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 October.
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
Fall is about apple picking in my home. While we build this reward system, I like to ask about favorite colors of apples and where they get their apples. Sometimes I share pictures of my own family picking fruit or riding on a hayride to see what connections we can make.
WEEK 2
These gel clings are from my local dollar store and they wiggle and jiggle when I hold them up close to the camera. Students always smile when choosing between the two that I offer. We collect gel clings throughout the class and keep a seasonal feeling in the classroom without taking a lot of time away from the lesson content.
WEEK 3
Spider webs are a classic part of Halloween decor but this is also a fun science topic to discuss. Why do spiders make webs? What happens to a butterfly when it gets too close to a spider web? Students can choose which yummy snack should be caught in the web next.
WEEK 4
I love to build seasonal scenes and for this seasonal background, I have two sets of characters that I like to use. We can collect Hello Kitty characters one week and talk about their costumes. This is a great opportunity to see if your student is dressing up for Halloween. The next class I add the penguins and we talk more about the tradition of Trick or Treating. My upper-level students do a great job sharing about how small a holiday Halloween is in China and I find they bring great curiosity about the holiday if I give them the space to ask questions.
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 love to ask my students about their friends at school while we collect monsters. Who do you eat lunch with? Who do you see first in the morning? Are the same friends in your classes all day long? I work hard to make sure all 25 minutes of my instructional time are focused on practicing English, including the reward system time.
WEEK 2
Feeding rewards are very popular and this is a favorite that I see in so many online classrooms. Students love cupcakes and this monster is so friendly to have in the frame as you are working hard on new material.
WEEK 3 and 4
As you saw with my Halloween Build A Scene reward system, sometimes I use the same background with two sets of items to place on the top. I have boy and girl superheroes that I store together and I find that 3 staple rewards is enough in October because the Halloween conversations are so diverse and will take two full weeks.
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.
DRESS THE TEACHER
As my own children try on all of their past Halloween costumes and enjoy their dress-up bin, I have a low-cost reward system at my fingertips. Dress the teacher is fun for all ages and all English ability levels. Students can have interactive choice as you offer two costumes to choose from each time you stop to give a star or a gem. You can add 5 items to make one crazy costume or change your outfit every few minutes. Have the students use their English to let you know what they would prefer. This reward system helps me get my students talking about if they are dressing up for Halloween and how they might dress up IF they were celebrating Halloween.
Do you want Teacher Janice to be a princess or a pirate?
Do you want Teacher Janice to wear a bow tie or a cape?
Do you want Teacher Janice to be a cookie or a poop emoji?
Even your youngest students can say ONE or TWO when you show them two accessories.
Try dressing up for Halloween this year and report back how much childhood joy it brings you. I always smile a little extra getting set up for my Halloween classes.
I keep my October 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 October 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.
