Incentives for middle school are vital for your classroom! In the early months of my first year of teaching, class periods competed for points that were awarded based on seamless transitions, highest test averages, and being on task. While my students were working on earning points, I had learned that the cupcake reward was not feasible due to a school policy. *Cue palm to forehead*
Sidenote: Before implementing any incentive system in your classroom, make sure to approve everything with your administration and grade level team.
While my reward didn’t quite work out quite like I had hoped, I hope that this list of incentives and rewards that middle school students will enjoy and work extra hard to earn will help you out!
And while I have you, check out this Kindness Challenge I implemented with my sixth grade students. You can use this method to motivate your students to earn one of the rewards below.
Group/Whole Class Rewards
1. GO OUTSIDE FOR A CLASS
The best types of rewards are when learning can still get done! Take the class outside after the notes to complete their daily work. If it is a big reward, take the day off from math and watch as your students play soccer.
2. MUSIC
Play music during the warm up or during classwork time. For bigger rewards, allow students to choose or make a Spotify playlist.
3. Computer Time/Tech Time
Assuming your district has great site blockers, allow your students some free time on their phones or computers.
4. Dance Party
Reserve this reward for Fridays and for your last class of the day. Students will love trying to teach you the most recent viral TikTok dance.
5. Show Funny youtube videos
Teenagers love YouTube videos! Be sure to screen it for content and use a popup blocker for any inappropriate ads. I found that Dude Perfect videos were a safe bet for my sixth graders.
6. Play a Sporcle Game
This is a great brain break and very high energy! I would save it for the end of class. My personal favorite is The Pixar Quiz.
Individual Rewards
7. Homework Pass/Late Pass
There is no shortage of students who will gladly accept this as a reward! Make sure to indicate when the pass can be used or when it cannot be used.
8. Pick a new seat/sit in a fancy chair/help create the seating chart
While working on a seating chart, an early finisher asked if he could help, so I gave him the job. He did an excellent and diplomatic job, and I only needed to make two adjustments. What was surprising is how many students asked me if they could make the next seating chart.
9. Choose a partner
This is a perfect example of a reward that is only a reward if you don’t always allow students to pick their partners. In my class, partners are assigned, so allowing one student to deviate from the norm is particularly exciting.
10. Raffle or Give Away a Ticket to the Dance or Sporting Game
This not only rewards students, but it also fosters school spirit. It might be worth mentioning to your team and working on something collectively.
11. Board writer
Is it just me or does every student want to write on the whiteboard? This reward might look like a designated student writing the homework on the board..
12. Short (but FUN) Activity
This could be a minute-to-win-it game at the beginning of class. One of my fellow teachers had a Bop It in her classroom, and students could earn the privilege of playing it and making it to the leaderboard.
13. STICKERS
We asked our Maneuvering the Middle VIPs Facebook group about incentives their students love and the most popular response were these vinyl water bottle stickers. Students love to stick them to their notebooks and water bottles.
14. CANDY
Dum-dums, jolly ranchers, and hi-chews were also highly recommended. Teachers shared that Costco is the best bang for your buck when it comes to purchasing candy.
15. PRIZE WHEEL
Why didn’t I think of that?! Giving students a chance to spin a prize wheel is an incentive in itself! The prizes can be anything from this list, but the prize wheel makes it special. I love that it’s wipeable (making it easy to edit the prizes) and compact enough for easy storage.
16. TICKET SYSTEM
Remember that these prizes don’t have to be given out when one student models the desired behavior. Let’s say you pass out tickets (or scraps of paper) when you see students on task and working hard. You can pass out as many as you want in a class period. Students write their names on the slips of paper and then are put into a raffle that happens at the end of the week/month/grading cycle. You draw X amount of names and then students receive a prize. This helps your dollars stretch further!
17. Positive Note or Phone Call Home
I was always surprised when students would pick this reward over others, but it was fairly positive. It is a win-win: a student AND parent reward!
18. Sit at the Teacher’s Desk or Use the Teacher Chair
This only feels like a reward if you have a rolling chair that also spins, but it is another free reward that requires no extra work on your part.
