Mystery Motivator Chart printable pdf download

The Savvy Teacher’s Guide: Selected Ideas for Behavioral Intervention

Jim Wright ( )

Mystery Motivator

Description: This reward system intrigues students because it carries a certain degree of

unpredictability. The strategy can be used with an entire class or with individual

students.

Materials:

• Mystery Motivator Chart

• Special watercolor markers (including ‘invisible’ marker)*

Preparation:

•

Develop a reward menu for the individual or class targeted for this

intervention. (NOTE: For suggestions on how to create a reward menu, see

Creating Reward Menus that Motivate: Tips for Teachers.)

•

Select 1-3 behaviors that you wish to reduce or increase in the targeted

student(s) and write out concrete definitions for each.

•

Decide on a time period during the instructional day that the Mystery

Motivator program will be in effect (e.g., during math class, all morning,

throughout the school day).

•

Decide on the minimum behavioral criteria that the student must meet in order

to earn a chance to fill in a blank on the Mystery Motivator Chart (e.g., all

homework turned in; fewer than 2 teacher reminders to pay attention during

reading group).

•

Prepare the Mystery Motivator Chart.

First, decide how frequently you want students to be able to earn a reward (a

good rule of thumb is to start with a frequency of 3-4 times per week and then

to reduce the frequency as student behaviors improve).

Next, randomly select as many days of the week on the chart as you plan to

reward students. For each day that you select on the chart, write the letter

“M” into the chart blank with the invisible-ink pen.

Finally, come up with guidelines for the student or class to earn bonus points

(e.g., if the student or class earn the chance to fill out at least 3 of the five

chart spaces in a week, they will be given the bonus points that appear in the

Bonus Points box on the Mystery Motivator Chart). Each week, you will

write a different number of bonus points (e.g., between 1 and 5) into the bonus

points box. If the student or class earns these points, they will be able to

redeem them for a prize from the reward menu.

Mystery Motivator Chart