Semester 3 and incentive plans

I do nothing to change my classroom management during the holidays except maintain it at a high level. The kids struggle the week before Thanksgiving as they want the break, their parents are taking them out early and when they get back its a short three week learning time. I am focusing on the Holocaust and that is a subject that keeps them engaged.

The only incentive program I am running is in our Daily Math Minutes program. We spend 15 minutes each day and do math drills on basic 8th grade math units called probes. When the class average is above a score of 90, three times, (points not %) we can move onto the next probe. The Science Teacher and I have our classes in a  competition (the math and ELA  teachers are invited but they don't want to compete) and my class is the first to complete the first probe if we do it on Monday. I promised a pizza party if they do it. Also, we go down the hall and do cheers in front of the science room when we score higher than them. The spirit is infectious and even the slackers are bringing up their scores to be part of the average!