Being a resource teacher has its benefits (for example I never have recess duty), but it also has its challenges. One of these challenges is getting students to bring in homework. It is very challenging for a first grader with a disability to take the homework back to their class, take it home, do it, bring it back to school and THEN remember to bring it back to my classroom in the morning. My first year I would spend 15 minutes a day running all around our 900 student school to try to collect the homework that I sent home with students. It became more trouble than it was worth. I was actually punishing myself. that I didn't feel that it was fair to punish these students because many of them don't have much home support.
My second year I changed things up. I decided that I would only send homework home on Thursday nights. The homework is simple: study their spelling words and read their story for their reading test.
If they can bring back their paper signed by an adult that they did those things, they get a sticker for their sticker chart. When they earn five stickers, they get a prize out of the prize box. It has worked wonders in getting work brought back to school.
I fill my prize box with various items from the Dollar Tree, Happy Meals, candy, etc. This week I was noticing that my prize box was looking a little sparse so I decided to add some reward tickets to the box.
For one of the tickets allows the student and a friend of their choice to eat lunch in my classroom. They can also choose to watch Disney Channel on the classroom television. The other ticket gives the child the choice to pick a song for the class to do during our morning music time. I am ALWAYS getting requests for certain songs. Now I can tell the class that they can pick a song ticket from the prize box if they would like to choose what song we do. The part is that these tickets don't cost me a thing!
That's all for now. I have a big weekend of relaxing ahead of me. Hope you guys get a little too.
Heather
I bet homework was a pain! It sounds like you have a great idea with the tickets though! Thank you for sharing!
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