When I was in high school my geometry teacher had this rule set up that if you earned an 'A' on one of her tests, you got an index card to decorate however you wanted. Then you got to hang it up on the wall for the world to see!
I never forgot how much pride I felt when I earned one of those cards and got to show off how my hard work paid off.
That being said, I decided to carry this on with my own classroom:
Whenever a student earns an 'A' on a test, they get an index card to decorate however they want and hang on the wall. [ignore the boring ones, those are for a different activity]
I have three different squares this year; one for 6th, 7th, and 8th. In years past I've dedicated whole walls/bulletin boards to the activity. I'll probably go back to that for next year as some of the students were sad when their cards got covered up quickly.
They get SO excited when their test is handed back to them with an index card attached. Sometimes, it's the simple things that will motivate a student; I know it sure motivated me when I was a student.
6 comments:
Oh my gosh! What a simple and super motivating idea! I love it! And it's so inexpensive! Thanks for sharing and linking up!
Joanne
Head Over Heels For Teaching
P.S. I love the title of your blog!
Joanne
Head Over Heels For Teaching
Cute idea. I do something similar with the book they are reading and we call it their facebook status. My kids could update their "status" when they make an A. Cute idea. :)
Brandee @ Creating Lifelong Learners
That is a really neat idea! I can see my kids eating it up! Do you find that it motivates the struggling students in any way? I would just be worried that it would be the same kids to always get a card and the same ones never getting one. Sounds like it has been really successful in your class! :)
Found you at the Sparking Student Motivation linky!
~Erin
Mrs. Beattie's Classroom
Erin,
I've found it actually motivates the struggling students a lot. A lot of my lower kids may not ace the written tests, but vocabulary they can memorize like champs. They have all earned an index card at least once because of that. I try to do a few 'easy' tests throughout the year as well to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to earn a card.
Neat idea! My 2nd graders would love this!
Jessica
Literacy Spark
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