Motivator 1: K-4th Scoreboard Game

Jeff Battle, Director, North Carolina Power Teachers

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Now it is time to learn about The Motivator. How do you get cooperation from your class? The Motivator. A reward system that your students will buy into, and participate in. Here we come to the Scoreboard Game.

It works like this:

On one side of your board you are going to draw a grid. The grid will be divided into two columns. In the top box of one column draw a smiley face; in the top box of the other column draw a frowny face. These simple drawings are perfect for elementary school kids.

During class you will be rewarding a mark in the smiley section for procedures performed well. When you reward them with a smiley for their performance, you can involve the kids in a really fun way. Walk to the board, raise your chalk or marker, or stylus, and address the class.

“One second party!” You proclaim enthusiastically. Make a mark in the smiley section then point to the students. Tthey respond by clapping and throwing their hands in the air and yelling “Oh, Yeah!”

But there is a dark side here. Can you feel the tremor in the Force? Because, as you know, the kids do not always do as you ask (Gasp!). When this happens the frowny strikes!

You walk to the board and add a mark to the frowny column. Loudly proclaim, “Mighty Groan!” and point to the class. They must lift and then drop their shoulders and groan loudly! Since they are getting to make noise in class it is usually nearly as enthusiastic as the one second party (also known as, the Mighty Oh, Yeah!)

One thing you must understand from the start is that you should not let the difference between smilies and frownies be greater than 3.  This is the +- 3 rule.   if you reward too much your students will become lackadaisical. If you penalize too much, they will become resentful.  That is the reason for the +-3 rule.

Smilies and frownies will build quickly at first, but fall off as your students get better at procedures.

There are two principles you need to keep in mind.

First, the entire purpose of this is to reinforce positive behavior in a fun, upbeat, positive environment. Second, while this method will work for most of your kids, there are always those few who will not always buy in.

Check out the supplemental section on the GUFF COUNTER.