Rewards

What are your thoughts on reward systems? What have you seen in your field experiences? What have you considered for your own classroom use? 

I think reward systems are useful and necessary for elementary school students. They seem to enjoy working for something tangible that is not for a grade. I like that they are versatile and can be used for students individually or as a class. In my field experiences, I have seen school-wide incentives for individual students like Blazer Bucks at Banks Road Elementary and Honey Money at Smith Elementary. This is awarded by teachers and the students can cash them in for prizes/rewards in their classrooms. Also at Banks, classes can earn Compass Coins that are displayed in the hallway and when they fill their board, can earn rewards as a class. Some of those rewards are popcorn parties and extra recess. In the classrooms, I have seen more of an individual student approach for rewards. I have seen pickle parties (for those who have finished work), free tech time, homework passes, and special days for the class (i.e. pajama day).

Based on my experiences, I would utilize the system put in place by the school, but vary the rewards to what would best suit the environment of my classroom. I like rewards that are cost effective (or free) like homework passes and tech time. I would focus on positive student behavior and be cautious that my rewards are not heading to the area of bribery. I want students to do well because they want to and know what is expected of them; not because they will get something in return.

The bottom line: Students like rewards and they can be effective when utilized appropriately. We do have to be careful that students are not just working for the carat, they need to do well because they have high expectations of themselves, not because they want a prize.