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 February.
SEASONAL BACKGROUND
To get ready for February, 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
Life is like a box of chocolates and there is something so magical and mysterious about those small chocolates that live inside these festive boxes. We can guess what is inside, talk about the traditional gifts that are given for Valentine’s Day, or just pretend to feed them to a nearby stuffed classroom sidekick. Parents appreciate the nod to American culture and this reward system gives me a simple way to begin that level-appropriate discussion.
WEEK 2
With some students I collect simple solid colored hearts or gorgeous watercolor hearts. With other students I find myself using a dry-erase marker and writing words on the hearts. They might be adjectives that describe my student or we may talk about conversation hearts and things that are simply seen on that festive candy.
WEEK 3
While my students are not very fond of tea or coffee I love to share with them my passion for hot chocolate. We talk about when we prefer cold, warm, or hot beverages and our favorite drinks overall. They always smile when I share this seasonal, personal tidbit about how I celebrate winter with my children. This reward system is a seasonal conversation starter for all ages.
WEEK 4
Do I use these treats to share about Valentine’s Day? Sometimes! Do I use them because my students never tire of food rewards? That is probably the real reason I am always so excited to reach for these treats in my online ESL classroom.
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 about them easily 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
These apples are my go-to for greetings and teaching emotions. If you use emojis in your classroom and enjoy making funny faces with your students, these apples offer a similar opportunity to share in some laughter as a brain break.
WEEK 2
So many teachers find the 3D Mr. Potato Head a staple reward but I have never had a place in my classroom where it could be visible during the full lesson. This 2D option is a happier option for me.
WEEK 3
Although my husband is a talented artist, even the most basic drawing rewards cause me stress in the classroom. These monsters are from Oriental Trading Company and I love using a whiteboard marker to decide with my student how many eyes to add and where to place them. We can create a fun monster together and it is different every single time. Having the background as a prompt ensures that our final product will be a success.
WEEK 4
If my students enjoy building that potato head and still want more, I will take out this 3D dress-up activity. I set the choices up in a very intentional way on my whiteboard and invite students to choose a number. After they choose the item with a number I bring the piece close to the camera to make sure we can practice the vocabulary word. It is so fun to see the final result at the end of that fifth reward for the class.
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 Teacher Vs. Student. If you have never tried this, let me be the one to walk you through it. All I use is a whiteboard, a whiteboard marker, and a large die.
First I roll the die and let it land on the whiteboard where the student can see it.
Before I roll we agree on whether the first role is for the Teacher or the Student. Then I pick up the die and we look at the number.
That number gets recorded on the whiteboard and then a second role happens. We can look to decide who is winning so far and then work on adding the points together as we go.
I don’t know why I don’t use this reward all the time. It is simple and fun for both the student and the teacher.
I keep my February 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 February 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.
