Published: May 08, 2008 10:40 am         

Students rewarded for 'work' in school

By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer

MILFORD — Milford Central School fourth-grade teacher Priscilla Heath says she considers school to be like a job, and just as she is expected to show up prepared and ready to work each day, she expects the same from her students.

Heath reinforces this method by hosting a store in her classroom after each marking period. There are three marking periods in a school year.

``The store is an excellent tool for providing positive reinforcement and recognizing those children who consistently put forth,’’ says Heath. Heath says every student has the opportunity to earn a dollar a day for carrying out their ``job’’ and not getting their name on the board. As an added bonus, Heath says an additional $10 is given to the students at the end of each week if their names did not appear on the board for the entire week. This money, of course, is not real and is made of paper.

Before each marking period ends, money saved is calculated and deposited into each student’s fictitious checking account. Money can then be spent at the classroom store, which consists of three large tables with an assortment of priced items such as Webkinz (stuffed animal that comes alive online), board games, hair accessories, stuffed animals, posters, pencils and figurines. Heath says not only is shopping a fun experience, but it also teaches the students about money management skills and gets them to use math. Each student has his or her own checkbook with a record book and deposit slips. The students are responsible for keeping their money in a safe place, which Heath says teaches responsibility.

Heath, who has been teaching fourth-grade at MCS for two years, says she came up with the idea of having a classroom store after researching a plethora of different classroom management techniques. ``I wanted a system for inspiring students to succeed,’’ says Heath. ``Our classroom store provides a unique opportunity to celebrate doing our best and focuses on the positive aspects of school.’’ There are 16 students in Heath’s class, and many say they really enjoy having a classroom store.

Lene Olsen says, ``It’s a lot of fun and it’s neat how you get to earn the money and get to spend it how you want.’’

Abby Freer says, “It’s a celebration of all our hard work and it teaches us how to save money so we can buy something more expensive.’’ Freer also says students must choose items to purchase carefully because there are no returns.

Heath says many of the students are very unselfish shoppers and prefer to spend their money on family members instead of themselves. Hannah Baker says she bought two Christmas presents for her mom during her first shopping experience at the classroom store. She said she also bought an Etch-ASketch for herself.

Heath says fourth-grade happens to be one of her favorite years to teach because the students are transitioning towards becoming more independent and enjoy learning. However, Heath says she did not always want to become a teacher.

``My dream was always to become a Barbara Walters and become a broadcast journalist,’’ says Heath.

Heath says her original plan was to attend The College of Saint Rose in hopes of making her dream come true, but financial reasons kept her home in Charlotte Valley. She says instead of going to college, she began working part-time at the local Quickway. It was not until the superintendent of Charlotte Valley Central School, the school Heath had attended, came to visit the Quickway that Heath considered working with children. Heath says he asked her to substitute at the school to see if she would like it or not.

``I didn’t think it would be something I would like to do,’’ says Heath. ``I didn’t think I would like working with students.’’

Heath says she was proven wrong, and soon started taking on several subbing jobs in the area. Heath eventually took on a long-term substitute position at Unadilla Valley Central School teaching social studies and was hired full-time by MCS. Heath received her master’s degree from SUNY Oneonta and says she loves teaching. ``It is not only a career endeavor, but a tremendous passion,’’ says Heath. ``There is no other feeling like being able to make a difference in the life of a child. One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I live in, how much money I had in my bank account or what my clothes looked like. The world will be a better place because I was important in the life of a child.’’ Aside from the classroom store, Heath also has kids and parents get involved in the learning experience by taking part in a weekly newsletter. Each Friday, the students write down what they have learned and reflect on their behavior. Heath says the students must provide a sentence that evaluates how they behaved for a week and from there, she writes a comment about that particular student with highlights or concerns from the week. The students return the newsletters the following Monday morning with signatures from their parents and according to Heath, there is also a section for families to write comments back to her. ``I believe that communication between home and school is imperative to a child’s success,’’ says Heath. A popular quote Heath says she likes to refer to is, ``It takes a village to raise a child.’’

Class Council is held every Friday afternoon in Heath’s fourth-grade classroom. Heath says during Class Council, students sit in a circle on the carpet to talk, which provides an opportunity to create a level of comfort for each student and to instill a sense of community. She says students bring up issues that might be bothering them, what they are proud of or things that they are looking forward to.

Throughout the week, students are able to fill out a small slip of paper called an “Encouraging Word.” According to Heath, students can fill out an “Encouraging Word” for any student in the classroom seen doing something kind. She says the written comments are shared during Class Council and then the students ``proudly’’ tape the slips in their lockers. Communication is the key to success, says Heath.

Heath says she spends a lot of her own personal money on items for the classroom store, and although parents have been ``extremely generous,’’ she would appreciate donations. She can be contacted at 286-7721 ext. 8118 or via e-mail at PHeath@milfordcentral.org.