How to Motivate Young Students in Class

I would like to describe for you a classroom management technique that has been successful for some teachers. It specifically addresses the very well behaved students in the class. What happens to most perfectly behaved students at the end of each week? Typically, they go home empty-handed and with no recognition. This classroom management technique addresses both the students who have perfect behavior and those who do not.

Things You'll Need

• Some silly form of currency
• A place to keep the currency
• Prizes

Instructions

1. 

   Create some form of silly currency in your classroom. I helped a teacher named "Mrs. Badt" create "Badt bucks." I also helped a teacher who has two pugs at home create "pug bucks."

2. Determine your goals. You can either have each child start with five bucks (for example) or start with zero bucks and earn them throughout the week. I choose to start them with zero and let them earn them, this ensures that I am acknowledging the well behaved students all week long.

3. Determine your prizes and consequences. I have a "treasure box" that the kids can buy things from at the end of the day on Friday. I purchase most of these items from the Oriental Trading Company catalogs.

4. Remain consistent with your goals and consequences. In my room, no child ever loses a buck. Once they have earned them they are theirs to keep. I try to make sure that each child has at least one opportunity per day to earn a buck and that no student has more than five by Friday.