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 June.
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
The end of the school year is a time of great excitement for some students and a stressful exam season for others. Greeting students with a last day of school reward system offers an invitation to start to discuss this time of year in their own way. This reward system always creates connections with new students and regulars.
WEEK 2
This beach season makes it easy to begin a conversation about summer vacation plans. I love to ask if students live near the water and whether they prefer to swim at the beach or in a pool. Some students travel a lot in the summer and others stay indoors for a large portion of the summer. Making these connections at the start of the summer guides many future conversations. One simple summer reward system can create so many powerful connections.
WEEK 3
I love these pandas for teaching verbs but I also pull them out to continue our discussion about activities we are looking forward to doing in the summer.
WEEK 4
Life is busy in the summer and I am not afraid to use a large pile of pandas for multiple classes. You will be amazed how flexible this panda set is and how often you reach for it in your 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 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 don’t know why these dollar store stickers and their moving googly eyes bring so much joy, but students love them! I added some glue and placed them on craft foam to make them last a little longer but they are a staple in my rotation for sure.
WEEK 2
Did I take these Melissa and Doug magnets off of our family refrigerator? Why, yes I did! They are sturdy and look great on camera. There are enough that students can choose and even have enough variety to last more than one class if they become a favorite.
WEEK 3
These simple cutouts were part of a bulletin board kit from my brick and mortar teaching days but I find I often reach for them when a student has a poor IT connection. This is a reward that I know will be no-fuss and not take up a lot of class time. Sometimes rewards are a springboard for in-depth conversation but in other classes we only have a limited amount of time.
WEEK 4
Why is it so fun to stack these Minions? Add a plastic banana prop (which is always on my desk) and you can have quiet a few laughs while stacking these friends up on a simple whiteboard.
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.
ACTIVE REWARDS
This month I am working with active rewards. Some students really need to move their bodies and that short burst of fun movement helps them focus and retain information so much better. Rather than fighting with students to stay in their chair, I try to embrace their need to move and make it part of class. This simple printable has so many options for customization. The sky is the limit!
I keep my June 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 June 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.
