Reward tags are a great way to manage your classroom and reinforce positive behavior. They can increase student engagement and motivation inside your classroom. They are a classroom incentive system that doesn’t require constantly buying prizes or candy.
When a student exhibits growth mindset (reaching a goal, showing grit, believing in their abilities, etc.) they get a badge. They can add it to their necklace, bracelet, or baggy.
How to Set Up Swag Badges:
1.Print out the swag badge sheets in either color or black and white.
2.Cut out each swag badge after laminating.
3.Hole punch the top of each badge.
4.Store in a binder using trading card organizers or a plastic storage container.
5.Pull out each badge as needed.
How Do You Store or Organize the Badges?
I print out a sheet of badges, laminate them, cut them out, hole punch the top, and store them alphabetically in a binder using trading card organizers. I prefer this method because it saves space. However, you can also store them in a plastic organizer like the one shown below.
I found that the laminated cards were slippery and would sometimes fall out of the top of each little slot. To fix this, I clipped the cards on the OUTSIDE of each trading card space. That gave me easy access the the cards, kept them organized, and stopped them from falling out.
If you don’t want to worry about a binder, you can use a plastic organizer with drawers. I just cut down each swag badge to fit on the outside of the drawer like a label. I put two sets of swag badges inside each drawer. Find the organizer I used here. I like using the organizer with bigger drawers, so my cards don’t get bent or damaged.
Where Do the Students Store Their Badges?
After receiving a badge, students can place them on their chains. You can also use twine, yarn, or string. The students can hang them on their pins on the bulletin board display (see below), can place them in baggies in their desks, or you can keep them all on a large metal ring.
How Often Do Students Get Swag Badges?
A student can get a badge as often as they show growth mindset. I recommend 1-3 times per week. If you give them out more often, some students might not feel like they need to work hard to earn one or that they are special.
I would let them take their necklaces home at the end of the year. They should have many badges to show off by that time.
How Do You Track Which Student Gets Which Badge?
You can use a grade sheet and mark off which students get which badge. However, this is not a requirement. Since students can earn the same badge multiple times throughout the year, it becomes unnecessary to track the badges this closely. If you are worried about students getting an equal (or close to) number of badges, then tracking would be beneficial.
Materials Needed:
1.Metal chains 24 inches long (you can also use metal rings, twine, string, or yarn)
2.Trading card organizers, 3-ring binder, OR Akro-Mils 10124 24 Drawer Storage
4.Pushpins
I really believe that Swag Badges can be powerful in promoting a growth mindset. They are rewarding to students and motivating. When used consistently, your students will strive to earn a tag and show them all off at the end of the year.
Grab my Swag Badges here!