More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education.
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One of the biggest successes I've had with students is giving them small goals that they can work towards, prizes that they can receive just for doing the best work that they can! A student who can have the anticipation of digging into a treasure box is a student who is giddy to learn and preform!
We, as adults, know that our education is the ultimate prize; we look back on our schooling and know that the things we learned are the things that have made us who we are, but 11 and 12 year olds haven't realized that yet. For these students, coming to school each day is a chore. They come because their parents make them. They come because there is nothing better to do. And sometimes they only come because it's the only food they will get that day. As a teacher I find it to be so difficult to awaken some of those students from their feelings of animosity towards their education, yet the moment I say "everyone who scores a 100 on the quiz will get to draw from the treasure box" is the moment that there is an alertness in their eyes and that drive to win.
Each object selected was one that students in my class personal picked to be in the treasure box; these things are the treats that they have decided will best motivate them. In addition to the chosen treats is a foot locker to serve as the treasure box. Things like stress balls, candy treats etc are also great because they don't steal a student's focus from their task. Rather these rewards are small enough to be helpful but not distracting, the perfect balance!
About my class
One of the biggest successes I've had with students is giving them small goals that they can work towards, prizes that they can receive just for doing the best work that they can! A student who can have the anticipation of digging into a treasure box is a student who is giddy to learn and preform!
We, as adults, know that our education is the ultimate prize; we look back on our schooling and know that the things we learned are the things that have made us who we are, but 11 and 12 year olds haven't realized that yet. For these students, coming to school each day is a chore. They come because their parents make them. They come because there is nothing better to do. And sometimes they only come because it's the only food they will get that day. As a teacher I find it to be so difficult to awaken some of those students from their feelings of animosity towards their education, yet the moment I say "everyone who scores a 100 on the quiz will get to draw from the treasure box" is the moment that there is an alertness in their eyes and that drive to win.
Each object selected was one that students in my class personal picked to be in the treasure box; these things are the treats that they have decided will best motivate them. In addition to the chosen treats is a foot locker to serve as the treasure box. Things like stress balls, candy treats etc are also great because they don't steal a student's focus from their task. Rather these rewards are small enough to be helpful but not distracting, the perfect balance!