If rewards really worked the way we’re told they do, classroom behavior would get easier every year.
Instead, many teachers find themselves stuck in a cycle of bribing, begging, and burnout, especially in upper elementary and middle school classrooms.
That’s not because rewards are useless. It’s because most reward systems are built to enforce compliance, not facilitate learning.
And those are not the same thing.
- What Rewards Are Good At (And What They’re Not)
- Why Rewards Stop Supporting Learning in Older Grades
- The Accountability Gap in Whole-Class Reward Systems
- What Actually Facilitates Learning-Related Behavior
- The Support-Not-Substitute Role of Classroom Rewards
- How to Use Rewards Without Breaking Your Behavior System
- F.A.Q.
What Rewards Are Good At (And What They’re Not)
Whole-class rewards (like Fun Friday) can be highly motivating, even in older grades.
When used correctly, reward events build community and emotional buy-in.
There’s a sense of anticipation building to the event, and the dopamine rush of successfully reaching a goal makes students want to earn the reward again next week.
But rewards alone don’t teach (or change) behavior. (And if they do, they’re nothing more than a bribe in reward’s clothing.)
For rewards to support learning, they have to be inside a system, not replace one.
Why Rewards Stop Supporting Learning in Older Grades
As students get older, their brains grow and develop. They become capable of increasingly complex thinking. (At least in theory, right?)
This growth brings a heightened awareness of fairness, accountability, and effort:
- “Stuart shouldn’t be part of Fun Friday because he didn’t follow our class norms on Thursday.”
- “We were quiet during today’s lesson; we should still have Fun Friday!”
- “Why does Stuart always have to ruin Fun Friday for us? Everyone else was working really hard!”
Sound familiar?
These comments aren’t defiance; they’re students trying to make sense of a system that doesn’t feel fair to them.
(I have nothing against kids named Stuart, by the way – it’s just my go-to name when I need an example. I’ve actually never taught anyone named Stuart!)
Students in 5th, 6th, and even 7th grade are no longer content to passively receive rewards or game days. They need a different system.
The Accountability Gap in Whole-Class Reward Systems
Think about training a puppy for a minute. (No, I’m not comparing students to animals. Stay with me.)
When you’re training a puppy and you give the command to “sit,” what do you do when the puppy sits? You praise the heck out of that behavior! (And probably reward with a treat.)
Now, what about when the puppy is chewing on your shoes? Do you ignore the behavior?
Of course not! You step in right away. You take away the shoe, tell the puppy “no,” and give the puppy something else to chew on instead.
Now imagine trying to train an entire classroom full of puppies.
Your older students respond best to individual responses, immediate feedback, and redirection – not punishment.
When rewards are taken away, even when it’s warranted, older students experience it as a punishment.
We need to shift their thinking from “The teacher gave us this reward” to “We earned this reward.”
That’s when rewards will actually facilitate learning.
What Actually Facilitates Learning-Related Behavior
Students of any age need clear expectations before they can be successful.
A classroom without clear expectations is like a staff meeting without an agenda: no learning happens and no meaningful progress is made.
Throughout the day, teachers need built-in moments to check in with students. Take those little moments to update them on how well they are – or aren’t – meeting those expectations you set.
Behavior systems work best when consequences are clear, predictable, and connected to student actions. A reward shouldn’t be taken away arbitrarily, and consequences should never come as a surprise.
When a system like this is in place, students learn what it means to behave correctly in your class. Instead of guessing whether they earned the reward or hoping that they did, students compare their behavior with your expectations.
Now that the behavior is taught, content learning becomes much more doable.
The Support-Not-Substitute Role of Classroom Rewards
Whole-class reward systems work best when the reward supports the classroom…not when it’s holding everything together.
Just offering rewards for older students isn’t enough; like their younger counterparts, older students still need to be taught how to behave properly.
But used correctly, reward systems do work!
How to Use Rewards Without Breaking Your Behavior System
Fun Friday – or any whole-class reward event – when run well, can be highly motivating.
If Fun Friday is already part of your classroom, that’s not a bad thing!
However, the activities you choose, and the way you use them, matter more than most teachers realize.
Imagine starting the week already knowing which (low-prep, highly motivating) activity you plan to pull out on Friday.
Imagine the response your students would have if they knew they were working for an event they really wanted.
And imagine how much your sanity and mental well-being would thank you if you used a system that supported your expectations, rather than punishing students.
This set of Fun Friday activities includes enough ideas and templates to last the entire school year without repeating once. Everything is low-prep and free, designed to support what you already have in place.
(And if you don’t have a Fun Friday system in place – what’s stopping you? Check out this upcoming webinar to get students to fix their behavior while you keep teaching. It’s simple, repeatable, and proven to reduce classroom disruptions.)
F.A.Q.
Rewards can increase short-term motivation, but they do not automatically facilitate learning. Rewards support learning only when they reinforce clear expectations, provide timely feedback, and are part of a consistent behavior system. On their own, rewards tend to produce temporary compliance rather than lasting learning-related behavior.
Rewards often stop working because they are asked to replace teaching, feedback, and accountability. When rewards are delayed, inconsistently applied, or based on collective behavior, students struggle to connect their actions to outcomes. Over time, this weakens motivation and increases frustration—for both students and teachers.
The role of reward in learning is to reinforce behaviors that support learning, not to control students or manage behavior alone. Effective rewards highlight effort, progress, and meeting expectations within a structured system. They work best as support tools, not as the foundation of classroom management.
Yes, rewards can be used in education when they are thoughtfully designed and paired with clear expectations and individual accountability. Rewards are most effective when they support skill-building and responsibility rather than acting as bribes or punishments.
Neither rewards nor punishment alone is most effective for learning. Students learn best through clear expectations, immediate feedback, and consistent consequences. Rewards can reinforce positive behavior, while redirection and logical consequences teach students how to adjust behavior—without relying on punishment.
Middle school students are motivated by fairness, autonomy, and predictability. Systems that provide individual accountability, clear expectations, and consistent feedback are more effective than reward-only approaches. When students understand how their actions impact outcomes, motivation becomes internal rather than dependent on prizes.
Before you comment: Please take a moment to read our community guidelines. We’re building a space that’s welcoming, respectful, and helpful to all!
