Some will say that teachers shouldn't offer incentives in their classroom, I am not one of them. I think just like adults appreciate being recognized for their efforts, it helps to have some type of incentive program in the classroom.

I used "Golden Tickets" which seemed to work well in my classroom. Students received 10 golden tickets for 90 above on quiz/tests), they received 3-5 golden ticket points for class participation ,3-5 points for...

Kung Hei Fat Choy!
That's Happy New Year in Chinese.2012 is the Year of the dragon, the most honored of all years of the Chinese zodiac. On the Chinese calendar, called Yuan Tan,the year is 4710. Chinese New year is not always held on the same day each year. It depends on when the second new moon of the winter solstice occurs. This year, Chinese New Year is January 23rd. I've compiled information and resources you might find helpful.
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Starting off with something so simple, the first task to change your classroom to a haven of learning is to grab some Popsicle sticks from a craft store. It doesn't matter whether they are plain or colored. It doesn't matter whether they are skinny or fat. Your only purpose is to use them to write students' names.

Once you have your sticks, begin writing each student name on individual sticks until you have written down your entire roster. Be sure to include last initials of students...

Editor's Note: This week's post comes from Dave Weiss, a college professor who teaches in the education department.
The title of this post can be applied to the state of teacher education today. When I did my teacher training, forty years ago, I was armed with Piaget, Bruner, Dewey, and other theories of learning. I found these theorists exciting and stimulating. I was ready to implement these theories when I would finally be given my own classroom. My goal was to teach in an...