Many of my students come from single parent homes where one or both parents may be incarcerated. Many of my students are below the average math and reading level for 6th graders, but they never give up trying. Many days I am providing supplies for my students just so they can write something down.
I know that positive reinforcement works best, and when they are receiving something tangible, it goes a long way.
My goal for this project is to provide incentives for a variety of things, such as completing their work without giving up, helping another student who is struggling, double checking their work, rewards for doing the right thing, etc.
Each quarter, our building incentive for students citizenship grades and class grades is a field trip that the students have to pay for. This is usually a fee that is more than most of my students can afford to pay. When asking them what they would like to receive as a reward for positive behaviors and attitudes, their response was very eye opening. They said, "A bag of chips, a candy bar, or a soda." Seeing that my students don't need big rewards, made an impression on me.
My Project
Rewarding my students with something that they have actually requested, makes the reward that much more valuable. When students see that teachers are listening and making note of what they are saying, I feel that my students are more likely to continue with those positive behaviors.
A bag of chips for having a positive attitude on a regular basis can go a long way with my students.
My team is planning to create our own incentives for positive behaviors that we see consistently. When this supply of snacks is visible in the classroom as a constant reminder, I know our students will change those attitudes.
Providing a snack isn't always just about having the right attitude. Providing a snack also feeds those students who are otherwise hungry. We eat lunch at 10:15 am; some kids stay after school until 4:15 pm without anything else to eat. Having these snacks available to them will help them focus better and stay on task longer. It also further shows how much teachers really do care about their students.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Sweeney and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
