Whole-Class Reward Procedure

   Four little flip cards save my voice - and my frustration. When students are talking too much, I walk over and flip a card to show my satisfaction or dissatisfaction with whole class behavior.

Usually, I never get past a B. A B is the only card that can be changed back up to recover an A. Once on a C you can't improve your class grade. Nor a D.

   In one rectangular area of the white board I keep "Celebration Points" tallied for each period. An A whole-class behavior grade earns them 20 points. B earns 10; a C earns 5 points; and a D is zero points.

  Their goal is to reach 250 points as a class. The reward is two cranks of my Skittle machine. I wouldn't think this would be a big incentive, but it motivates them and de.ights them.

   When I walk to the cards and flip a card, I smile to myself as I hear the students saying, "Guys, we got on a B! Settle down!" It's so great having them monitor and scold each other rather than me having to do it.