It’s no secret that school isn’t always fun. In fact, for many students it can be downright boring. But that doesn’t mean there’s no room for fun or motivation. The question is – what’s the secret to making this happen? Well, there’s a time-tested method that is all about using rewards for students. If you’re not already using rewards in the classroom, then here are some solid reasons you should start doing so today.
Why You Should Reward Your Students More Often
Motivate Students To Do Better In School
It’s easy for students to trudge through their seemingly endless homework, tests, and quizzes. But you can offset that feeling by adding a little bit of fun with rewards. For them, it’ll be like getting the gold at the end of the rainbow. Just by rewarding them for working hard, you’re setting a tone that says they deserve to be rewarded. And all they’ve got to do is put in some effort.
Increase Confidence About Themselves
For some students, they’ll always feel like they’re not good enough. It’s a tough feeling to shake off, but you can definitely help them by rewarding for their hard work. You can tell your students that it’s just a reflection of their confidence and intelligence, which will help them feel better about themselves in the long run.
More Day-To-Day Happiness
Even adults recognize that life is often doing the same things over and over again. So you can imagine how much tougher it is for students with short attention spans. That’s where rewards come in to save the day. Adding these in will break up the day and can be an excellent way to keep students optimistic and looking forward. And the impact can be even stronger if you use unexpected rewards as well. That way, in the back of their heads they’ll wonder if there’s something good waiting for them.
Easy To Reward Good Behavior
The great thing is how many different ways to go about this. You can start by using sticker or a piece of candy as a baseline. For example, did they do all their homework for the week? A piece of candy. Were they pleasant in class this month? Sticker. You could also use a point system that’s attached to things like doing their homework on time or answering all the questions in class. That way, they’ll be given rewards for reaching a “good behavior quota” instead.
Teaches Children To Work For What They Want
It’s only natural that consistent and hard work is paid off. That’s the great thing about adding a reward system to your class. It shows the kids that life is about working for what you want. It’s a great way to remind them of the beauty in hard work and perseverance, and it can even be a practical lesson for life in general. If possible, try to sneak in this life lesson when rewarding your students. Of course, don’t hit them over the head with it. But if you mention it along the way, they’ll remember.
Improves Academic, Social, And Behavioral Goals
It’s smart to get a little creative with your rewards. For example, if your goal is to get the students into a better mood in class, you can give them points for smiling. If they’re trying to improve their grades, you could give them a point for every A on an assignment. And if they’re just struggling with behaving well in the classroom, you could give them points for good classroom behavior. The point is to make sure you’re rewarding in a way that will help the student learn to do what you want them to do.
Flexible Enough To Fit Any Educational Purpose
Don’t think your system is a “set it and forget it” type project. You’re going to want to tune it as you go, and that’s not a bad thing. Maybe your rewards are too easy to get. Or maybe they’re not motivating enough to drive behavioral change. You’ll never know until you test it out, so make sure to keep an eye on how the system is going.
Students Enjoy School More When They’re Rewarded
There’s nothing more satisfying than being rewarded for a job well done. It’s the same way with school, and you can make that happen with a simple reward system. Just remember, rewards are something that should be used and not abused, so make sure you’re always monitoring the system for its effectiveness. And if you’re wondering where you could start with your reward system, why not start with their typing skills? It’ll be easy to reward them when they improve their skills using the tools found at KeyboardingOnline. Even better, they’ll gain a life skill they’ll use for the rest of their lives.