[showell]

I've been teaching refugee adults in the United States for about a year, each class is 10 hours a week but only 8 weeks long. My most recent group was extrememly challenging, partly due to the diversity in the classroom- it was half East Africans and half students from the Middle East, neither group was willing to interact nonetheless cooperate. The lead instructor offered an interesting idea, since we were learning numbers, US money and shopping each student was given a "wallet" (envelope) that the picked up at the begining of class. The recieved play money for attendance, listening, asking questions, paying attention, flash card games etc. At the end of the 8 weeks we held a "ESL class store" where the students 'paid' me with their play money for small treats (usually from the dollar store or things friends donated...a tape measure, picture frame, bath sponge, lotion, earrings, screw driver, pack of gum etc) everything was priced differently- so everyone was able to purchase at least one thing. There were very pleased and excited that there hardwork paid off!
We also have a large 'piggy bank' that you have to put spare change into if your phone rings in class or you answer it while your in the classroom- the money goes towards the class party at the end, however when students got the hang of it, they started turning their phones off!