Behavior Puzzles for Positive Classroom Management {Reinforcement & Incentives}

Do you have students who need a little bit of support completing tasks, staying in their area, making safe choices, or following directions? These behavior puzzles are a quick, simple and fun way to motivate your students without spending money on rewards!

While it’s SO important we help students build their intrinsic motivation, some students might still need a little support throughout the school year. These puzzles are a great way to give students frequent, positive feedback for their behavior.

Similar to a token economy, students will earn puzzle pieces for following directions, being respectful, or completing tasks. I encourage you to use the puzzle as its own reward…when they finish it…they could laminate it to take home with a quick note on the back. If your student needs additional motivation, you can offer a small relationship building prize for completing it…like eating lunch with you! You could also use this as a way to earn "breaks" throughout the day.

If you wanted to use it for a prize, you could use the same puzzle over and over. Simply laminate the pieces, and the puzzle board. Then add a little piece of velcro, so that it’s not covering the words. If you are only using each puzzle once, students could use a glue stick or tape to attach the picture to the puzzle board.

I've included lots of different puzzle options. You'll find puzzles that are:

6 pieces (full page)

9 pieces (full page)

12 pieces (full page)

16 pieces (full page)

6 pieces (half page)

9 pages (half page)

Each puzzle size has several options for behavior goals, including an editable version so you can insert your students' specific goals. I've also made more generic ones that say "my teacher is proud of me," "I made a great choice," and "I tried my best."

The following themes are included, as well as an editable version so you can insert your students' favorite characters or clipart into the puzzles. Each puzzle comes in color and black/white so you can choose which is best for your needs.

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer

Halloween

Thanksgiving

Holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali, Eid, Lunar New Year)

Valentine's Day

St. Patrick's Day

School

Animal

Dinosaur

Bug

Sports

Robot

Food

Miscellaneous (aliens, video games, castles, trucks etc.)

I truly hope this resource is helpful for you! If you need any help, don’t hesitate to reach out to haleymoconnor@gmail.com. You can also find support from other like-minded teachers in my Facebook group, Teaching with Haley and Friends.

For additional behavior support, be sure to check out my Behavior Survival Kit.