Spark Student Motivation: Finding Vocabulary Words!

It's Fall!! (Although it doesn't feel like it in Florida yet...)

Another simple idea...
Want to get your students SUPER EXCITED about using and finding vocabulary words?
Give them tickets!!
I offer my students a ticket (for our weekly drawing) every time they find a vocabulary word and can tell me the meaning.
 I've selected words that will appear in their daily reading, which makes finding them exciting because they're everywhere! I created my list of words my first year teaching because we had a horrible program with our reading series and I've used it ever since. I wanted words that my students would use in their conversations and writing. Also, I wanted them to see and understand them in their own reading and feel great about their word bank they've built!

Are you sure you're ready for all this vocabulary finding ??!! I'm so impressed after I look at all the examples I've captured of my students finding our words!

Here's an example of one of my students finding a vocabulary word.

I'm giving out A LOT of tickets this year because my class can use all our words from last year since I looped with them. But, isn't that the point? It makes ME so excited when they race to show me a vocabulary word they found! I want them to LOVE vocabulary and it shows me they enjoy learning new words and the activities we do to learn them.

 

If they find them at home and mark their books to show to me the next day, they still get tickets. OR...they can take a picture of them and text them to me (which is way more fun!!)!

These students wrote the meanings under the words they found.

 

They will find them when they're on the computer!! It counts no matter where they find them!!

They'll even have their parents text pictures of vocabulary words on buses to prove they found them!

They even find them on TV!!!!
The following video is a 3 second snippet from The Voice that a student sent me of Gwen Stefani using one of our vocabulary words (genuine). I mean, this steps it up a notch! :)

Do you see the effort by all these students??!! I've never had a reading program list of words that did this for my students. Such a simple concept to reward students for recognizing vocabulary words and knowing their meaning with tickets. My students LOVE it!

You can do the same thing with your vocabulary words! This simple idea encourages them to be "on the lookout!" It works wonders! I promise!

For more vocabulary activities click here.

My entire yearlong vocabulary bundle (words, activities, assessments, organizers, etc.) can be
 found here. It will be 20% off for the weekend! :)
 

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!

Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!

Check out all the wonderful ideas from my friends who link up and don't forget to leave some love by commenting....we LOVE comments!

***Please include the topic in the link up with your blog name.

Spark Student Motivation: Getting Your Students to Buy Into Getting Their Parents Involved!

Do you have trouble getting information relayed to your parents from your students? (especially big kids because the parents count on them to give on their children important information and don't check their backpacks) I have a creative solution for you! LET'S SPARK SOME STUDENT MOTIVATION!

 

 Here's an easy way to get your students excited about sharing information with their parents about upcoming events...have them take a picture of the act!

We made these cute Open House invites and I wanted to make sure my students went straight home to give them to their parents, so I offered an incentive!
*We made these last year and they were a HUGE hit!

I offered them 10 tickets the following day if they took a picture of them handing the invite to their parents, a picture of the invite with their parents, or a picture of the invite on their refrigerator, etc.!
They could be as creative as they wanted!

 After taking the picture they texted the "proof" to me!

The one on the left wrote a note with her picture! I received one text within 5 minutes of getting out of school! As soon as he got in the car, his mom texted me to let me know they'd be at open house!

Just a fun and simple way to get students motivated about sharing information about your class!
**If you don't feel comfortable giving out your cell phone number, you could still offer an incentive for bringing a note back. I just really liked the creativity and fun of this method! :)

I know next time I'll have even more responses after seeing all the ones that participated receive their 10 tickets! And, I overheard some of them talking about creative ways to take pictures "next time".
SCORE!!
 

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!

Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!

Check out all the wonderful ideas from my friends who link up and don't forget to leave some love by commenting....we LOVE comments!
***Please include the topic in the link up with your blog name.

An InLinkz Link-up

Spark Student Motivation: Customized Stamps

I know most of us are now in full swing this school year, so let's share some motivational tips to make it the best year for all of us!

 I LOVE to spark my students' motivation with my customized stamps!
I started my collection about 8 years ago (before I had purchased all my cute fonts). I have a couple more I still need to add, but you'd be surprised what these stamps do for my students!

   I've been dancing on desks since my first year teaching...gets their attention for sure! I decided to make a stamp so they could remember the moment we celebrated something they did in our classroom!

**(This is definitely the favorite stamp!)**

 

 

At first, people think the "Who Are You?" stamp is for no-name papers, but it's actually for students who are so incredible I can't believe they're only in 5th grade or they've achieved something they've never been able to do!

Think about it...how would you feel if someone told you that "you were dangerous"? Pretty awesome, right? We use that saying all the time in our classroom when anyone has a really deep or thought provoking answer that wows everyone.

 

 

Here is my collection...these stamps definitely make both my students and me excited to use them!

I bought several of them when Office Depot had a buy one stamp, get one stamp free special. They have 25% off on their stamps quite often, check their ad for coupons. Best part: they can make them right there in the store in minutes!! AND...they're self-inking! Whoop Whoop! :)

**This could also be done with labels if you don't want to buy a customized stamp...just as effective and exciting for your students!!

I hope you had a wonderful week! Please link up any lessons, ideas, tips, tricks, incentives, ANYTHING you do get your students motivated or excited!

Don't forget to grab my button and link back to this post!

Check out all the wonderful ideas from my friends who link up and don't forget to leave some love by commenting....we LOVE comments!
***Please include the topic in the link up with your blog name.

An InLinkz Link-up

Learn Like You Mean It!

 Check out my blog post about getting your students pumped up about learning those standards!

 

 

 

Read about it over at the iTeach Fifth blog!