As the goal of this incentive program is to shape and reinforce appropriate classroom behavior, allow students to improve by giving a warning before you earn a point. Do this by writing a question mark or a dotted tally next to your score. If behavior improves, erase the warning: if not, you earn the point.
2. A whole-class reward that takes teamwork to win can be a real incentive Many classrooms have a Friday free-time activity every week or so, and the method of earning this reward can be up to you (see number 3 below for an example). Whatever you decide, thoroughly consider all aspects of the plan including the following:
• The expected classroom behaviors-Think this through, as you want to make sure you cover all aspects of classroom management. You and your incentive program will lose credibility with the students if rules are made up as you go along or if changes are made during the incentive program. State expectations succinctly and positively. Let students know what they should and should not do.
• The reward the students will be working toward -You may want to survey students to find out what motivates them as they will be more likely to work toward something they want.
• The method used to collect and present data -Your students need to have some tangible ways to know they are on the right track with their behavior. Points accumulated on the board, stamps or stickers on a calendar ,marbles in a jar ,or graphs are some examples of ways to visually present this information. But don't forget to tell your students what they are earning and why they are earning it. In addition to keeping your students informed throughout the class hour, it's a good idea to summarize the total points earned at the end of each class.
• Realistic criteria for success-Criteria that are set too high may be unattainable, while criteria set too low will not challenge the students to improve behavior to a more acceptable level. Establish a graduated scale of success with increased incentives for meeting higher criteria. This , too, should be posted for students to see. (See "The method of explaining the plan" and "The method used to collect and present data" in the bullets below for examples.)
• The duration of the incentive program- The success of your incentive program hinges on the length of time students must perform a behavior before they receive their reward. If it runs too long, students will lose interest or feel the reward isn't worth the wait. If the duration is too short you will begin to feel like you spend more time rewarding your students than teaching. A good rule of thumb is to run the first couple of incentive programs for about two weeks. Then, once your students have gotten the hang of things and behavior has begun to improve, increase the duration of the incentive to three or four weeks.
• The method of explaining the plan, including how often you will review expectations - One of the more common reasons incentive plans fall apart is lack of communication. The best laid plans will fall flat if you don't devise a way to explain the incentive program clearly. Students need to be well advised on all of the above elements of the incentive plan. In addition, they need frequent reminders about expectations, feedback on progress and recognition for their appropriate behavior.