Not at ALL! I usually ham it up a bit the first time-- tell them that getting a 90% or better on one of my tests makes it truly "fridge worthy!" After that first time, if I somehow forget a sticker, even a 200 lb Senior football player will let me know!
I had a teacher in high school who used to give out stickers IN CLASS and it was considered quite normal, although they were hard to get. They were round stickers that said "My Teacher is Proud of Me" and we only got them if we gave a really good answer. I had another teacher in HS who put stickers on the tests before we took them. So yes, I think it's perfectly normal!!
we just talked about this very topic in my grad class last week. My teacher shared a story about acknowledging birthdays for High schooler's. She said, the kids were very touched and couldn't beleive that a teacher would remember a birthday past 6 grade. She also took the time to give out stickers, and she attended a sporting event of one of her students ( This, by the way, is a big deal for kids) Her point was, EVERYONE needs to be shown a little APPRECIATION. I bet you would have a smooth year! Let us know
My parents are chaperones for our HS choir at church (70+ kids, they are at all the events, rehearsals, etc. all year), and they make it a point to go to at least one event from each kid during the year... if the kids are in plays or have a concert, they go watch, if they play soccer or run track or swim, they go to at least one match/game... the kids are often SHOCKED that someone besides their parents wants to come watch them!
Even College Students like them! I personally would easily bribe the fellow college students I managed in the IT department into doing things for gold stars. (I.E- getting me your schedule early got a gold star sticker, emailing me back in a timely fashion got you one..) These boys would fall over themselves for the stars & when they got it, they would proudly stick it on their shirt & show it off around campus! :wow:
Mine told me not to stick them down so hard so they could peel them off and keep them. These were seniors!
During my new teacher orientation we were told over and over that they still like stickers, stamps, and any other types of acknowledgement that they did something worth being acknowledged for. As adults it still means a lot when someone acknowledges your achievements and simple things like birthdays so why would a teenager be any different. Except they may act like they don't care they will still ask for it when others are not around.
I'm one of the vistaprint junkies here. I've ordered some really cute return address labels to use as stickers: - a snowman with "Mrs. A thinks my grades are COOL!" - a star (or galaxy or something) with "Mrs. A thinks I'm a STAR!" - a pumpkin with "Mrs. A thinks my grades are a TREAT!"
All ages respond well to this sort of thing: some of my most enthusiastic recipients of the Seal of Approval (slap hands together and bark as goofily as possible) have been in their fifties.
I agree! I TAed college chemistry and put stickers on the excellent quizzes each week - they actually liked them!
While we are on the subject of high schoolers....I have a question. I taught 3-5th grade last year and I am switching to 9-12th graders who have been classified as learning disabled or emotionally disabled. I'm curious....how can I make our small classroom welcoming instead of elementary? I have great things, but I think they might look too "cutesy". Any suggestions? Anything you think I might need?
i had one bulletin board with clocks that were sit to different time zones around the world & I had motivational/inspirational posters all around the room. Plus, I am copying other teachers this year and putting up art like Van Gogh, monet, etc. My students loved that. Also, I know other h.s. teachers leave up a bb for students to put up interesting articles/pictures. i hope this helps! good luck!
I love the art idea!! And since I"m new to the school, I thought about letting the kids use my digital camera to make a bb that showed me the school through their eyes. Is that cheesy?
I use stickers in my ninth grade classroom. At first they try to act cool and like they are way too old for it, but if I miss putting one they have a fit.
That's why they make 31 flavors of ice cream! What works for me doesn't feel right for you. And each of us has kids who swear that we're the absolute best (and one or two who swear otherwise!) What matters is how we treat our kids. The rest is all extra.
love the digital camera idea..in one of my classes the students make movies about the school & I learned so much about the school through these movies. Go for it! Some school libraries/main office/art dept. might let you borrow thier digital cameras for a class period or two so you can let them use the schools and not yours.
I always carried them in my sub pack and never failed to use them when it came to K thru 8th grade, but I just felt stickers at that level were too inappropriate. Being 29 and not out of high school for too long, I can never remember a time where any of my high school teachers ever used stickers.
I use to love getting stickers on some of my reports in high school. It was fun. It was unexpected too. I would do it too if I taught HS.
