This will be my first year teaching, and I am very excited about trying Whole Brain Teaching. I already have my scoreboard made, and I even created a song to go with my rules. However, one of my concerns is what whole group rewards can you offer on a daily basis without getting repetitive. Help me please!

I think the extra or "dextra" minutes of playground are a great idea.

Don't forget that the scoreboard is fixed, so you won't always need to reward. The first days, in fact, you'll always "punish" them with one "dextra" minute, so the see you really mean what you say.

You have other interesting variations in the e-book "Whole Brain Teaching challenging teens". In it, you have ideas as allowing them to bring their own music or having a "big" party at the end of the week.

Best,

Edward

What grade do you teach? I teach fifth and am deparmentalized. I have students for 90 minutes every day. What I did this year is had them work for a 'participation' grade. I started them at a certain grade at the beginning of the nine weeks, then added or took away from that grade each day depending on how the smileys and frownies worked out that day. That way they had a running total on the board each day. At the end of the nine weeks, they got the grade averaged in with all their other grades. Seemed to work well!

Joni

You can also have them work for some of the fun learning games from Whole Brain Teaching such as Super Speed Reading and Mind Soccer.

HI there! Another idea that I have heard is to build PAT time (preferred activity time). This is time where students can choose an activity that they would like to do for the length of the minutes that they use. In kinder, I use the scoreboard for extra/less minutes for recess. IF the students are equal- they get a "regular recess", and they may take out the sand toys and block. More smileys, they get a "longer recess" and they get the above toys PLUS bikes. more saddys and they get a short recess and no toys. I have heard of teachers doing a similar thing with balls and sidewalk chalk. Make these recess extras an added incentive:)!