Ballard Elementary rewarding good behavior with new book vending machine

NILES, Mich. -- Students at Ballard Elementary in Niles are enjoying a new school vending machine, but it’s not full of food or candy.

The state-of-the-art machine is full of books, and it’s another way staff is rewarding students for good behavior.

Teachers are always looking for responsible, respectful students to give tickets to for the schoolwide ‘Viking of the week’ drawings.

When a kid hears their name drawn on the Friday morning announcements, that means they’re the newest Viking of the week!

They then have the option to enjoy a V.I.P recess or lunch, a prize, or a free book from the vending machine.

Even if they aren’t selected as Viking of the week, they can still take their tickets home to show their parents and share how many tickets they collected that week and what good behaviors they showed to get them.

Ballard knows the importance of making a big deal of a kid’s good behavior, just like they would with negative behavior.

Positive reinforcement can lead to a better relationship between kids and their teachers, as respect is being shown both ways.

Not only can rewarding good practices lead to less misbehavior, but it also teaches kids how to be responsible, and helps them build self-esteem and confidence.

Ballard Principal, Jennifer Shabazz, says the reward system has been beneficial for the school because kids, “know the right choices, they want to make the right choices, and they get so excited when they get rewarded for that.”