A REWARD SYSTEM THAT WORKS

MIDDLE SCHOOL:

I have used the following "ticket reward system" with my toughest middle school groups and it is remarkable how much it changed the dynamic of the class. 

The biggest reason I chose this system is because it helped ME change my own attitude. Those rough and tumble groups of middle school kids can be absolutely disheartening to a teacher and it is easy to become bitter when you constantly have to correct bad behavior. 

However, when I focused my mind and heart on noticing good behavior, it enabled me to develop a much better rapport with the kids. Having a positive relationship makes all the difference.





How it works: 

1. THE TICKET: a small slip of colored paper that the teacher quietly gives to a student who is:

• following directions, 
• sitting quietly, 
• working quietly, 
• listening respectfully, 
• complementing others, etc. 
• whatever behaviors the teacher values and wants to acknowledge.

The teacher doesn't have to say a word; s/he simply walks by the student's table and places the ticket in front of the student. There is no interruption of the flow of the lesson because this recognition is non-verbal.

2. The student who receives the ticket writes his/her name on it and puts it in a jar on the teacher's desk. (I had my students do this at the end of class - it was too disruptive for kids to get up in the middle of the lesson.)

 3. The teacher (without looking) draws one random name from the jar on Fridays and that student can pick out a "prize." Most of the time the student with a lot of tickets in the jar wins the prize, but occasionally one of the kids who struggles the most with behavior will win. 

note; I separated the tickets from each class in a Ziplock baggie (you could also have a different jar for each class.)

4. THE PAYOFF: students are praised non-verbally for good behavior and they are encouraged in the fact that the teacher noticed them doing well.

It really isn't about the prize - it is about kids getting noticed for doing right, not just when they misbehave. 

Also, I found that I didn't need to go overboard with handing out tickets to kids; one day I would hand out a bunch of tickets, and then I would only give out a couple of them for a few days. The times in my career when I needed to have this "token economy" were rare, and after a month or so it would be phased out. 

NOTE: research shows that when using a reward system of any kind, unpredictability is very important. If the kids are rewarded too much the system can backfire, drowning students' intrinsic motivation.



ELEMENTARY SCHOOL:


"WIGGLY, GIGGLY, CLASS" 
(idea from elementary art educator and art therapist Tarin Majure, MA, ATR)
Give & Take Rewards:
1. Each student is given 5 items, say paperclips, that are placed in front of them on the table.
2. During the course of the class a paperclip is removed any time a student exhibits unwanted behavior (be sure students are clear as to exactly what are unwanted behaviors).
3. Students who retain all of their paperclips receive a reward (a special free draw activity, a piece of candy, etc.)
* To really inspire students, use 3 - 5 pieces of candy and they get to keep the ones they don't lose.

Note about elementary rewards:

Michael Linsin admits that elementary “specials” have a greater challenge due to seeing much higher numbers of students less often and there is not as much opportunity to develop “leverage.” 

Although he discourages rewarding good behavior, he admits that it can be beneficial for the elementary art classroom. He recommends that elementary art teachers set up whole-class reward systems. 

Also, he does not believe in tangible rewards at all, only intangible things such as “bragging rights” such as; “We have the best-behaved class this week,” etc.  

Check out this article at www.theartofed.com: 

"A Classroom Management Strategy Elementary Art Teachers Can't Live Without" 

Editor's note: Managing student behavior involves far more than discipline techniques. In order to create an environment for student success, the teacher needs to provide quality instruction as well as appropriate motivation. Most importantly, the teacher needs to have the right attitude for leadership in the classroom. Finally, having a solid classroom management plan with rules and procedures set up from the beginning of the year is also extremely important - students need to be very clear about what the teacher's expectations are.

disclaimer: These are a set of ideas about being proactive in teaching based on classroom experience as well as various education authors. Many times there are circumstances in the classroom that are beyond any teacher's control, especially when serving at-risk populations or in environments where those in administration fail to provide effective leadership in a school. Sometimes, regardless of the prevailing theories about teacher responsibility, the teacher is not to be blamed for out of control students. Finally, we do NOT recommend that you put any of these strategies into practice if your administration disagrees with them. 

article by Mrs. Anna Nichols