CREATIVE CLASSROOM TREATS!
DISCLAIMER: THESE TREATS ARE NOT THE HEALTHIEST, BUT THEY ARE TREATS FOR MY STUDENTS AND WHAT THEY EAT AND ENJOY.
I LOVE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, BECAUSE THAT IS WHEN I HAVE FUN WITH CELEBRATIONS FOR MY STUDENTS. I WON'T GET INTO IT HERE, BUT THERE IS A POST ABOUT MY PERSPECTIVE OF EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION. THE MAJORITY OF THE YEAR, I CHOOSE TO STAY AWAY FROM THEM. AT THE END OF THE YEAR, I START CRANKING UP THE TREATS AND REWARDS BECAUSE ONE OF TWO THINGS WOULD HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED:
1. MY STUDENTS HAVE BUILT INTRINSIC MOTIVATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND DO NOT ATTACH THEIR WORK TO EXTRINSIC MOTIVATORS.
2. MY STUDENTS HAVE NOT DEVELOPED INTRINSIC MOTIVATION OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, SO MORE THAN LIKELY, THE DESIRED LEVEL OF INTRINSIC MOTIVATION WON'T BE ACHIEVED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
I"M SO THANKFUL THAT IT IS RARELY #2 FOR MY STUDENTS. USUALLY, I CAN TELL A HUGE INCREASE IN MY STUDENTS' MOTIVATION.
ANYWAY, BACK TO THE TOPIC. I'M SHARING SOME OF MY FAVORITE THINGS I LIKED TO DO IN THE CLASSROOM TO KEEP TREATS UNIQUE, BUT INEXPENSIVE FOR STUDENTS. WE BOTH WIN!
MIXED CHIP/POPCORN BAG:
ONE DAY, I ASKED MY STUDENTS WHAT THEY WANTED FOR A TREAT. IT WAS IN APRIL AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS REWARDING STUDENTS FOR A BEHAVIOR. THE GROUP THAT WAS BEING REWARDED HUDDLED TOGETHER AND AFTER LONG DELIBERATION, THE DECIDED ON "HOT FRIES." (MY DESIRE FOR THEM TO QUIT EATING THOSE HOT FOODS IS A STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY...AND A LOSING BATTLE.) I LOOKED AT THEM AND SAID, "REALLY? THAT'S BORING! BUT I GOT YOU!" SO THE NEXT DAY, I CAME WITH A BAG OF HOT FRIES, HOT CHEETOS, & HOT DORITOS. I LET THEM MIX A ZIPLOC BAG WITH HOT CHIPS. THEY TOLD ME WHAT KIND THEY WANTED AND I MIXED THE DIFFERENT KINDS IN A ZIPLOC BAG. AFTER THAT, IT WAS ONE OF THEIR FAVORITES. I STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING WITH VARIETIES OF POPCORN. THIS IDEA CAME OUT WAY LESS EXPENSIVE THAN BUYING THE BOXES OF THE INDIVIDUAL BAGS AND KIDS LOVED IT MUCH MORE BECAUSE THEY WERE ABLE TO CHOOSE DIFFERENT KINDS.
THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THEIR FAVORITES!
MIXED CANDY BAGS:
I DON'T TAKE THEM TO THE CAHDY SHOP, BUT I BRING IT TO THEM IN AN INEXPENSIVE WAY! ONE DAY, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE FUN TO LET MY KIDS MIX UP SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE TREATS. I MOSTLY GET THE CANDY FROM KROGER'S $1.00 SECTION. I POUR IT INTO COMPARTMENTS OR INDIVIDUAL BOWLS AND SET UP A TABLE AND LET MY KIDS TELL ME WHAT CANDY THEY WANT IN THEIR MIX. ANOTHER HIT THAT THEY LOVE!
JUICE "SLUSHES":
THIS IS ANOTHER FAVORITE OF MY STUDENTS (AND MYSELF) THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUY A JUICE OR FRUIT-BASED SODA, PUT IN IN THE FREEZER, AND LET KIDS CHOOSE TOPPINGS TO PUT IT IN. TYPICALLY, I HAVE THE CHOICE OF NERDS, CRUSHED JOLLY RANCHERS, A SOUR STRAW, AND POPPING ROCKS. MY INSPIRATION CLEARLY CAME FROM MY OWN PERSONAL FAVORITES FROM SONIC DRIVE-IN.
ICE CREAM BAR:
ANOTHER FAVORITE OF MY STUDENTS THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS IS THE ICE CREAM BAR. I BRING VANILLA ICE CREAM AND LET STUDENTS CHOOSE VARIOUS TOPPINGS TO PUT ON THEM. I TYPICALLY HAVE CHOCOLATE & STRAWBERRY SYRUP AND THE REST ARE ANY CRUSHED COOKIES OR CANDIES THAT I HAVE. THIS YEAR, I HAD SEVERAL CHOCOLATE BARS THAT HAD BEGIN TO MELT AND HAD DISTORTED SHAPES, SO I DECIDED TO TRULY MELT THEM AND THAT ALSO GAVE KIDS THE OPTIONS TO CHOOSE TWIX & SNICKERS AS A TOPPING.
IN ADDITION TO THE ICE CREAM BAR, STUDENTS LOVE THE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES. I GET THE PACK OF $1 COOKIES THAT ARE LARGE AND SOFT FROM WAL-GREENS.
TREAT MIX:
I INITIALLY THOUGHT OF TREAT BAGS AS A THANK YOU TO PARENTS FOR TEACHER'S APPRECIATION. MY STUDENTS WERE SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE THEIR PARENTS FAVORITE TREATS AND MAKE THEM A TREAT MIX. THE STUDENTS LOVED IT! SOME OF THEIR PARENTS' FAVORITES SOUNDED REAL FAMILIAR, SO I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME OF THEIR OWN FAVORITES MIXED INTO THEIR PARENTS' TREAT MIX😂.
SO THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF MY STUDENTS' FAVORITES! IF WE ARE THE POINT THAT I AM REWARDING THEM, I LIKE TO GIVE AS MANY OF THEM WHAT THEY WANT AS POSSIBLE. MY KIDS WORK HARD AND FOR MOST OF THE YEAR, THEY HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY TANGIBLE ITEM, OR VISITED ANY TREASURE CHEST. I DON'T WANT TO DO A GENERAL ASSUMPTION OF SOMETHING THAT EVERY CHILD REALLY DOESN'T LIKE. I LIKE TO GIVE CHOICES, BUT KEEP IT INEXPENSIVE.