As a VIPKID teacher, choosing the perfect reward system for the next day can be daunting. You print and gather and soon have a messy classroom and feel no more prepared for the next day of class. It’s OK – we all started in the same place! After 3 years teaching ESL online I now have a full year of reward systems planned and ready to go. Today I’ll share my planning approach and share a free printable so that you can get organized for April.
SEASONAL BACKGROUND
To get ready for April, the first step for my classroom is a seasonal background. I use an oil drip pan like this one. I sprayed it with matte spray paint to avoid glare from my classroom lighting. I attached it to the wall using heavy duty velcro command strips. About once a year I touch up the paint but it has been a game changer.
The whiteboard, teacher name, and feedback sign stay in place all year. I add these easy seasonal letters to keep my background seasonal and I change them once a month. They can work as flashcards and props while keeping my classroom organized and seasonal.
Print your full-year set today. Cut, laminate, add magnets on the back and never be scrambling for a seasonal classroom decor solution again. I would love to see a picture of these letters in your classroom – tag me on Instagram@cookfamilyresources.
SEASONAL
Next, I choose a seasonal reward for each week of the month.
WEEK 1
My students love hearing about the tradition of an Easter egg hunt. We talked about hiding eggs indoors and outdoors. I share an Easter basket and we talk about how it is used. Young students might just learn some new vocabulary words such as “eggs” “rabbit” “chick” “chocolate” “look” but they are exposed to my culture and able to talk with their family about it after class. Parents always appreciate sharing in the excitement of another culture and I see a lot of parent feedback when I use Build-A-Scene reward systems such as this one.
WEEK 2
I always have large whiteboard markers and small whiteboard markers attached to my magnetic background. Coloring an egg together can be a simple reward that gives students the opportunity to make choices and practice their English in a way that also offers a brain break during the lesson.
WEEK 3
I use the same background with some friendly bunnies that are showing different activities. “What is the bunny doing?” is a sentence pattern that many of my students can handle and I always love incorporating grammar into my reward system time.
WEEK 4
Although talking about the weather each and every week can be boring, I do think there is something exciting about talking about the signs of spring. I love to ask students if snow is still on the ground, if they need to wear a coat when they go outside, and if they have seen any flowers yet. This reward system has so many choices of flowers so students can use their English to make a choice and make their reward system look just the way they way it to.
STAPLES
After I prepare a seasonal reward for each week, I choose a staple reward for each week. These are tried and true reward systems that work for all ages and genders. I can them to use expand upon our conversation for the students who need that and I can add them to my whiteboard quickly for students who need to keep moving through the content slides.
WEEK 1
As my own children prepare for their spring dance recitals and it is warm enough to enjoy their dress-up clothing again I find many of my students eager to share about their favorite princesses and dresses so this reward system is fun to use in April.
WEEK 2
I let my students know when my family is celebrating birthdays and after my daughter’s spring birthday I love to bring some of her cars to class to share. My students love to find their own cars and bring them to share with me.
WEEK 3
If you have a big collection of 2D props like I do, having gift boxes allows you to hide any prop on your desk quickly. This is a great way to sneak in extra review of the vocabulary words in the lesson of the day.
WEEK 4
These googly eye stickers from the dollar store were glued on craft foam to last a long time. They come with this cardboard background that can be used as a half size or as a whole scene. I added clear velcro dots on the background so that I know where to add the characters quickly during the lesson.
STRETCH
Finally, I add a type of reward system that I’ve never used before. Maybe I saw a great idea on Facebook or Instagram. I’m nervous, not knowing if it will work well in my classroom. Every month I choose one to try. Maybe I can practice it with a regular student who is ready for a twist or with an upper-level student who I know has enough English language that we can work through any bumps in the road with a bit of extra incidental language. Although using a stretch reward is harder for my mind as a teacher during class, sometimes it pays off and I find a new favorite to add to my rotation.
This month I am working with drawing rewards.
Although my family is full of talented artists and they wish I could draw, my talents are in the area of music instead. I will be keeping things simple and reminding my students that it is okay to smile, laugh, and make mistakes as you learn. I enjoy sharing my daily drawings with my family at the breakfast table when classes end. If you are looking for a simple place to start with drawing rewards, here are the ones I will be using in April:
I keep my April decor and rewards all in one box. Each week on my desk you will see my trial props and rewards (I never put them away), a seasonal reward, a staple reward, and a stretch reward. At the end of the weekend, I can put 3 rewards back into the box and take out the next 3. Print out your FREE April organizer and fill in your favorite rewards. Laminate the chart and write on it with a wet-erase marker so that you can change your plan over the years as needed. If you take 10 minutes once a month to make these boxes, your future self will thank you next year when you don’t have to print anything new or think what you will use for class tomorrow.
