Your Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior

Building a rewards and incentive program can be overwhelming, that's why we put everything you need in one place.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
January 27, 2023

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

Subscribe via Email

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Your Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior

Building a rewards and incentive program can be overwhelming, that's why we put everything you need in one place.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
January 27, 2023
It’s no secret that we need our students to not only be engaged with their lessons but actually excited to attend our school.

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

Subscribe via Email

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That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

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That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

Your Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior

Building a rewards and incentive program can be overwhelming, that's why we put everything you need in one place.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
January 27, 2023

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

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Your Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior

Building a rewards and incentive program can be overwhelming, that's why we put everything you need in one place.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
January 27, 2023

About the Event

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

Register Now

About the Event

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

About the Presenter

You know what they teamwork makes the dream work. These articles have been written by the wonderful members of our team.

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Your Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior

Building a rewards and incentive program can be overwhelming, that's why we put everything you need in one place.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
January 27, 2023

It’s no secret that we need our students to not only be engaged with their lessons but actually excited to attend our school.

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Trip to the Treasure Box
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Locker Choice
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Vote
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Final Fridays
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Wild ‘N Out High School Edition
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Amazing Race
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Theme Party
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Trip to the Treasure Box
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Firebird of the Month
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Assembly
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Holidays Around the World
Grades K-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Event Ideas for Schools

💰
🎨
Dance Party
💰
🎨
Meme Party
💰
🎨
Kickback Vibes
💰
🎨
Movie Night
💰
🎨
House Induction
💰
🎨
Theme Party
💰
🎨
Family Feast
💰
🎨
Camp Read Away
💰
🎨
Glow Party
💰
🎨
Silent Disco

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Recess
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
🎉
👑
🎁
Locker Choice
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Messenger
🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Meme Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Color a Teacher’s Hair
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lost & Found Fashion Show
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holiday Classroom Carousel
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Blood Drive
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Ice Cream Sundae Party
Grades K-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Hallway High-Five
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Anime Themed Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Read Across America
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Food-Themed Party
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Graduation Celebration
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Deluxe

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
♟️Chess With the Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Lunch With the Teacher
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Gift Cards
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Water Bottle Stickers
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Be a Comedian.
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Seat Swap
Grades 3-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Rolling Chair Rental
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
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Your Complete Guide to Rewarding Students for Positive Behavior

Building a rewards and incentive program can be overwhelming, that's why we put everything you need in one place.
By 
The Liveschool Team
 | 
January 27, 2023

It’s no secret that we need our students to not only be engaged with their lessons but actually excited to attend our school.

That can be difficult to accomplish within today’s culture of apathy. 

Student motivation just might be the missing ingredient. 

But, lucky for you, you have navigated the interwebs and stumbled upon the ultimate guide to help you establish a student rewards system

A system that is guaranteed to keep your kiddos interested and engaged all throughout their time in your school. 

What are Student Rewards?

Motivating your students can be very simple. You have behaviors, actions, and achievements you value within your school community.

Your students should know what they are and how to meet them. They also know that when they do, they will receive a reward that can take many forms based on their grade level and their school culture. 

They can be tangible or intangible. They may have a monetary value or not. The only thing that matters is that your students value the reward, which gives the reward value. 

Tangible Reward Examples

  1. Backpack

Swag that can carry more swag! Who doesn’t love that?!

  1. Books

Books can appeal to any age group. Make sure you include books from a wide range of genres and don’t forget the comics! 

  1. Holiday Delivery

Nothing brings up the mood in your building like a little holiday cheer! Select some special helpers to deliver Boo 👻 Grams, Thankful Feathers 🦃, Christmas Cookies 🍪, Valentine’s Candy Grams ❤️️, and St. Patty’s ☘️ Clover Grams to your students who qualify for this reward in their class!

Intangible Reward Examples

  1. Assist the Custodian

Allow a student to earn some out-of-class time making rounds with the school custodian.

  1. Drop the Lowest Quiz 

For older students, give them the option of dropping their lowest grade on a quiz or homework assignment from their overall grade.

  1. Early Lunch Dismissal

This doesn't have to be crazy! Even letting students go a minute before the bell can feel like a big privilege.

That means you can launch a student rewards system with a little-to-no budget if you're creative and do a great job building buy-in with your students.

