Motivation: Scoreboard
The Classroom Motivator
Updated Scoreboard Summer 2022:
The Scoreboard is your class motivator, a team game that advances your kids to higher and higher levels of academic and social behavior. Stop scolding ... start Scoreboarding!
This new Scoreboard ties directly in to the levels within the Super Improver game! Award positive Hawk marks for positive behavior...negative Turtle marks for negative behavior.
When your class is engaged, following classroom rules, treating each other with respect, performing transitions quickly, staying focused on tasks, mark a positive tally. Kids clap their hands, a One Second Party, and exclaim, “Oh, yeah!” When students are disengaged, off task, behaving rudely, breaking class rules, mark a negative tally. Your students quickly rub corner of their eye and say "Wah!"
How do I create my Scoreboard display?
To turn every second of your class into a living video game, put the Turtle/Hawk Scoreboard on your whiteboard - the larger the display, the more hypnotic.
Don't have enough board space? Play it digitally! Access a copy of the digital Scoreboard in the WBT 5.0 download.
At the start of the year, the Scoreboard game is played Turtle versus Hawk in lower grades, and Scrub versus Varsity in upper grades, connecting it directly to the Levels in Super Improver.
Digital display
Board display
Upper Grades display
How do I award points on the Scoreboard?
At any time during the day when you want to increase engagement, set a timer for five minutes.
During those five minutes, mark points on the Scoreboard. Award positive Hawk marks for on-task behavior ... negative Turtle marks for off-task behavior.
A critical component of the Scoreboard is to state the behavior when you award the point. You can say "I see all eyes on me, that's Hawk, give me a Mighty Oh Yeah!", or, "Those gestures weren't big enough, that's Turtle, give me a Wah!" Award points to reteach your expectations, increase energy and engagement, and add excitement to every lesson!
When you mark a Hawk point, students quickly clap their hands together proclaiming "Oh Yeah!" to have a one-second-party and celebrate the point. When you mark a Turtle point, students quickly rub the corner of their eye and say "Wah!" Never, ever point out individuals for Turtle points. You don't want to light a Beloved Rascal fuse. For negative behavior make your comments forceful, but vague. Say, “I think we could have more effort! Turtle Point!” “Too many of my friends aren’t looking at me! That’s Turtle! Wah!” “Lots of Turtles and the Hawks aren’t pushing them to improve! Wah!”
To make the game excitingly close, always keep the difference between Turtle and Hawk within 3 points.
At the end of the five minutes, if there are more Hawk points than Turtle, the class wins! Ten class wins unlocks the next game, the individual motivator called Super Improver.
You can continue to play Scoreboard all year long, anytime you want increase engagement and reteach expectations. In upper grades, after you've unlocked the Super Improver, scoreboard wins can earn the class a dice roll with a chance to earn a BONUS star on their Super Improver card.
Remember...you control the game, the game does not control you! Play the game, changing the rules as necessary to fit your needs all to continue increasing engagement and motivating the class to soar higher and higher.