I came across the stamp at a teacher supply store and picked up a few. I had only planned to stamp tests of students that had done exceptionally well. However, after a while all the students wanted to get their work stamped. Slowly but surely I was stamping students work everyday. Students behaved and did their work simply to get a stamp. At this point I had no set system of stamping. I simply gave stamps to kids when I believed they deserved one.

 For the portion of the regular school in which I used the stamp it never became the central focus my positive reinforcement plan. Up until this point it had been a grab bag (filled with candy) which I gave the students on Fridays. The problem with the grab bag was that many students were left out and candy isn’t particularly healthy for them.  

In the days leading up to the first day of summer school I was thinking of some way that I could motivate and control the students’ behavior in a positive manner. On a whim I decided I would stamp their work once a day if they did everything they were supposed to do. To sweeten the deal I told students if they got a minimum of 15 stamps (there 20 days in summer school) I would automatically pass them with the minimum grade. To my absolute astonishment every single last student did their work. I had very few behavior problems. A stamp which cost $2.00 had turned into my most powerful tool of positive reinforcement and behavior management. I had students, who for the entire school did nothing, do everything! The students were even asking me to give them more work because they wanted more stamps. I am proud to say that during that summer school session not a single student was held over. I attribute this accomplishment to the stamp.

 As the majority of my students are very visual many need immediate gratification. They need to see that all their work is leading up to something on a daily basis.  Likewise some also suffer from low self esteem and need daily affirmation. The stamp fills these needs for my students. This school year it has become the central focus of everything we do in class. Every assignment is based on a numerical stamp value. Students who behave exceptionally well get a “behavior stamp.” Students who come to class late lose a stamp. Students who read in class get a “reading stamp.” Homework is 3 stamps. Late homework is 1 stamp.  The amount of “class notes” stamps varies. It depends on the amount of work we do. Students must earn a specific number of stamps to pass the class.

 There is however, one downside to the stamp. It can become burdensome to stamp students work everyday. Once you start the system students expect to get their work stamped everyday. You must willing to take the time to go around to each individual student and stamp their work. In my experience students became angry when their work wasn’t stamped! Therefore allot enough time at the end of the period for stamping. 

 Although stamping can be burdensome the benefits clearly outweigh the disadvantages. The stamp has totally changed my teaching experience. My students are much more motivated, behave better, and do all their work. I do not have a single student that does not his or her work the majority of the time. Surely there are times when a student may have a bad day and not do their work, however the next day they bounced back. It is interesting how something so simple took me so long to discover. Maybe people are the most inventive when they desperate. I’m glad I thought of it.

By Micki Josi


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