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Hello, Today I student taught at a local elementary schools after-care program. My fellow student teachers and I had taught a lesson about the moon, and wrapped it up by giving the students Moon Rocks (which were really just pop rocks, the candy). Afterward, our instructor reviewed our lesson and told us that if we bring the kids treats to entice them to behave every time we teach, we will go broke. Another group of my fellow student teachers taught their kids how to make ice cream (math- measurements/ science-reactions) and at the end they ate the ice cream. Are there other lessons that are self-rewarding that don't require "bribes"? How do you teachers keep your students engaged and how do you handle students who misbehave? I've only student taught twice and I've already realized the incredible importance of keeping control of the classroom. Any advice for a future elementary school teacher?

Hi Ashley,
There's a great discussion thread going on in the Elementary Science Discussion Forum called:
Why are teachers afraid to release control...to their elementary students?.
I think you will find some excellent ideas there for how to create an engaging classroom where students don't have to be bribed to find science exciting, interesting and fun.
You will find ideas there that don't cost money - like Peggy's idea to bring in live sow bugs for students to observe or Al's book suggestion from the National Academies Press that is a free download called, 'Taking Science to School...'. The gist of the thread is that if students are 'doing science', then they are engaged with their minds and their hands; thus, classroom management issues take a back seat. I hope you find some great ideas there. One of the articles mentioned there is worth repeating here, too:
From 'Adding Inquiry' to 'Doing Science' .
My favorite way to 'hook' my students is to start with a discrepant event. There is a separate discussion thread on that topic, too. See Life Science > Discrepent Events in biology . At that discussion thread you will find my instructions for downloading a free book on Discrepant Events.
If you have access to computers, there are gobs of interactive science 'games', too.
I know others will chime in with great FREE ways to effectively engage our students and make science fun without costly or sugary bribes.
Carolyn

Ashley, First I'd like to second Adah's comments about becoming an entertainer and keeping them on their toes. Routine and structure are good as far as schedules go - but don't hesitate to shake things up within your allotted math time. Be engaging, be hilarious, but be all about learning. I've taken some heat from colleagues over the years for my willingness to bribe, but it's a personal decision. For me, I use it mainly at the beginning of the year as a way to positively reinforce my expectations. As time goes on, I pull back on the rewards (scaffolding, anyone?). By the middle of the year some kid will always ask, "Hey, what happened to the candy?" but by that time the kids know me and know what I expect. Most kids are eager to please, especially at the elementary level, but just have a hard time figuring out what it is we want sometimes. For me, it's worth $9.95 at Costco or Sam's club to have a few weeks of blissful cooperation complete with smiles and thank you's. I hear it all the time that "kids should do the right thing just because that's what they're supposed to do" and "what about teaching them responsibility". My point of view is that it's not my job to teach them responsibility (yes, I even checked my state standards, it's not there). That's their parents' job. My job is to teach them science - and I will do that by whatever means necessary - including bribery. Don't get me wrong, I think teaching kids responsibility and all that jazz is very noble and worthwhile, and I take every opportunity to reinforce those things, but my primary concern is their education. That's just my perspective. Do not feel like you have to use any kind of reward system, including stickers, homework passes, or anything else. You shouldn't have to, to be honest. It all comes down to picking your battles, and that's a decision that each teacher has to make for themselves. Good luck! Let us know how it goes. Kendra

To add to the already growing list of suggestions, there are a tremendous number of activities that are both creative and done with almost no materials. Two of the best activities I did last summer were building towers out of straws, and building bridges out of a piece of paper. The kids were so excited about their bridges that they extended the project to home, and brought them in to show and test. Virtually no cost. I didn't need to use food as a motivator at all. The only time we did make food was to investigate freezing point depression, and we did make ice cream. It was an end-of-session treat, and the kids had a great time - but definitely not a bribe. I do sometimes surprise the kids with a treat however - I sometimes give out treats for holidays. I also use them as prizes for games once in a while, but not as a behavior motivator. The best thing you can do is make your lessons relevant to your learners, and make it enjoyable and fun.