Great Strategy for Motivating On-Task Behavior
August 15, 2012
by Sandra Rief
Middle school teacher, Shawn H., shared with me this strategy that he uses in his 7th grade math class. I think it’s a terrific idea for motivating on-task behavior during independent work time. When this teacher gives an assignment and he observes students who are on-task and busy working on what they are supposed to be doing, he takes out dice and walks over to those students’ desks. The students earn the chance to roll one die. Whatever number comes up on the die is the number of fewer math problems the student has to do that night on the homework assignment.
According to Shawn, “My students love it when I take out the dice, and behavior problems are generally nonexistent when this activity takes place.”
For more tips and strategies on the topic of keeping kids (particularly those with attention difficulties) on-task during seat work times of the day, see my blog Keeping Students On Task During Seat Work .
Tags: independent work, motivating, on task, strategies