Expensive Rewards

  1. Class Pet

If you're an animal lover, consider getting a fish, turtle, or hamster for your class! Then, save time caring for it by enlisting the help of students. This special privilege can serve as a reward for good behavior.

  1. Bonfire

Celebrate school spirit by holding a bonfire. With all of the famous bonfire trimmings – smores, music, food, dancing, stories, drinks, and games – students can enjoy this, normally esoteric, event in a fun and safe environment amongst their peers.

  1. Graduation Celebration

Elementary and Middle Schools arrange with their affiliate or nearby high school an event where soon-to-be graduates visit the school and take part in a parade. Students lining the hallways are encouraged to wear apparel from their favorite university and cheer as the graduates parade through.

Inexpensive Rewards

  1. Decades Party

Time to dig through those attics, garages, sheds, and deep back in your parents’ closets. Because it’s time to party with a blast from the past!

  1. Fake the Funk

This is a lip-sync event where students choose their favorite songs from their favorite artists and perform them.

  1. Lunch Reservations

Imagine your school café has a roped-off section that is complete with tablecloth and fine dining silverware that is reserved for your students who go above and beyond your school-wide expectations. 

Why Reward Students for Behavior?

Most educators agree that a major factor in student achievement is morale and motivation. If the student isn’t motivated to participate, it is doubtful they will be successful. 

So why do we need to reward students for positive behavior?

  1. Consistent use of rewards helps with morale and motivation. 

Some of us are intrinsically motivated. No matter what the task, we will try to do our very best. Experienced educators know that self-motivated students do exist, but they are often the exception, not the rule. 

  1. Students like to see their accomplishments recognized. 

If they meet or exceed expectations, students want to be rewarded. You can even increase your instructional time with students by creating attendance incentives.

You can teach your students Financial Literacy through rewards! On a recent episode of The Flywheel Effect, Jason Haniger made the case that every school in America could use a token economy-style rewards system because it not only increases motivation but it also allows you to teach hard-to-grasp skills like financial literacy.

    3. You can create a culture where positive actions are not only encouraged, they are rewarded. 

If done right, you can create a “legacy of positivity” as Paul Kennedy described on our podcast.

Humans like to be recognized and rewarded, and when they do so, they are more likely to do so again. We all like to know that our effort is appreciated. 

Here are some great examples of rewards that every student would like to have:

Be a Comedian

Allow students some floor time to tell a joke. This will be an especially great outlet for some students – you know the ones!

Brain Break

Everybody loves a brain break, especially when it gives you time to decompress and refocus before starting something new.

Emcee the Announcements

Let's be honest: students love getting to be the center of attention. And what's a more public way than the school announcements?

“It’s OK to reward kids for doing the right things.”-Nick Payne, Middle School Principal

How to Facilitate Student Rewards

Systemizing your student reward system will help you create a consistent and structured approach to recognizing and rewarding student achievement. Additionally, it will help you to create a sense of fairness and equity among all students. 

But you're going to need some reward system ideas like we have listed below to make it easier for you to track student progress and identify areas of improvement, as well as develop strategies to motivate and engage students.

1. A School Reward App

A school rewards app is important because it can provide a convenient way for teachers and administrators to recognize and reward their students from anywhere at any time.

Where to Start: By adopting a behavior management platform like LiveSchool you can leverage technology to organize your system with a behavior management app that can keep track of all the things you need for rewarding your kids. 

2. Define Your Data

By having clearly defined discipline data administrators can track patterns and trends in student behavior over time in order to identify areas of improvement and target interventions where necessary.

Where to Start: Define what matters to your school and track those behaviors

3. Approved Vendors and Partners

By obtaining pre-approval you ensure that the rewards are appropriate and that the vendors and partners have been vetted to ensure they abide by the school's policies.

Where to Start: This one may already be done by your district. If not you can compile it over time, but it will eventually save you time as you don’t want to be a teacher, PBIS coach, and also cold-call local businesses.

4. Start a School Store

By building a PBIS Store you can create a formal process for students to spend those hard-earned points with the added benefit of establishing a visual reminder of what your students are working towards.

There are tons of great iterations of school stores. They come in all shapes and sizes:

  • Physical stores run by staff
  • Physical stores run by students
  • Virtual Stores
  • Reward carts that travel room to room
  • And even mobile stores run by students

Where to Start: Begin by brainstorming school store ideas. To ease the logistical demand on your staff we’d suggest researching how to build a student-run rewards store. Then your students can decide how to design the store and if they’d like to provide digital options to your rewards offering.

