5 Fun and Creative Ways to Celebrate Student Success

Nothing improves student engagement more than celebrating student success, especially in the classroom. And while it’s not possible to have a pizza party every Friday, there are things you can do on a regular basis that can help fill your students with self-esteem.

Golf clap

You don’t want students giving full applause regularly. It distracts from other learning that may be happening in the room. What you can do is start the tradition of “golf clapping” whenever someone makes a breakthrough. Simply give a quiet series of claps during whole-group instruction. You might even tilt your chin up. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the trend will spread.

Good email/text home

Too often, teachers focus on the negative. So when a student hears that you’ll be contacting their parents, they’ll assume the worst. Instead, make sure it’s known that good calls/emails/texts home are available and can be earned with success. It especially affects older students who might be lobbying their parents for privileges or expensive electronics.

Hobby presentation

At regular intervals, reward a student with the opportunity to show off their hobby in a short presentation. You might think that kids don’t like giving presentations, but it’s actually that they don’t like giving presentations on things they don’t care about. This works on two fronts: it provides a reward and gives them a chance to practice their communication skills.

Sit close to/far away from the teacher

There are two sides to this. Younger students idolize their teachers, so sitting near them makes them feel special and serves as a reward. Older students, though they may like their teacher, want independence above all else. Allowing them to move further away shows them trust.

Graffiti

Relax, it’s not actual graffiti. It’s just the ability to write anything they want (within reason) on one of your boards. Students love to give shout-outs to their friends, favorite TV shows, music, or other interests and hobbies.

For more materials to celebrate student success, check out School Specialty’s online store.