The first time I got my roots into paying off kids in exchange for classroom management really started when I was an English Literature teacher in the Bay Area. It was a time where threats of extra work, detention or being sent to the principal office was a tap on cheek compared to the mental and/or verbal abuse these low economic students were getting in the streets or at home. Plus have an average of 36 to 42 kids in a class didn't help keep them focused or make sure they got what they need within an hour lesson. As a result of this, there was a big push for an inactive called "Positive Reinforcement".
What is Positive Reinforcement?💗
At first, I had no idea what they meant. Basically, it's a method where you pay more attention to the good than the bad.
Example: You have little Malik or small Sally acting a fool in your classroom. Normally, you would strictly warn them about their behavior and possibly get into a pointless argument about it. This leads the bad student to take up all the attention from the more deserving individuals. You know the kids that actually give a crap about school.
Let's take that scenario back before confronting the badass child. When Malik or Sally startup, look to a student who is doing the behavior you desire everyone to be doing. Maybe, it's little Cayden or Tori who have their head down doing their assignment quietly. Or he/she could be reading a book as one of the fast finishers assignments while waiting for the class to be ready to transition into the next activity. You raise your voice in a cheerful way and praise that student's good behavior. You can even give them a sweet or put their name on the board for a promise to get something nice from you later that week. Whatever! Give attention to the deserving student and watch how other students will want to receive that attention. (Or maybe just want a piece of candy.)
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| Don't be caught out to look the fool. |
This does two things: (1) It shows the bad student. You aren't interested in giving them the time of day if they're gonna waste your time with their nonsense, AND (2) You avoid getting pulled into a confrontation with a youngin. (There is nothing more draining and time-consuming.)
My Bribery Tricks👀👏
I like to bring in this positive reinforcement with bribes. Here is how I do it:
The Rainbow Chart
I learned this trick at one of the ACEIA conferences I went to last year. The thing about conferences is that I learn one thing for every hour I spend there while trying not to think about the rest of the 259 minutes that was drained from my life.
It takes some time to get used to it. But once you get the hang of it, they will be behavioring how you want them to. I give special treatment to students who use English without being prompt which makes others trying to do the same. I also reward them when a student says an almost perfect, if not perfect phrase in English.
Speaking Spanish Tally
This is something I have recently started last week. I only have the strength to do it with a few classes. Plus, it's only effective with young learners. Teenagers could give a two craps about candy. (Unless they didn't have to do much for it and it becomes a nice surprise for them.)
Anyways, I print out a spreadsheet with all the students' names on it for a particular class. I post it near the rainbow chart. I also have an index card on me with their names so I can move around the room and tick names without running back and forth to the board.
Here are the rules: (1) You must speak English in my English class! If a student speaks their mother tongue, not including helping with an asked translation, they receive a tick on the spreadsheet. (2) For every 5 ticks, the student's name is pulled from the raffle. Get 10 ticks in a period, two of your name entries get taken out the raffle jar. (3) Students without any ticks get a lollipop.
I do this every class period and it is quieter and more productive. I don't mind noise as long as it is not too loud and it is in English. Kids in Spain like to talk so they work hard to say what they can in English. Sure, 5 cent lollipops put a dent in my pocket. But I think after a month, I can ease off and they will be speaking more English in class out of habit.
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| Click here to see the stickers I use. |
Disclaimer: I'm usually not big on giving kids candy. I try to encourage them to take the awesome stickers I have. Many of them have a collection on their English notebook and take pride in having more stickers than others in the class.
Bottom line: Kids only do something because they want something. Yeah, they don't want to brush their teeth or wash their hands after using the restroom, but they'll do it most of the time because they don't want to get in trouble. It is no different in the classroom except we don't have the fear of their parents on our side. We have the power of high praise and sweets.
Rocio wants an eraser or to go to the toilet. She better ask for it in English. Or, she can figure it out. And students do, even the little ones. They ask a fellow student, or remember the core language I have drilled into them all first term.
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This is a resource for teachers in ESL. To help the community, please leave comments about other ideas that have worked for you, or how some of these ideas have been successful in your classroom. Thank You.