Last updated on October 27th, 2023 at 03:56 pm
Teachers and substitutes strike a delicate balance each day keeping the classroom running smoothly. Part of this entails managing, supporting and redirecting student behavior. A way to do this may be through rewards. I don’t stick to just one reward mode, though, and here’s why:
Why I use whole-class rewards
Don’t skip over the whole-class reward, especially while substitute teaching. This powerful yet simple strategy provides students with some extra motivation. And it’s just fun.
I usually offer a game as the whole class reward. Whole-class games like Four Corners, Heads Up Seven Up and This or That appeal to every elementary student I’ve tried it with. As an added bonus: This reward requires little to no setup or materials, it gives students a break, and changes things up by getting them physically moving. A win on all accounts.
To maximize the effectiveness of the strategy, I find an interval of time or a chunk of task that I really want students to try their best on. If it’s simply getting to dismissal at the end of the day without any more tears, then you bet I consider that a worthy enough goal.
After explaining and modeling my expectations and how students can earn the game, I write the goal in large capital letters on the board. Usually I write GAME. Then, periodically throughout that time chunk, if students are on task and meeting expectations, I award them with a check mark under the first, then subsequent letters of GAME. The game is earned when all of the letters are earned.
A great thing about this spelled-out strategy is that it can be used multiple times a day. Last week I was covering a class in which we did this three times, with no loss of novelty. The tactic carried us through what would have otherwise been a pretty rough day.
Why I use individual rewards
Granting individual rewards is a secondary strategy for me, but it can also be quite effective.
First, I evaluate if individual rewards are needed. Sometimes they aren’t. Well-deserved praise can get you a long way, especially with elementary-age students.
But there are times when certain students need that extra push. Or they’re crying out for attention, and you’d rather it be granted for a positive behavior than negative. Individual rewards can be a great tool for the substitute teacher.
In my article about using token economies while subbing, I encourage using systems the teacher already has in place. There’s not much point in handing out your own ream of carnival tickets if the class uses Wilson’s Wonderbucks, or something of the type. Unless you can sense the system isn’t working, maintain the existing system for continuity’s sake and for ease.
Because with all a sub has going on, one needs things to be as simple as possible.
Why I recommend using both whole-class and individual rewards
Rather than viewing both of these strategies as two separate or opposing systems, I view them as the same but in different forms. These can work in conjunction for maximum effect.
Individual students can be rewarded even if the class is not
Let’s say the class did not earn their whole-class reward. That’s okay– they’ll be disappointed, and you’ll likely be as well, but I personally would not award anything unearned. It’s important as a substitute to follow through.
Maybe even though the class clearly did not meet the expectations necessary to earn their reward, there are a few students who were on task. I like to acknowledge these students and their good work.
Whole-group rewards like extra recess and games would be hard to give to just a few students and not the rest. That’s where an individual rewards system comes in. While their class did not earn ten minutes of free time, you might award two students classroom cash, a sticker, a positive note, candy, etc. I made a list of these individual rewards in my Token Economies post.
By using both systems, you can still reward the few students who earned it.
As part of a broad behavior management symphony
I’m a fan of equipping myself with as many tools as possible to survive a day subbing.
My teaching craft becomes a symphony, a mosaic, a wild and thrilling dance of interwoven strategies and decisions. I have to adapt to a constant stream of different situations.
Which is why I start with a simple baseline for behavior management and work from there. Sometimes the situation calls for using unconventional methods to get the students pepped up and paying attention, like making a stuffed animal pigeon break dance for Kindergarteners. (I have a limited skillset when it comes to entertaining children.)
Maintaining order in the classroom doesn’t have to be an intricate series of steps taken in just the right sequence, or it’s game over. Sometimes I try things that end up falling flat. But it’s served me and the students well to keep a collection of my favorite hits in mind so that, when the situation warrants it, I can deftly deploy a well-fitting strategy at just the right time.
And sometimes that looks like utilizing multiple strategies– like whole-class and individual rewards– at once.
