Three Ways Walker-Winter Elementary Catches Students Being Good

This article was written by Shannon Gantchar, MTSS Reading Interventionist at Walker-Winter Elementary School in the Wayne-Westland Community School District, located in Michigan. Shannon has been teaching for 14 years, primarily in second grade, and now works with students across the building. Walker-Winter runs three schoolwide recognition programs built around The Positivity Project (P2) character strengths.

At Walker-Winter Elementary, we run three recognition programs built around The Positivity Project (P2) character strengths. Together, they have added a lot of positivity to our school culture.

P2 Shining Stars

Teachers at Walker-Winter choose one student each week who has demonstrated the character strength we are focusing on. Those students earn the P2 Shining Stars award.

Teachers look for students who have shown that week’s strength in a real way. If the focus of the week is perseverance, a teacher might choose a student who showed great effort on a project even when it became difficult.

The teacher lists that student as the winner, and their picture goes up on our P2 Shining Stars bulletin board in the school lobby. Those students also get a special meeting with the principal, a positive phone call home, and their pick from our prize box.

Students love seeing their photo on the board. One student in particular wanted to show several of his former teachers his picture. The recognition has given students confidence and pride in themselves, and it has motivated them to keep using the P2 character strengths in their everyday lives.

Positive Office Referrals

This year our teachers started using positive office referrals to recognize students who were using the P2 character strengths.

A fourth-grade student was awarded one of these referrals for showing the Other People Mindset (OPM) element of being present and giving others his attention. This student had been working on OPM, and after receiving the award from his teacher, we saw a real improvement in his behavior. He was proud to be recognized, and he became a leader in showing others how to use character strengths in everyday life.

We had a fifth-grade student receive a positive office referral for a different OPM element, cheering for others’ success. He encouraged his classmates to finish their assignment by praising them for using perseverance. That student said he felt proud of himself and started to see himself as a leader.

The positive office referrals also help build trust between teachers and students. Students feel noticed and valued because teachers acknowledge their efforts.

Splash Passes

At Walker-Winter, any staff member or student can give a Splash Pass to someone they see using the P2 character strengths.

Teachers get a stack of Splash Passes in their mailboxes each month. They can award one to any student they see displaying a character strength. Whoever fills out the pass records their own name, the student’s name, the P2 strength the student was caught using, and any additional comments they want to add.

The pass goes into our Splash Pass box in the school lobby. Every Friday on the school announcements, ten Splash Pass winners are pulled from the box and given a reward. The reward might be a gift card to a local ice cream store or the skating rink. Students can be recognized by their teachers, classmates, or other adults in the building.

Advice for Other Schools

It really helps to have a team of staff members setting up this kind of positive incentive. We have a committee that meets once a month to come up with ideas for encouraging more use of the P2 character strengths. That committee set up the P2 Shining Stars bulletin board and sends reminders to teachers to submit their weekly winners.

It does take time and effort to organize these incentives, and it is worth it. It can create a school culture where students feel appreciated, disruptions decrease, and cooperation increases. When students receive recognition for good behavior, it boosts their self-esteem and confidence, helping them believe in their ability to succeed.