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 January.
SEASONAL BACKGROUND
To get ready for January, 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
I love to invite my students to teach me about the traditional lion dance. I ask if they go to watch, if they participate in the dance, and what types of traditions their family is excited about as Chinese New Year grows closer and closer. This reward system gets the conversation started every time.
WEEK 2
I know many teachers order hong bao envelopes from Amazon with the proper symbol of the year but I know I won’t be able to think ahead far enough in advance so I have a set that I can use year after year. These were easy to print and fold up. Some days I fill them with money and but other days I fill them with funny 2D props from my desk, again inviting the student to teach me about what is traditionally found inside the lucky hong bao envelopes. Many times the students come running to the camera with their own envelopes to share.
WEEK 3
During week three, I ask how the students will be spending their long break from school. We talk about winter sports they might watch on TV and winter hobbies that they are excited to participate in. I always ask who they play in the snow with and enjoy the twinkle in their eye as they fondly remember the last time they played in the snow as a family. I love how building a simple seasonal scene in class can start an amazing conversation.
WEEK 4
Are your students starting to attend class with heavy, winter coats? This is a great time of year to talk about winter clothing. I love reinforcing the concept of mittens vs. gloves as we collect these fun emoji mittens.
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
The hong bao exploration is so fun that I like to follow it up looking at the money I use here in America. I love shopping for oversized bills as they show up great on camera and always bring a smile.
WEEK 2
I have some simple gold coins from our local party store to add to this friendly piggy bank during our money exploration. In the bag where I keep this reward system I also keep a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter to show them some of my money for an additional learning opportunity. Chinese New Year is a fun time to bring money in as a natural extension.
WEEK 3
A certain frozen princess is still all the rage in my online classroom so once in a while I bring out a reward system to have a chat about our favorite princess movies. I love to see if the characters that are popular with my own children are the same ones popular on the other side of the world.
WEEK 4
It is a long winter and my students really benefit from an active reward in these cold months. In this simple reward we punch the balloons and pop them. As a teacher I cover up the balloon with a splat magnet. It is a good brain break that gets our blood pumping for the next five minutes of hard work.
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’m making snowflakes. I’ve seen other teachers cover their classroom with snowflakes they make with their students but every year I worry about the mess. This is the year to be a fun teacher. I will be holding up two of my shape magnets so that students can choose what shape they want me to cut from the snowflake. I will cut 4 shapes – one for each star. At the 5th star we will reveal the snowflake that we made together.
I keep my January 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 January 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.