19. Eat lunch in your classroom with a friend
Don’t forget to write your students a pass and put it in your calendar, so you aren’t making copies when you are supposed to be eating lunch with your students.
20. Get Cozy
Offer students a blanket or that they can bring slippers/take off their shoes!
Don’t forget to ask your students at the beginning of the year what incentives they would like. This will create buy-in from all the students and give students a voice. Some students want to work with their best friends, while some students would love to have the night off thanks to a homework pass. The best part is that almost all of these incentives are free and require no planning.
What incentives do you use in your middle school classroom?
Maneuvering the Middle has been publishing blog posts for 10+ years. This post has been updated for accuracy and relevancy.
I love all of these ideas! This will be my first year teaching and first time with middle schoolers. I was wondering, how do you have the point system set up?
Hi Priscilla! I am actually working on a post about a point/incentive system. Be sure to check back over the next few weeks.
Hi Noelle! Love your ideas!
I tried a point system last year that I could not seem to remember to do. I’m curious about your system. I read in the previous comment that you were putting together a post about it, but I can’t find it.
Hi Laura, thanks so much! You haven’t found it because it is not up yet. Hopefully within the next month or two.
My son had an awesome teacher in the sixth grade and everything was a competition in his room. His room was set up half /half. Each week , it started all over new again. Which side had all class members in their seats first, which side could send the worksheets back the fastest, which side had the most homeworks turned in, which side had their desks straightened and was ready to leave for their next class, anything you could think of became a competition. The kids loved it and loved him. On Friday, the team (side) that had the most points received a Blowpop, a homework pass, miniture chocolate bar, etc. It worked, the students made the kids on their side compete. Every quarter, the seats were rearranged . That son, is now almost 31.
I love this idea! So incredible that you are able to vividly describe what she did in the classroom. She must have been a great teacher and you must have a wonderful son!
This sounds great! And fun, I remember in high school they had class competitions for almost everything, kids never grow out of wanting to win!
Oh my gosh I love this! Been teaching 25 years and I hate to say that I’m not an incentive person – should be – but just not. This is the FIRST idea I’ve seen ever that I really liked and felt was definitely doable. The competition part would totally hit all the things that I have to harp on the kids about all the time. I’m gonna try it starting tomorrow! Thank you! 🙂
Hi Noelle,
I’m a 6th grade science teacher, but I’ve really enjoyed reading your posts that pertain to my classroom. I love the list of incentives you’ve included on this post! I was wondering if you ever posted about your point system. This is something I’ve thought about for years, but I’ve never figured out a good/easy way to implement it. I do like the ideas Darlene suggested in the comments, but I’m still curious about your system.
Thanks!
It’s on my list! Thanks for your kind words.
I would like to encourage teachers not to give sweets/candy as a reward but something healthier or non food item. We don’t want to create the idea that sweets are the only reward. Love the creative list so far. It got me thinking about having the last 10 mins at the end of a challenge period to play a trivia contest ( I have cards I got from Target $1 section or you can find online), a pictionary game with drawing on the blackboard, a Kahoot quiz, play a card or dice game, etc. They do love writing on the board and maybe they elect someone from their team to be the score keeper on the board.
I love the list of incentives. I think they are perfect for middle school students! I am also using a point system, which I’m trying for the first time. It was actually my own idea, so I am very happy to find out that many middle school teachers are using point systems. My students will have the opportunity of earning 5 points each day; 3 points are for showing good/specific behavior, and 2 points are for turning in complete homework and classwork. I hope this will be helpful for those who are thinking to implement a point system. I hope to read about other teachers’ point systems if any can share their experience using them.
That sounds great! Middle school students are easily motivated by points and ‘winning’ even if they don’t win a prize. Best of luck with your new system!
This also works for high school. I am a student and my school puts each grade against each other. Fundraisers and grades count for points to see which grade level is the best and will win.
I teach 6th grade science in a middle school setting and use Class Dojo. Each class period has a separate avatar and can earn a maximum of 4 points a day for various character traits. At the end of the 3 weeks I declare a winning class.