What a Treat!

Happy October! Today it is all about TREATS for TEACHERS with #Kinderfriends!!

Why not? Afterall, it is October! This is the month of Costumes. Candy. Pumpkins. Jack-o-lanterns. Treats. Who wouldn't be excited??! Well, maybe not teachers as much. Halloween is on a dreaded Monday this year! Yes. A Monday! Well, for me...it doesn't HAVE to be October to give my students treats! I don't exactly call them treats, but that is basically what they are! Treats are fun, they are positive and they are motivating. Throughout the year, I do a math fluency weekly check. It's called Gumball Math. When a student masters a level, in a given about of time they earn a real gumball. What a treat!

My daily behavior is a light system (star, green, yellow or red.) And as a bonus, if a student earns three stars in one week, they get to pick from the classroom Star Jar. Inside there are little folded cards with things like: shoes off for the day, a new eraser, bring in a small stuffed animal for the day, extra ipad time, a new pencil ...and even the coveted school lunch date with the teacher! What a treat!

I also use a mystery walker incentive when we travel in the hallways. Basically I randomly choose a stick (with a student's name) from a jar as I exit the classroom. Students don't know who it is and I watch this person all the way to and from. If they were a fantastic example, they get one of these items on their desk until the next mystery walker earns it. Then it gets passed on. (These are random little things - some seasonal. Some not...it's like gold to my students!) What a treat!

I also have this old wood teacher chair that I gave new life to with some paint. I sit in it in our whole group area. This chair is up for grabs in my room. It can be traded for a student's chair as a special reward too. What a treat!

 On Friday, we have FROG time, which is just an acronym for Free play Rewarded On Good Behavior (it is tied to returning homework too.) I bought these Jelly Beadz on amazon and put just 4 teaspoons (which was not even a 1/4 of the bag) in a container with water for 6 hours and they all swelled up to be the size of a small marble. Tons of beautiful colors and absolutely irresistible to not touch! Place them inside a good size clear plastic tub with some spoons and small bowls, even perhaps a few oversized plastic tweezers and it instantly becomes a sensory tub with an opportunity to strengthen fine motor. Why not sort the colors? Throw in some plastic letters and now there is an academic twist. What a treat!

 I try to keep seasonal things in my Literacy Centers to keep them interesting; like these Halloween pencils from the Target Dollar Spot. Now they all want to write, write, write! What a treat!

And finally we have a birthday spot in the classroom. It is the place the birthday boy or girl goes on their special day and chooses a crazy balloon straw and a birthday bracelet! What a treat!

Treats! They are fun and the kids really respond well. I also have a treat for all Teachers today on my blog! A chance to win a $25 dollar gift card to teacherspayteachers.com. All you have to do is follow my store to be entered for a chance to win it. Please enter the rafflecopter below and the winner will be announced on the 15th of October. So check back to find out who wins this teacher treat!

a Rafflecopter giveaway Lots more Blog Hop Giveaways with my other #Kinderfriends. Next check out Cristina with The Primary Besties! Don't miss her giveaway.