There are hundreds of student recognition programs and they exist because teachers know they work. A colleague of mine spends a lot of her hard-earned dollars on certificates and treats and even trophies for her kids. I can tell you her kids benefit greatly and in turn, so does she as a teacher. I use trophies as well, only I don’t buy them. I prefer to get them for free through donations from families and the local thrift shop. You don’t even have to give them away. They travel all around the classroom for the best of the week in given areas.
Recognition in the classroom is a must. The more ways you can recognize students, the better they will feel taking risks and working to their potential. Without recognition for students, the class will turn dull, the kids will lose interest and not challenge themselves, and even you as a teacher will start to feel bogged down and tired. This brings up an interesting subject for another post, Recognition for teachers is also highly fruitful and should not be overlooked.
Ours is a job where we must be thinking all the time about “what’s in it for them.” I know some people don’t teach that way. Some people feel kids should be self-motivated. I love those students who can but the fact of the matter is, most cannot. It is our job to teach the academic standards and as much about the world as we can. At the same time we MUST be cheerleaders and we do this through classroom recognition. Letting kids know they are doing a good job and filling up their self esteem should be a daily activity in a classroom. Here are a few ways I recognize kids in the classroom:
- certificates and awards
- lunch with the principal, or teacher
- notes home
- cheap 99 cent store items (erasers etc)
- a pat on the back out at recess (in front of peers)
- announcing the good deed they did in front of class
- class parties
- Telling another teacher so that teacher can underline the praise
- and more …