My motto for everything related to teaching: keep it simple and effective. Here’s an easily implementable voting system you can use to engage students in choosing their own class rewards. This routine will give them ownership and teach them about decision-making and data representation.
The Power of Student Choice
I’ve discovered that giving students a say in what their class reward should be is a game-changer. It creates a strong classroom community, and they get excited about earning rewards that they have chosen.
Brainstorming Class Reward Ideas
We start with brainstorming options that follow three simple rules:
- It has to be free: I’m not trying to break the bank!
- It has to be school-appropriate: No, sorry. We cannot play Call of Duty at school…
- It can’t take away from our learning: Rewards should be meaningful but not disrupt the entire learning day. Think 10-15 minutes of fun or something that can integrate easily into our daily routine.
Voting on a Whole Group Reward
When it’s time to vote for a new class reward, I keep it simple. I randomly select three students using popsicle sticks, and these students give a suggestion that follows the three rules. I write those suggestions on the board.
Then I give each student a sticky note, they take it back to their seat to write down their vote and bring the sticky note right back to me. It’s quick, efficient, and ensures that every student’s voice is heard.
Visual Representation
I take the stack of sticky notes and start sticking them next to the options they voted for on the whiteboard. This creates a bar graph, a visual representation of their collective decision-making process.
Don’t worry, besides these 3 great classroom reward ideas, I have plenty more for you coming soon!
Winner-Winner!
The class incentive with the most votes becomes the winner, and that’s the reward my students will earn when they collect another 25 marbles in our class jar. Not only does this method teach them about voting, but it also introduces them to the concept of data representation in the form of a bar graph.
Why I LOVE This Approach
I love using this voting system in my classroom for several reasons:
- Student Buy-In: When students are involved in the decision-making process, they’re more invested in the outcome.
- Bar Graph Exposure: This method provides students with exposure to bar graphs and data.
- Clear Motivation: Students know what they’re working for, which keeps them motivated as they earn marbles and anticipate their chosen reward.
Okay, I Need Class Incentive Ideas!
Now that we got through all that, let’s move on to the fun part: rewards! Stuffed Animal Day has always been a #1 favorite in my classroom every single year. Besides that, here are 21 Free Classroom Incentives that Students Will Actually Like!
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