I found end-of-year awards for students to be such a bitter sweet time. On the one hand, I loved to call them up individually in front of my class and speak to them each about the wonderful character traits that I had seen shine in them that year. Yet, I also knew that I only had an hour or so left with each one of my precious students.
Nonetheless, even though I knew it meant it was time to say good-bye I looked forward to this time each year. All of the students sat quietly even though they were so excited for their own turn. They really loved to listen to words of affirmation being spoken over their peers.
So often we focus on academic achievements, and I get that. But I know that focusing on their character traits and virtues can have such a powerful impact on their personal growth.
End of year student awards that focus on character and virtues are such a natural conclusion to a year when teachers have really focused on using positive reinforcement in the classroom.
What is Authentic Praise?
Authentic praise focuses on who the individual is not what they have done. The focus is on qualities like kindness, servant based leadership or resilience. By focusing on these personal attributes you nurture their self-esteem and really demonstrate that you see them as the individual that they are.
In addition to how good it feels to praise a student’s innate qualities, authentic praise is an evidence-based strategy in positive psychology. The research identifies the impact of authentic praise on student engagement and behaviour.
As students learn how they are valued as individuals they develop a stronger sense of identity and motivation to grow both personally and academically. This is a more positive approach to classroom behaviour support, an essential part of classroom management.
Different Types of End-of-Year Awards for Students
There are six main types of end-of-year awards for students:
- Academic awards that focus on students with the highest grades.
- Attendance awards given to students who have attended each day that year.
- Athletic awards for students who excel in sports
- Citizenship awards for students who served their classroom or school in some consistent way.
- Character trait awards go to students who consistently step out of their comfort zone in a way that demonstrates character such as courage or kindness.
- Virtue awards which honour students who demonstrate moral values like integrity, honesty, or reliability.
There are, of course, overlap between these awards. A student may demonstrate leadership in sports or humility in academic achievement. A student may receive one of the first 4 end-of-year awards for students because they demonstrate a character trait or virtue.
However, we might want to consider flipping that script. Give the students the end-of-year award for self-discipline. Then address how self-discipline supported their academic achievement. By doing this we can encourage what will truly have a lasting impact on their lives.
More Than Just End-of-Year Awards for Students
From the very first time I offered character trait awards I have seen an impact on the students. Students glowed when they understood how others saw them, and their peers glowed when they had an opportunity to be a part of that process of encouraging their classmates. Each student became a role model for their peers.
Now, this blog post is primarily focused on end-of-year awards for students . However, consider the impact of giving awards multiple time per year.
By choosing to up the ante, so to speak, the students become motivated to continue to develop these qualities, and this will influence their growth both inside and outside of the classroom.
Implementing Character and Virtue
- Communicate the character traits and virtues to your students. When using authentic praise to positively reinforce student behaviour, identify when you see kindness, generosity, truthfulness, self-discipline, perseverance, etc..
- Sharing the joy – you may want to open up the nominations to your students. Provide a list of character traits on the board, and a class list. Students are expected to identify a positive character trait and/or virtue to each classmate. This may be easiest if you start with a list of positive character traits and/or virtues.
- Get ready – spend some time reflecting on each student’s strengths yourself. The students’ nominations will not all be exactly the same, and you will need to make the final decision.
- Prepare the awards – Create or buy awards that align with what you want to support in your classroom. If you choose to purchase pre-made end-of-year awards for students, be sure you the list of character traits and virtues listed in the awards as your guide for step 3.
- Present the end-of-year awards for students – Set aside sufficient time to have a relaxed moment or two with each student. Take some time to elaborate on what the student did to earn this award. This is authenticating the praise.
- Debrief the class on the process – If you are giving end-of-year awards for students repeatedly, provide an opportunity for student reflection on the process. This provides an opportunity for students to recognize how positively they felt about the process. You may also learn of some drawbacks to your process that you may want to amend.
If you have no desire to create your own end-of-year awards for students you can find some in my store.
The Value of Character Focused End-of-Year Awards for Students
Celebrating character traits and virtues throughout the year. Making them more than just “end-of-year awards for students emphasizes their true value. The beauty of our students extends beyond just how they perform academically or athletically.
Awards nurture growth and positive classroom culture, teach essential life skills, and they change how your students perceive each other. That alone could change a life.
Use end-of-year awards for students to ignite a wave of positivity and strength. This will carry your students into futures they can feel confident and proud of.
