FUN IDEAS FOR CLASSROOM REWARDS
I’m writing this in mid April… you know, that time of year when the behavior plan you’ve had in place all year long suddenly seems to be cracking. No worries. It’s probably just time for spring break. A little time away is good for everyone. And when the little muffins return, everything will be back to normal. Right?
Probably. I mean, sure.
I’ve gone through my fair share of classroom management plans over the years. A few even make me cringe a little when I think back on them. One thing I can say is that I never used a treasure box. It wasn’t that I necessarily had any internal conflict with the idea. But I was teacher-poor and there just wasn’t room in my personal budget for trinkets… even the cheap ones.
So I got creative and wondered, “What would my kids like that is actually free for me?”
PSST… ASK THE KIDS
I only had to go as far as my own students to discover a pretty long list of things they considered to be fun rewards. Some were strong ideas, but undoable like, “No tests for a whole month,” and “Triple recess every day.” However, most were keepers.
I was shocked by how many of their ideas sounded like jobs, but each of us are wired differently and I was reminded that some children get a lot of satisfaction from leading or serving others. Who am I to limit the ideas of what’s rewarding? If you want to collect the recyclables every afternoon, go for it!
There was also a footwear trend among their input. Some wanted to work without their shoes on. Others wanted to wear slippers. (I actually get the slipper one.)
I also underestimated the relationship between supply and demand on our playground. Apparently there aren’t enough swings for everyone who actually wants to swing. So, “FIRST PICK ON THE PLAYGROUND” was a very popular reward.
Ask your students to share their ideas for classroom rewards. You can create a set that’s unique to your children or try these FUN CLASSROOM COUPONS.
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION VS. EXTRINSIC REWARDS
When I first started teaching, this was a hot button topic. You were on one side or the other (and trust me… the message was clear that there was a right side). Over the years, I think we’ve relaxed and met on the common ground that both are beneficial, healthy, and normal. I mean would you continue to go to weddings if you knew you weren’t going to get free cake and champagne? Be honest.😂
I whole-heartedly believe in HELPING CHILDREN SET AGE-APPROPRIATE GOALS and creating action plans to reach them. And I believe meeting the goal is, in fact, rewarding. If you’ve ever seen a first grader reach a hard-fought math goal or overcome a particular reading challenge, you know what I’m talking about. It’s SO rewarding, they can’t wait to set the next goal! You can have a healthy classroom culture with a balance of both intrinsic and extrinsic elements.
INDIVIDUAL OR WHOLE-CLASS REWARDS?
That’s up to you. But my answer is both. In this set of CLASS COUPONS, there are rewards that are more appropriate for individuals such as:
- PICK YOUR SPOT ON THE RUG
- ONE DAY DOOR HOLDER PASS
- FIRST PICK AT RECESS
But there are also loads of ideas for whole-class achievements, like:
- READ ANYWHERE IN THE ROOM
- SUPER SLIPPERS DAY
- BRING A STUFFED FRIEND TO SCHOOL
Whatever your district’s or school’s policies are about classroom management systems, if you need a little extra oomph to get over any seasonal hurdles, try these coupons within your existing plan, especially if you’re spending your own money.
To save time in the long run, laminate the coupons for durability. When a child “redeems” a coupon, it can be turned back in. In this way, they’re available to be used over and over, year after year. You can even save ink and print the coupons on colored paper instead.👇
GRAB THESE IDEAS FOR CLASSROOM REWARDS
Happy teaching!
