Cool ways to reward students

Ah yes! The classic case of positive reinforcement.

As we all know, rewards celebrate success. They communicate a job well done and motivate students to keep moving forward. When rewarding students, their prizes wouldn't necessarily have to be tangible objects. They can be words of affirmation, extra time to partake in a favourite activity, or sitting with a friend during lunch.

If you want to implement that perfect reward but don’t know what it is yet, no need to fear. We’ve got you covered.

Take a look at a few cool and unique ways you can use to reward your students!

1. Homework pass

Although the mere thought of giving out free homework passes might seem scary, trust us, and trust the process. Without any risks, there would be no rewards, right? When giving out a homework pass, you can choose two secret days each month to issue out a free homework pass to all your students that did their homework on those specific days. If students are not aware of which days the secret days are, they would be encouraged to turn in their homework every day for a chance at getting their hands on that delightful homework pass. This offer is so tempting it must work. I mean, who wants to miss out on a relaxing day of doing nothing?

https://www.etsy.com/dk-en/listing/1265536272/editable-kids-homework-coupon-kids

2. Handwritten notes from you

When was the last time you wrote your students a personal note expressing how proud you are of them and how grateful you feel to be their teacher? Believe it or not, believing in your students and letting them know you have confidence in their ability can be one of their greatest motivations. Praise can be done individually or as a group. When giving students an individual note of flattery, try to be as specific as possible. Acknowledge the goal and what actions contributed to their success. For example, try not to say, "Great job," but rather "I like how you used the qualities and actions to describe the main character." Finally, be sure that students know your praise is genuine by delivering the message with good eye contact and a smile!

3. Listen to music during independent work time

We all know that classrooms can get a bit noisy at times. There might be different sounds that can be distracting, and headphones will cover those up. At least for most students putting on music while working improves their concentration and makes the work more enjoyable! So, why not reward your quietest students with some quiet time for themselves? If your class gets too rowdy, this would be the perfect reward since other students would see their classmates acquiring the benefits of listening to music if they are quiet. The more students that get this reward, the better since you will see your class grow quiet in seconds, with each student in their little musical world!

4. Decorate a section of the class whiteboard/chalkboard

Nothing says “I appreciate your effort” more than allowing your students a display of their own in your classroom. This reward comes with some bragging rights of course! Allowing students to decorate a section of the class whiteboard encourages them to showcase their thinking, share ideas, brainstorm, and best of all, it's not permanent! This reward can work both in groups and individuals. For example, if a group or individual did the best on an assignment, they will be allowed to draw an image related to that topic. If everyone can see it, it would encourage the other students to put more effort into their projects so that they too can have the opportunity to earn some bragging rights!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Genshin_Impact/comments/yjql12/decorating_the_whiteboard_in_my_dorm/

5. Golden Tickets

This one might sound familiar if you have watched the beloved film known to all, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! In this case, students will not win an entire factory, so why not settle for the second-best option by giving them a bar of chocolate? This reward can be entrusted in any instance, whether it's for good behavior, a complete assignment or even a good grade! Students would love instant rewards for their efforts and hard work. You can even be a little sneaky with this reward to make your students work harder. You can do this by saying if students have five golden tickets, they will receive a slab of chocolate. See them saving up and putting in effort in no time.

https://stock.adobe.com/za/search?k=%22golden+ticket%22

6. Lunch on you

What could be better than rewarding your students with a delicious free meal? This reward should of course, only be applicable on special occasions. If you trust that your class was on their best behaviour for an entire term, did great in their final exams, or even if they handed in all of their projects on time, then you can reward them with a free pizza day! Pizza is loved by all, and best of all, it is inexpensive, so it would not necessarily break the bank to reward all your students at once!

https://www.econlib.org/library/Columns/y2014/Hendersontanstaafl.html

7. Prize wheel

Have you ever played those arcade games where you spin it to win it? Well, this would be the same concept, more or less. With this lovely creation, you can let your imagination run wild and stack it up with as many rewards as you can imagine! This reward system can be beneficial, especially if you are indecisive, plus it puts a fun twist on the classic reward system. With displaying about eight to ten prizes, you can leave the outcome purely in the fate of the student's hands. This way they would be delighted with the outcome either way!

https://pixabay.com/vectors/spin-wheel-fortune-luck-wheel-game-7137017/

8. Movie during lunch

School isn’t exactly a student's favourite place to be, so why not make them feel a little more at home, even if it is just for a short while? Rewards like these are enticing since you would rarely have a student who would not be interested in watching a movie, so make them work for it. Whether they are being rewarded for good behaviour, the fulfilment of chores or good grades. It could be anything you would find reward-worthy! You can even make it a bit more interesting by giving each student a movie ticket when they have earned one and welcoming them in during lunchtime. Watch the excitement fill their faces when you give them one of these tickets to escape to a world of theatre!