While I might be dating myself, I remember having a sticker book in upper immediate grades and collecting all sorts of stickers: puffy stickers, scratch and sniff, and holographic.
I can still remember exactly what the cover of that photo album looked like.
And many of the stickers I had in that book were from my teachers. They put them on 100% papers, so it was an extra special treat to earn one.
Of course, I never had one that had my name on it (Charity isn't exactly printed on those keychains you can buy at the amusement park with your name on it).
So I would have probably fainted from excitement had I ever had an actual sticker with my name on it.
I am guessing many students with less popular names, even today, would also love to have something personalized.
Focusing on the Good
Most teachers know all too well that positive behavior reinforcement works way better than focusing on what students are doing wrong.
And we also know it's so much harder to focus on those good things.
Much like a movie reviewer: they will always be looking for what's "not right" rather than what was right. That's simply human nature.
So chair tipping or whistling will easily be something that garners attention right away, while the student who is quietly standing in line for lunch with their hands and feet to themselves, will be less noticeable.
It takes far more effort to actively monitor for the good behavior choices students are making.
Sticking to the Great Choices
With that said, I challenge you to print off sheets of these stickers with one student name on each sticker (you'll probably need more than one full sheet of stickers to get the whole class.)
Try to pass out one sticker for each student each week - that way you know you have actively looked for the good things each individual student is doing.
What are some things you could look for?
- walking instead of running
- keeping hands and feet to yourself
- using appropriate voice levels
- turning in homework regularly
- being kind to others
- giving someone a compliment
- working hard on something challenging
- being a good listener
- having supplies and materials prepared
- keeping a desk clean
- following directions
- being a good friend
Of course there are tons others, but that's just a sampling of the positive behaviors you want to encourage in your classroom.
I highly suggest having a morning meeting where you discuss some of the list weekly with students to help them monitor their own choices as well.
And of course - if a student receives a 100% on a paper you should definitely hook them up with a sticker. Maybe he or she has their own collection too.
Need a sticker template?
This set of 3 templates includes square stickers and round stickers that are customizable in either Powerpoint or Google Slides. It also includes one template that just has positive messages on them so it's ready to print and use right away.
Grab all 3 below!
Have you ever used stickers in your classroom? Do the students enjoy them? Feel free to share in a comment below.