By investing some time early on with your team, you can decide upon guidelines under which all future rewards can fall. 

5. Individual or Group Rewards?

“When our teachers are incorporating competition into their lessons, you can just feel the buzz in the building.”-Eric Keiper, Dean of Students

When planning a reward, you'll need to decide how large a group you want to include. You can give individual rewards to students who excel, reward a whole class for meeting expectations, or even plan an event for a grade level or the entire school.

Where to Start: We have compiled a list of class rewards and a collection of class party ideas. Consider STEM Field Day or a Glow Party for a memorable reward your students won't forget!

How to Choose Grade-Level Appropriate Rewards

It is important to choose grade-level appropriate student rewards because it helps motivate students to work hard and achieve their goals. Grade-level appropriate rewards will also help foster a sense of accomplishment since the students can relate more to the rewards they are receiving.

@whyliveschool Click the link🔗 in our bio to start planning Rewards🎉 that Rock🎸 for your 🏫 ! #pbis #edutok #behavior #rewards #positivity #leaders #principalsoftiktok #teachersoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Elementary School Rewards

Elementary school incentives do not have to be costly or complicated. They can be cheap prizes or even free! In fact, we found 50 free student rewards that would work great for younger students. Elementary school students love fun classroom rewards but talk to your students to find out what they like. 

What’s most important is that students feel valued and appreciated and recognize that positive behavior plays a vital role in making the classroom a special place for everyone.

A few examples that your elementary students will love:

  1. Camp Read-Away

In partners, students work to create the best reading fort they can imagine. Then, lights out! For the rest of the time, students flashlight read independently or with a buddy.

  1. Line Leader

With great power comes great responsibility. Let students bask in the glory of leading their fellow classmates through the great halls of your school.

  1. Lunch with the Teacher

Allowing students to eat lunch with their teacher is a big honor and lets you develop relationships with your students as they understand you are giving up your quiet lunch to spend with them.

Middle School Rewards

If you're a middle school teacher you know that motivation and morale matter a great deal. Not just for student engagement and success, but for your sanity as well! 

But how do you find incentive ideas for middle school students that will actually work? You need ideas that will incentivize and at times even entertain your students. But how do you know what will do that? 

You can start by asking them!

You need to harness the power of student voice before you plan prizes for middle school.

A few examples that are sure to motivate your middle school students:

  1. Lunch Concert

Students get to eat lunch in a private room (with an adult chaperone) with friends and play their personal, school-appropriate playlist.

  1. Student Messenger

The student messenger is someone who delivers important messages and notes throughout the school. This is a great privilege students can earn, and it's also a good intervention for your Tier 2 students who may need opportunities for breaks.

  1. Talk Time

Students love talking! So let them earn it. This can be a class-wide activity, or a student can have the floor share a funny story from the weekend.

High School Rewards

As students age, motivation and engagement with school is a negative linear line from K through 12. By the time your students reach you, they can be fairly disinterested in school. 

They still need school. But you’re going to need incentives for high school students that they actually want.

They are in school and they will participate on varying levels. But you know that deeper learning isn’t possible without engagement. 

The best way to create an engaging learning environment in high school is to create an unforgettable experience for your students. Here are some fun high school events ideas that will create lifelong memories for your kiddos.

A few examples that even high school students will get excited about:

  1. Wild’N Out High School Edition

The famous improv show that airs on TV is a fun favorite for everyone. There are so many segments that range from intermediate to advanced for every student who feels brave enough to showcase their improv skills.

  1. Let’s Make a Difference Week

Let’s get out of the classroom and put some of this service learning to work with a student-led initiative that highlights different community service projects locally.

  1. Stairway Messages

Use each step as a location to place a few words of the message that you want to get across. This can be educational material, current events, politics, pop culture, and school news.

What Types of Rewards Should You Use?

Your rewards don’t have to all be the same thing. Remember they can be tangible, or intangible. They can be small daily incentives or big prizes that they need to work towards.

You can use classroom prizes, and virtual prizes or you can use fun school event ideas to motivate your students and enhance your school culture.

