Reward programs have a long tradition in classrooms – think of gold stars and perfect attendance certificates – but they have had questionable effects on actually improving student achievement. New study on student motivation – published by the National Bureau of Economic Research – indicates that the timing of rewards is critical to resulting in a positive outcome in terms of academic progress. Immediate awards and recognition programs have a much more positive impact on student achievement. Here are 3 simple ideas on how to provide on-the-spot student recognition at your school… 1. CUSTOM AWARD PLAQUES

Increasing student achievement and teaching to every student's learning style has never been more challenging or more time consuming for teachers. The construction of visual references to bridge the gap between performance levels is a lengthy process, an equal component of an educator's job alongside lesson planning and evaluation. It is a common experience to hear of a teacher spending their weekend creating the concept maps, posters, comparison charts, and visual aids for the upcoming week's instruction.