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 November.
SEASONAL BACKGROUND
To get ready for September, 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 will be using this Build A Scene Reward System. We begin with a background inside a classroom setting. In this reward system, every 5 minutes when the student earns a star or a gem in the classroom I remove a slice of pie crust each time and we talk about the mystery picture to try to guess what it might be. At the end of class, there is a natural conversation extension topic waiting for us.
WEEK 2
It’s time to start talking about the Thanksgiving turkey! I love to ask what kind of meat my student usually has for a typical dinner and also what they eat for special holiday gatherings. We talk about why a turkey is a common choice for feeding a crowd and build one together with these magnets from my local dollar store.
WEEK 3
In week 3 I talk about the rest of the Thanksgiving day meal. Students learn vocabulary words for some uncommon foods and I get to learn which foods they have tried before. It takes just a moment to share a new picture and invite them into my culture but the pay-off for rapport building and parent feedback is immense.
WEEK 4
Hello Kitty is always a hit with my students and sometimes during the busiest week of the month I love using a super simple reward. I let students choose a marker color and we color this picture together. Some students color only the apples and others prefer to focus on the room or Hello Kitty. They let me know what they want to color next and we create something special together. Since it is laminated I can erase the colors and use it again during the next back-to-back class with ease. I consider this a seasonal reward because we can talk about apple picking and weekend fair outings as we color.
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
I bought a large set of emoji magnets from Oriental Trading Company early on in my teaching career and they come in handy. I can use them with upper-level students who want something simple or with lower-level students who need frequent rewards to continue participating.
WEEK 2
If my students enjoyed those emojis, I might add emojis to this iPad in the following class. Some students may even share their devices and show their favorite emojis to use and others may use them in the classroom chat box with me. It can be a fun way to use communication to connect and make our worlds seem a little bit more similar.
WEEK 3
I use my emoji pizzas often but forget about these loveable hamburgers. I am always happy to see them in my November prop box and they are a hit with all ages and genders. These can help when a student has tech issues or is in a level that is a bit too hard. I love extending with a reward system when time allows but I also need some quick and easy ones for other situations.
WEEK 4
Donuts are a classic choice. Students recognize them but often can’t remember the word donut. These are great for giving students interactive choice for the first time – having them choose from two choices. Whenever possible, I want students to be using their English to let me know what they see and what they want.
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.
If your home is like mine, you have lots of small items from birthday parties, arcades, and fast food prizes. Gathering a small bowl of mystery items allows you to do this simple Mystery Reward with your hands for the month to keep things fresh for your regulars. When I step out of my comfort zone to try something new I am often amazed how much I enjoy it.
Have the student choose 1 or 2 and show them the item hiding in your hand. Talk about it for a moment and return to the lesson. Some teachers hide a small star inside one hand and keep the other hand empty. There are so many variations for this simple, travel-friendly reward system.
I keep my November 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 November 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.