Here are a few examples of each to inform your planning:

Classroom Prizes

  1. Art Contest

Teachers decide on a theme and have students create their own interpretation of it.

  1. Board Game Party

Gather some of your favorite board games and teach your students how to follow rules the good old-fashioned way. You can even turn it into a class-wide tournament. Maybe board games are a bit retro, but you can make them cool with your students.

  1. Teacher Q & A

Create a jar for students to submit questions about YOU. As a reward, you could dedicate some time to answering questions the whole class or select from the jar or take a few at random. You never know what students will ask!

Virtual Prizes

  1. Virtual Field Trip

These expeditions can be found through e-learning platforms such as Nearpod, through websites that have educational programs like National Geographic or Discovery Education, or popular destinations such as zoos or museums.

  1. Virtual Talent Show

A virtual talent show can be conducted live, or, even better, over social media! Create a hashtag for students and prompts they can share.

  1. Host a Virtual Party

Online classes don't mean there can't be class spirit. As a class, your virtual students can earn points that can unlock an online party.

School Events

  1. Silent Disco

Give everyone headphones and let them play their favorite music and dance the night away, silently.

  1. House Induction

Your Principal begins announcing names and unveiling house selections for all of the new students as their new housemates cheer like crazy for their newly induction peers.

  1. Ice Cream Sundae Party

Grab a couple of gallons of ice cream, some whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget the sprinkles!

@whyliveschool Free Student Reward Idea 💡! Host a special screening of a big event for your students who have earned the reward or play the event for everyone during lunch! @clarkcountyschool #teachersoftiktok #principalsoftiktok #usmnt #worldcup #principalsoftiktok ♬ original sound - whyliveschool

Low-Cost or DIY Rewards

  1. Anime-Themed Party

It’s time to get the gear, look the part, and transform your school into a local Cosplay convention! Who doesn’t want to dress as their favorite Anime character for a school party?

  1. Career Day

This free reward allows students of all ages to explore the many opportunities they can explore in their adult lives.

  1. Digital Escape Rooms

This is a great activity for individuals or small groups. You can find plenty of free ones online that cover nearly every subject area, but it’s actually fun (and pretty easy) to create your own.

Examples of free student rewards

Bonus: Rewards for Your Staff

If you’re a school leader you’d be wise to not forget your staff when it comes to recognizing and celebrating those who are doing great things in your school.

Our teachers deserve to be praised, respected, and recognized. They deserve some teacher rewards as well! 

Here are a few that your staff is sure to love:

    1. Lifesaver Award 

Create a trophy (be creative here) that staff can award each other at your faculty meeting to recognize colleagues who go above and beyond to help them, the school, and the students. 

    2. Decision Maker

Want to instill buy-in with your staff? Include them in the decision-making process. Invite the teacher of the week to your admin team.

    3. Principal’s Parking Spot

Re-designate your parking spot for teacher recognition.

Examples of teacher rewards

Your School & Students Rewards

School rewards are great for incentives and improving morale. They are also great for student motivation. We hope this guide will help you integrate your rewards with your school’s unique culture and that you can use these ideas to find a way to include all students in your rewards program, or if your just getting started don't forget to take a look at our Behavior Rubric examples.

“Change the way you see school. Change the way you do school. Change the results you get at school.”-Kanetha Callahan, Community Achieves Site Coordinator

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Books
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Amazing Race
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Theme Party
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Pack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Recess
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Books
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY

All Event Ideas for Schools

💰
🎨
School Dance
💰
🎨
Movie Night
💰
🎨
Music Fest
💰
🎨
Final Fridays
💰
🎨
Kickback Vibes
💰
🎨
Game Week
💰
🎨
Family Feast
💰
🎨
Dance Party
💰
🎨
The A-List
💰
🎨
Silent Disco
💰
🎨
Camp Read Away

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Reading Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
🎉
👑
🎁
The Big Ticket
🎉
👑
🎁
Stairway Messages
🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
🎉
👑
🎁
Follow a Friend

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Water Bottle Stickers
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Amazing Race
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly School Leader
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Hallway High-Five
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Meme Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Gift Cards
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Career Day
Grades 3-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
The A-List
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Vote
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Board Game Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Firebird of the Month
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Toys
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Gift Cards
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Silly Science Experiments
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Game of Thrones
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Uber by a Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
TikTok with the Teacher
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Lunch With the Teacher
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
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