Prize Box...

...Don't have one!  We teach in small groups.  90% of our students don't have behavior issues and therefore the prize box is just one more thing to manage.  I didn't manage my prize box well last year so I thought that I should create a structure and criteria for it this year - I made it worse!  I was giving the students tickets to reward good behavior.  The majority of the time I'd forget to give them tickets, it takes 5 minutes for them to put the tickets away and another 5 minutes of them surrounding me asking when they could pick out of the prize box and if they could just look in it again.  It's a nightmare!  I wish I could take it away now but it's a little late for that.  Once spring comes around I'm going to remove the boxes from my rooms.  Rewards will be 10 minutes of outside play time or an outdoor reading day.  I did stop giving tickets already.  I'm setting up 2 more prize box days and then it's leaving!  Save your time and money.  Kids will work just as hard to earn free time or to be a special helper.  As I'm phasing out the prize box, I'm slowing teaching my students that when they work hard, they are naturally rewarded.  If John finishes his activity in 25 minutes instead of 30 because he got right to work instead of talking - he can file papers for me or be the pencil sharpener which they love to do - it is a reward for them!