I stocked up on stickers, small novelty erasers, and sometimes I did use
candy, though that is not my first choice. I had a great discount school
supply company near me at the time I first used this system...don't know
where I'll go now, as I live in a different state!
You could seek party favors that come in bulk...buy some special
pencils...what about highlighters? Maybe you could even get a business (or
two or three...) to donate some items.
Another option would be to award the class with a special project or a game
day (for art games, of course).
What I told the kids was that when their class palette is full, their
teacher would get a "Golden Palette Award" to hang outside her room so that
the whole school would know what they had accomplished. And if that didn't
seem to excite them, I added a sense of mystery--"...and there might even be
some rewards for the students in those classes who earn the golden palette
award...but I don't want to go into that too much right now..." Their eyes
got big with excitement and wonder, and it bought me some time--I'm not
commited to any one thing before I've stocked up.
As for the "Golden Palette"--I will make a smaller version of the ones I
hang in the classroom (I'm thinking about the size of my hand when my
fingers are spread out) using gold posterboard, and featuring all the
colors. I might make the colors out of paper scraps, like I do for the
regular palettes, but maybe outline them with gold glitter so it's even
flashier. Or I might use real, heavy body acrylics and try to give the paint
a globby, impasto presence on the palette. I will also probably print a
label indicating the teacher's name and the date. But then again...if I do
not label them, maybe I can collect them at the end of the year and use them
again next year. After all, what use would the teacher have for them after
the school year has ended?
Another idea. One thing I used years ago with my older classes (4th and 5th
grade) was something I called "Big Bucks." I had found somewhere a large
version of a $100 bill done with the Mona Lisa instead of Benjamin Franklin.
It was black&white, but I copied it onto lime green paper, and laminated
them. How I wish I could find the B&W original I used to make the copies!
I distributed them to classes for good behavior throughout the year, and at
the end of the year I held an auction for which the classes could place bids
with their Big Bucks. I think I auctioned off a pizza party, donuts, a
special project (but I can't remember what it was!), and toy surprises
(which were the little party favor toys). It did cost some money out of my
pocket, though. Again, maybe you could have some things donated?
This kids LOVED the Big Bucks. They all wanted to keep them and take them
home, but since I had a limited amount, I asked that all be returned to me.
If I could find the original so I could make more, I'd consider letting them
be a reward kids could keep. They really thought those Big Bucks were cool!
Here's an inexpensive option for a reward: let the kids "pie" you if they
earned a certain behavior or art project goal. You'd have to set a time near
the end of the school year set aside where you could cover yourself in trash
bags and let each deserving kid throw a plate filled with spray wipped cream
at you. Each child supplied his or her own whipped cream. My daughter's 2nd
grade teacher used this to motiviate kids in a fundraiser earlier this year.
Kids who met a certain goal got the reward, and the entire class enjoyed the
spectacle! I'm afraid it was a rather miserable experience for the teacher,
but she was a great sport. She got all decked out in her trash bags and
goggles.
So maybe an opportunity to "pie" the teacher might motivate some of the more
obnoxious students!
HTH,
Amy
----- Original Message -----
From: <StacieMich@aol.com>
To: "TeacherArtExchange Discussion Group"
<teacherartexchange@lists.pub.getty.edu>
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2006 8:06 PM
Subject: Re: [teacherartexchange] NOISE level
> Hmmm...it does sound interesting, like something they could get excited
> about. What kind of awards do you usually give out? Seems like you'd
> need to buy
> a lot of stickers and stuff!
>
> ---
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