What motivates middle school students? We asked them to find out!
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
Stella Ikhnana has 10 years experience as a Special Education Teacher. Social emotional learning, self-advocacy and executive functioning were her top priorities throughout her teaching career. As an English Language Learner, she brought her experience to the classroom and kept students first in mind in her decisions. She earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago and master's degree in Literacy Education from Northeastern Illinois University. She currently works as a Client Success Manager at a marketing software company.
Motivation is a key factor for success in school. As a middle school teacher, I was often trying to learn about what motivated students. The easiest method to learn what motivated them was to ask them. It was necessary to build a strong connection and get to know their interests before asking “What motivates you at home? What motivates you at school?”
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
Motivation is a key factor for success in school. As a middle school teacher, I was often trying to learn about what motivated students. The easiest method to learn what motivated them was to ask them. It was necessary to build a strong connection and get to know their interests before asking “What motivates you at home? What motivates you at school?”
There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done.
Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.
The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.
Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops.
Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.
Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.
Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.
Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students.
When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride.
At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.
Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.
Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)
Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers.
Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.
Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.
I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward.
This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.
Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.
Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch.
Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.
Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend.
I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!
Depending on your school culture, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.
Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.
Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line
The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.
Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.
Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site.
If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.
Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.
In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn.
Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!
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