Student Reward Ideas — Scratch Off Tickets

Looking for student reward ideas? We found an awesome one here!

Looking for super fun and simple student reward ideas? Well, I found a great one on Twitter that I'm about to share with you. I watch social media closely and it's my job to share some of the hot topics on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other outlets that teachers, principals, students, and parents are contributing.

We Are Teachers posted a super fun idea for student rewards. They found this idea from a blog called Live. Love. Math. This teacher came up with an awesome way to reward students by using scratch-off cards. The cards offer 5 points on tests, quizzes, or homework. The teacher said she only puts a reward on about 20 percent of the cards she makes so it reflects the real world more than an instant win would.

How you make the cards is simple. Use card-stock to make the area students will scratch off. The author also glued them to a piece of construction paper as well. To make the scratching material, she advised (blue only) Dawn soap and silver acrylic paint mixed without giving any specific amounts for each. After mixing the two together, you paint the liquid over the text on your cards that reveal with the prize is (or isn't). It's super easy and fun for both you and your students. You can see an image of what the finished product looks like on her blog here.

How do you reward your students? Do you think these kinds of rewards are useful? Why? Or do you think these rewards are unnecessary or even detrimental? Why? What could you put on the cards other than points on assignments and assessments?

Tori Pakizer is the Social Media Editor at SimpleK12.com. She writes regularly about the use of educational technology in K-12 classrooms, and specializes in how teachers use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social media. You can follow Tori and SimpleK12 on Twitter @SimpleK12. If you have ideas for using social media in schools, please send your information or tip to editor@simplek12.com.