Classic Movie Friday

by Clay Dollar
Four weeks ago I started a reward program called Classic Movie Friday.  Each Friday during lunch students who have earned a ticket to the event can come into my classroom to eat lunch and are treated to a classic movie and popcorn.  The First movie event featured was Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark.  We watch 30 minutes of the movie each week.  Students can earn tickets in a variety of ways such as answering questions in class that show higher level thinking skills, being a good citizen on campus, report card grades, grades on quizzes, entry and exit slips used in the classroom to see if students retained information from the lesson that day, and several other "secret" things I look for but will not reveal.  I try to keep the students guessing as to what will earn the ticket so they don't try to just do one thing well but lots of things!!  So far it has been a success. 

I dispense the tickets at lunch on Thursdays and it has kind of become a little chaotic.  I am mobbed with students asking if they have earned a ticket for the week.  Our next feature will be another Harrison Ford classic . . . . . . Star Wars!!  Oh, and yes, it has been brought to my attention that it just doesn't seem right to call it a classic movie to those of us who actually remember going to the theatre to see these great movies, but I guess that does bring to light the fact that some of us are getting OLD!!! 

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