I never got stickers on my papers in HS that I can remember, but I think I would have enjoyed it... especially in the classes I really struggled with.
I remember fighting over stickers in Spanish II class, as a senior! We all wanted the smelly stickes.....there used to be some real battles in that class....lol
I taught high school for three years before I switched to middle school (I was lured away by my principal, who promised me that my a/c would always work--not the case at the high school). Anyhow, my high schoolers LOVED stickers. I taught all grade levels, and the school is considered one of the "toughest" in the county. I also did Student of the Week and gave out pencils. When I started doing it, I didn't think my seniors in Economics would want to do any of that "kid stuff." Boy, was I wrong. When they found out that the other classes got to have a Student of the Week, they almost mutinied. Thirty-eight seniors (20 boys) vs. me...yeah, they won. As it happens, they got more into it than the underclassmen did. They made up an intro song, and I would write the name under the projector screen on the chalk board. They would sing, and i'd pull up the screen to unveil the winner. There was applause, and usually a short acceptance speech. It was great. Even better was when they found out there would be Student of the Semester. I let them vote to decide who the finalists would be, and there were actually kids campaigning (passing out "Vote for Chris" slips, etc.). I never laughed so hard. I now teach 8th grade American History, and we do Student of the Week with cut out stars that go on the hall board. They are a Big Deal. Each teacher on the team picks a student each week, and when the week is up, their stars get taped up on my cabinets. By the end of the year, they're covered. The kids LOVE that. I give them the option of taking their star immediately, but they'd rather have them posted up for their peers to see.
That sounds like fun! I think I might try that. I just hope that my edmotional behavior students won't get embarrassed. I am going to try and make my classroom as light and as care-free as possible for these students. I love that your highschoolers sang and clapped! Thanks for the ideas. A question though...did you pick your Student of the Week by accomplishments or did you just go in alphabetical order?
It was hysterical. I couldn't believe that these 18 year olds were getting that into it. The boy who came in as first runner-up for Student of the Semester (big, football player) has never gotten over that loss. I run into him every now and then, and he never fails to bring that up--four years later! I just laugh and laugh. Classroom environment really does make all the difference. That year, I'd painted my classroom blue (very calming), and I began to post pictures of former students. I was (and am) always taking pictures of the kids and putting them up on the bulletin boards. They also bring in their own to add to the collection. They love seeing themselves, their friends and even their siblings up on the board. (And, when they come back to visit, they check the board to see if there are any old pictures of them up there!) It really makes them feel like it's their room, too--like they belong. re: how to choose Definitely by accomplishments. I always picked someone who really stood out the prior week. At that level (it was honors), I focused on academics and grasp of the concepts (we had a lot of discussion in there, so I had a pretty good idea). At the middle school level, it's a mixture of academics and behavior--standouts and those who have really made an improvement in a certain area. That might be more what you want for your students. In middle school, we make sure that no name is repeated for at least the first quarter or so. That way more kids get an opportunity to get their name on a star.
GONOLES That is so GREAT!! Sometimes I think that part of the hate for highschool comes from the lack of encouragment. I hate highschool but it was always what I did wrong and never I say never what I did right. I have always said that if I was a highschool teacher I would be the one that gave stickers and had prizes just so they knew I was proud of them. This of course I know wont work in every class because there are def some students who don't care but those that do, it really makes a diffrence. So props to you and thanks for bringing that to the upper grades!!!
During my student teaching I used a lot of stickers. I had a couple high school students that were not fond of them at all. I didn't give them a sticker to see what they would do. I was surprised that they noticed and felt left out. I had some on hand in case they changed their mind.
i love this idea!! i think my students would too...i might have to try that one! was your econ just a semester class? if so would you do two students some weeks so they all get a turn? i think i might try this...i could totally see my students campaigning! lol
Yep, it was a semester class. I only did one per week. There were 38 in there, so not all got to be SotW--tough competition, too. Seriously, it was sooo much fun. I don't know who looked more forward to Fridays--me or them.
My students love the stamps I use... one even asked the second day if they got a 100 and a sticker. I said yes, but you got a stamp since I have stamps. I also found they like to help!!! The one's who finish early love to clean the overhead films, stamp papers, etc.
