {in a nice, happy way!} and allow them to go to leave.
4.  Any hall passes left over at the end of the quarter may be turned in for extra credit on low test grades.

It has worked GREAT!  I still have students who ask to go to the bathroom.  However, when I ask for their pass they decide it's not worth it.

It's a win win if you ask me!  They stay in class to hear my amazing lesson and get a little boost on an assessment.

Awesome!

Happy Teaching,