Incentive...

So after venting the other day about paperwork... I had some things happen on Friday that makes me love what I do... the non paperwork stuff... I have begun an incentive program for my students who struggle with executive functioning skills... kids who struggle with planning and follow through on things... I have involved the kids in getting this program going and they are pretty excited.  Each week they can potentially earn 10 points by meeting a goal they set for themselves for the week.  With their points they can 'buy' things.

I have begun approaching local businesses for donations and have applied for a grant through a local education foundation.  (I just can't afford to spend my own money on extra things...)  So.. the first business that donated was Shaws, a local grocery store.  They donated a $25 gift card... so I went shopping.  Kids, especially middle school boys (which is 99% of the kids in this program) are motivated by food.  I bought a variety of things... those individual drink mixes that go in bottles of water.... granola bars, EZ mac, candy, etc... the thing they were most excited about, which I find really cute is.. I bought a brownie mix... told them it takes 75 points to buy just the mix... but for 100 points they buy it and I have to make it for them.  Immediately they asked if they can pool their points together to get the brownies made.  My response?  YES!  Some team building is a side effect I had not anticipated... and like it!  I will be adding to my incentives, movie passes, books, time to play board games, etc.  It is important to me to not only use food for rewards... but... I just started the program and needed to get some things for options.  I was pleasantly surprised that all the kids decided to not spend their points this week, saving up for the bigger prizes.  The kids did well with their goals and I hope this really helps them out.  A very interesting twist... One of the kid sin my homeroom, who is not on my caseload, is a kid that struggles with the executive functioning stuff, but is not identified as a student with special needs... The day I explained the program to the students I put in it I made up an excuse for him being in my room working on something... I wanted him to hear about the program and wanted him to ask if he could participate.  I knew that if I had put him in the program, he would have rejected it.  But.. the kids who are going to be in the program, are kids he is motivated to spend time with...and he saw how excited they were.  The next morning in homeroom he asked if I thought there was a way that he could be involved... and maybe be in my room every Friday when points are awarded instead of in his scheduled location... SWEET success!  I made a big deal, naturally, of how changing his schedule would require that he really show me that he is taking it seriously, that I needed to see some real work in the first couple of weeks... and delayed him in joining the program for a week... making sure that I got permission from the powers that be to include him.  (What he doesn't know is the powers that be include me and the teacher whose class he would be pulled from on Fridays... and I already have her blessing!)  So Friday he came into my room and watched others talk about their progress on their goals, earn points, and make decisions about saving or spending them.  I will of course offer ways for him to gain some extra points so that he can be an equal contributor to the brownies!

I love when the kids leave my class talking to each other about what has gone on in my class.  They were all talking about whether or not they would be able to get me to bring in ice cream with the brownies...

Perhaps I would...

That connection with the kids... seeing them want to set goals, even if now it is for external motivators... is big for these kids... and as we go... they will see the benefit of their work... And I hope, it becomes more intrinsic... one step at a time...