This is, understandably, a common concern among staff. It is certainly important to recognize those students who are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, so you’ll want to make sure it is explained to staff that tickets/tokens/rewards are for everyone, not just students who require additional support. That said, I’m not sure that “balance” is necessary...

Some time ago I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Cecile Gleason, an early childhood consultant. One point that she made gave me pause and had me thinking differently about one of my long-term instructional practices -- structured routines for transitions during playtime in preschool classrooms. Instead, Dr. Gleason felt it was best to let the students select the activities they would like to play with on their own and decide on their own when they were ready to move on to a different activity.

At our June 7th 2018 Student Outcomes Conference (SOCon) 17 schools and districts shared their student "bright spots" or achievements, and the practices and systems that they put in place that made that success possible. Here are the bright spots in the area of social-emotional and behavioral skills!