Thinking Buttons

I wanted to share an idea with you - who knows, maybe you can start the new year with some thinking buttons in your classroom.  This idea came to me when I had some parents send in some M&M's for a math project and we had a bunch left over.  I told the kids that when they were doing a really good job, participating, paying attention, etc., they would get a thinking button.  You would have thought I promised them the moon!  Isn't it amazing what kids will do for a tiny piece of candy?  Now, I give them out when I have only a few kids making good choices, when they do really good work on their papers, or when they participate in or class discussions.  The great thing about it (other than it saves me from sitting at my desk after school and eating an entire bag) is that any little piece of candy can be a thinking button.  I used candy corn and candy pumpkins at Halloween, red and green M&M's for Christmas, and I'm thinking candy hearts in February, Skittles (for the rainbow) in March, and maybe Smarties for the pastel/spring colors in April.  Try it out in your classroom and let me know what your kids think!