Ideas for Teachers
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1) Group Rewards, 2) Banking Day and
3) Questions from Colleagues
1) Group Rewards
From Jan Augusta (jaugusta@tolland.k12.ct.us), a second grade teacher in Connecticut:
"For group rewards, I have my students' desks in four groups of 4 or 6
and then reward each group with a tally mark on the board. Tallies can be given
for the group being ready, good listening, cleared desk, clear floor, working
well together, completed work, etc. On Friday, the group that has the most tallies
can pick from the prize box. I order many things from Oriental Trading Company.
Sometimes the items relate to the curriculum (Solar System, magnets) or season
(snowflakes, snowmen). I also look at party shops for packs of little gifts
for loot bags. Favorite prizes are coupons for 'No Homework', 'Extra 10 min.
on computer' and 'Lunch in the classroom with a friend'. I have found that the
prize itself doesn't matter -- it's the fact that they earned it. I make sure
the same group doesn't always win, and I change seats the beginning of each
new month."
2) Banking Day
From Diane Bell (dilynnbell@yahoo.com), a third grade teacher at Pulaski Elementary
in Pulaski, Pennsylvania:
"Our third grade classes have been using one of the best incentives I have
ever seen. Play money is given for various things such as completed homework,
perfect class attendance, bringing back parent signed papers, etc. (Students
keep their money in banks donated by area banking institutions.) Students are
also occasionally 'charged' with a fee for breaking a class rule. Every month,
we have Banking Day when students count their money (math money skills!), return
the play coins to me, and enter the amount into a real check register. The students
can visit Bell's Store where they can spend their money. (I get yard sale items
from my family or students' families, dollar items I see when shopping, or other
items that would be tossed by others when cleaning. Absolutely anything will
work.) I price my store items accordingly and when the students buy things,
they must adjust their check registers to reflect what they've spent and what
they have left. This activity does many things: reinforces positive behaviors,
reinforces money skills, recycles good usable items, etc. I also like to see
how many items students will buy for others in their family instead of just
for themselves!"
3) Questions from Colleagues:
Question: From Barbara Roth (barbmae@verizon.net), a third grade teacher:
"I love the idea of the punch card and the treasure chest. I've heard of
the treasure chest many times before. Any suggestions of what really inexpensive
things I can put in there? Would something like big stickers be ok? I don't
want to get into any competition as to what one gets from the treasure chest
or trying to think of things to put in it. I suspect that anything would be
ok, but just wondering what others have used."
Answer: From Mary Beth Solano (Nuevayo5@aol.com), an ELA teacher at Timnath
Elementary in Timnath, Colorado:
"I put out an 'all call' to teachers and parents (through an article in
our school newsletter and the teacher's lounge bulletin board) accepting donations
of any 'clean out your toy box' items, willing to accept anything, but especially
looking for old 'Happy Meal' type prizes or other 'trinkets' won here and there
and not used any more. You'd be amazed at what parents are grateful to part
with, and the price couldn't be better. I use the same technique to add to my
class library, asking for donations of 'once loved but grown out of books' from
older students' home book shelves. They recycle perfectly for use by my younger
students."
New Question: From (smazurco@peoplepc.com):
"I am looking for creative ideas to start the year in a foreign language
classroom grades 6-8, perhaps the 1st or 2nd day of school before getting into
the textbook chapters."
Answer: (?)
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