We've all heard at some point or another, "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar."
But when adolescences do what they do best, test boundaries, it's easy to forget.
Programs like Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) are designed to help schools focus on the positive works of students in order to keep students motivated at school. These programs look at the overall campus climate and offer ideas to improve student and teacher morale and buy-in for campus programs.
Not all campuses have the time and money needed to implement these programs so I would like to offer some suggestions for things you can do in your own classroom to keep in the spirit of programs like PBIS. Here are just a few simple suggestions...
- Reward Raffle - Rewarding positive behaviors can make improvements in your classroom just like redirecting negative behaviors. A class raffle is a simple and affordable way to do just that. You'll need the following supplies; a jar for each class (recycled spaghetti jars), raffle tickets (cut up colored paper), treasure chest (decorated shoe box), and prizes (dollar store - pencils, stickers, etc.). When students are "caught being good" by doing things like starting on-time or working quietly the receive a raffle ticket. At the end of each week, one student per class is chosen to visit the treasure chest and choose a prize. If each time you give out a raffle ticket you praise the student, soon you'll find the tickets are the reward just as much as the chance at a prize. Praise is addictive to students, since it's free and healthy, why not try it?
- Take Pictures - I laminated a colored piece of tag-board for each of my classes. Whenever we do a fun activity or project in class I take pictures and post them on board for that class. Students feel an increased ownership of the classroom which promotes attendance and motivation. When it's time for new pictures students get to take home pictures of themselves to share with their family, which promotes the family connection with the classroom. Having pictures printed can get expensive, but the year book adviser might be able to help you.
- Praise Thermometer - Students love it when a teacher walks by and says "Thank you for working so hard today." If you have a chronic slow starter, it can be helpful to compliment a student close by for getting started on-time, instead of repeating the same nagging redirection every day. The Praise Thermometer is a way for teachers to self-monitor their positive interactions with students. It's easy to try in your classroom and a fun challenge to present to yourself.
- Display Student Work - This is a simple thing, and something we typically forget when working with teenagers. When a teacher hangs up student work it gives the student a sense of pride in their work and ownership in the classroom. This simple action can help motivate students to perform and build a sense of belonging.
- Call Home - It's not just for trouble makers anymore! Parents love to hear positive things about their students, and students love it when their parents get to hear something positive from a teacher. A call or note in the mail can go a long way to motivate students.
Remember, rewarding small improvements towards the desired behavior can help keep a student moving in the right direction. If a student fails the first test and gets a "C" or a "D" on the next test, that's an improvement, and if you reinforce it the student will be motivated to improve again.
Just remember to follow Aretha's advice and Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive!
