I’m introducing a new reward system for good behavior and class participation. I printed up about a kajillion little slips that say “REWARD TICKET — for doing a great job in Ms. Priddy’s class,” and I hand them out randomly to students who are on-task, participating well, going out of their way to be helpful, etc. The kids write their names on the back, and the tickets go in a plastic bowl I picked up at the dollar store. At the end of the month, I’ll draw one name, and that student will receive a fabulous prize.
I explained to the kids that by “fabulous,” I meant “completely ridiculous” and assured them that the prize in question would be some one-of-a-kind, handmade monstrosity I’d come up with on a whim.
Sixth and eighth hours insisted that I post a picture this month’s fabulous prize online once I finished making it. Here it is:
Because, really, what sophomore doesn’t need a tie-dyed sock monkey?
This one looked sort of unfinished when I got done sewing him together, so I added a bowtie made from some bright blue ribbon with green peace signs and the word “LOVE” printed on it.
Ridiculous, yes, but look: I’ve seen sophomores fight over glow-in-the-dark plastic ants, so a tie-dyed sock monkey ought to provide plenty of motivation.
If this goes over well, I might do a drawing every two weeks. I’ve already got a ridiculous idea for the next prize….
Emily
Red Fork Hippie 
Just curious. Are the tickets yellow, by any chance? I think a certain kindly gentle giant is looking down from heaven with an eyebrow raised.
Not this time. It occurred to me a little while ago that making a sock monkey to raffle off as an award for good work isn’t so terribly far removed from making ice cream to use as a reward for good work, though. It delights me to think that when my student teacher leaves my class later next month, she’ll be taking the best parts of Mark Collins, Frances Taylor, Gus Scherer, and Pat Will along with her. Makes you wonder whose stash of ideas *they* raided, doesn’t it? š
The beat goes on.
Da-da-de-da-de-da….
I’ll go you one weirder: I just used the Joan Russell book — which I haven’t looked at in years — to make a sock bunny. As I was getting on Craftster to post a picture of it, I saw a featured project that looked very familiar. Lo and behold, somebody had made the Sioux Indian doll from that book. She didn’t mention the name of the book in her post (just said it was a book she’d gotten at a rummage sale), but I recognized it instantly, and sure enough, somebody down in the comments asked for the name of the book, and she confirmed it was, indeed, the Russell book. Same edition I’ve got and everything. I’d love to know the odds on that….
If I ever retire, maybe I’ll get another copy of it and channel Maggie Shoemake and make some dolls myself. I don’t think I’ll be taking up chain smoking, though.