8th grade? No problem...

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8th grade? No problem...
By Tina Winquist

I teach 7-12 grade in an incarcerated youth facility and I think 8th grade is one of the easier grades. I teach just about all subjects and I have found that rewards are just as effective for the older kids as with the younger
ones.
For teaching math I still offer journaling (i.e. notebook of what concepts have they learned), art (i.e. notebook-representations of factoring, geometry through design), and I bring in and use as many manipulatives as possible.
For rewards, if you have an unlimited budget, candy or food still works. If you're like me, I basically brib with my minimal talents. I have

offered to do a personally created rap to the class once everyone completed their assignment. I have also offered to show the class my double-jointed elbow upon completing their work (one of the better on-task days). I have even brought in some pictures of my travels to Bali and Thailand as motivators/rewards. Rule #1...always give rewards at the end of class to ensure maximum amount of on-task time. Rule #2...try not to have students compete against each other for rewards but rather foster team building. (You can always initially have teams compete against each other but in the end, I'd would highly suggest rewarding everyone for their efforts) Rule #3...
try to use class pressure rather than teacher pressure in addressing problematic individuals. (i.e. "the class will get a reward if"...rather "than the first one to finish will"...or "Johnny if you ______ than______")