Are you looking for a way to promote positive student behavior and great attitudes in your elementary classroom? Today I’m sharing a fantastic strategy for rewarding students without breaking the bank! Teachers know the importance of fostering a positive learning environment, and one way to achieve that is through the use of student reward coupons. These student rewards coupons not only act as incentives for good behavior but also work well with your classroom economy system.
As teachers, we are always looking for ways to motivate and engage our students. While tangible rewards like toys and candy can be effective, they’re not always the best rewards. It’s no secret that teachers don’t receive funding for these things, and rewarding with food all the time is not healthy.
Fear not! These free student rewards are just as powerful in encouraging positive student behavior!
Introducing Student Rewards Coupons
Student rewards coupons are a fantastic tool for classroom management! The best part is these rewards won’t cost you anything!
Free Student Rewards Ideas
- Homework Pass– allow students to skip one homework assignment
- Preferred Seating– students can sit by a friend, in the teacher’s chair, or in another fun spot in your classroom
- Technology Time– you choose! 5 minutes? 10 minutes? You can also choose which device or which website or app students use.
- Teacher’s Assistant– they can help with erasing the board, passing out papers, watering a plant, or other simple classroom chores
- Show and Tell Pass– give students an opportunity to bring in a special item. You can decide to share the item whenever it works best in your schedule.
- Write with a Pen or a Marker– allow students to use a special writing utensil for a whole day or on just one assignment
- No Shoes Pass– students can earn this for an entire day, half day, or just one content area like reading
- Pick Your Partner- for group work you can allow students to choose their partners
- Wear a Hat– depending on your building’s hat policy, you might have a special hat or students could bring their own hat
- Read Aloud to the Class– this is my favorite one! Students can pick a book, or you can have some appropriate books they can pick from
- Positive Note Home– I have a surprising amount of students who choose this reward coupon
- Listen to Music– they can listen with headphones or you can put it on for the whole class
- Chew Gum in Class– again depending on your building’s policy
- Indoor Recess with a Friend– this can be tricky to manage
- Read with a Friend– if other students are reading independently, I usually let the two students go to the hallway to read
- Free Drawing– choose an amount of time that works for you. I usually allow them to free draw during read aloud time
- Eat Lunch with a Teacher– can be you or another teacher, like the PE or Art teacher
There are 40 no-cost student rewards ideas ready to print as well as an editable template so you can create the class rewards that make the most sense for your classroom!
Implementing Student Rewards Coupons
To get the most of your student rewards coupons, consider these tips and tricks I’ve learned while using them in my classroom:
- Clear Guidelines: Clearly communicate your rules and expectations in the classroom. Explain how students can expect to earn and redeem their reward coupons.
- Consistency is key: Be consistent with any student reward system you try. This helps students connect the positive behavior to the student rewards.
- Variety of Rewards: Mix up the types of student rewards coupons you offer to include different interests and preferences of your students.
- Celebrate Success: Take the time to celebrate the achievements of your students. Publicly acknowledge their positive behavior and the student rewards they’ve earned. This will reinforce positive behavior and habits of the rest of your students, too!
Ways to Give Student Rewards Coupons
Here are some creative ways that teachers can give student rewards! Hint: You can use more than one way in your classroom!
- Caught Being Good- Observe students following your classroom rules and expectations, or going above and beyond what is asked. Reward them on the spot! Whether it’s helping out a classmate who’s dropped supplies, actively participating in class, or completing an assignment with exceptional effort, acknowledge their actions by giving them a student rewards coupon.
- Weekly Achievements- Designate a day of the week to recognize outstanding behavior. Reward students who’ve consistently demonstrated positive behavior throughout the week. This creates anticipation and encourages students to maintain good behavior.
- Peer Nominations- Encourage students to nominate their classmates! This promotes a sense of community and really helps students recognize and appreciate their peers.
- Goal Setting- You can have students set personal behavior or academic goals. When they achieve these goals, they get a student rewards coupon!
- Classroom Challenges- Create a whole class positive behavior challenge! Think no blurting out, following directions quickly, or even keeping tidy workspaces. This fosters a sense of teamwork and students will support each other in maintaining a positive classroom environment.
How To Store Your Student Rewards Coupons
Want to make sure your classroom reward system is stress free? Here are some ways to organize and keep track of your student rewards!
Students can have individual wallets, pouches or envelopes. Label them with their names and attach them to a bulletin board or in a pocket chart. One year I had trouble with student rewards coupons getting stolen. I moved my pocket chart to the inside of a tall cabinet door. This made it harder for students to access them and solved the problem.
I keep my stash of student rewards coupons in a binder. Each page of my binder is labeled with that specific reward. I put the extra coupons in the page protector like a pocket.
I have also kept the student reward coupons in a container. When students earned a coupon, they could draw one from the container. This added to the excitement of receiving it.
Implementing student rewards coupons is a low-cost and highly effective way to encourage positive behavior in your classroom. By integrating these student rewards into your classroom management and classroom economy systems, you’ll foster a positive learning environment and teach valuable life skills like responsibility and goal setting.
Try these out in your classroom and watch your students become more engaged, motivated, and excited about demonstrating positive behavior!
