February Photo Challenge: LOVE

Teaching with Moxie is having her first monthly photo challenge, this month's theme is LOVE.  I chose this picture because it represents how much I LOVE when me students reach success.  Last year I had a difficult time motivating my students.  I came up with the CRAZY idea of letting them throw a pie in my face if they passed their state test.  Our students earn a 3 or 4 for passing, I told them if they earned a 3 that was one pie and a 4 was two pies.  They had a chance to earn four pies because they received two scores, one for Reading and one for Math.

I wrote my students a personal note each day and had it waiting for them on their desk with a treat each morning.  I loved seeing the joy on their faces when they read the notes.  When I explained the reward to my students one student asked about being nervous during the test, my student who was the most difficult to motivate turned to the other student and replied, "Just think about the pie".  On the day of the Reading test his note said, "Think about the pie", I heard him laugh after reading his note and stick it in his pocket.  That particular student scored a 1 on the Reading test the previous year, last year he scored a 3!  So, my picture represents the LOVE we have for our students and the crazy ideas we come up with in order for them to feel success.

I ended up with 28 pies in my face, and smelling like spoiled milk for a few days!  

Head over to Teaching with Moxie to enter the photo challenge.  One person will win a $10 TPT gift card!  Who wouldn't LOVE that!?!