I was really getting frustrated with my students' pre-algebra grades when I remembered that neat little wooden fish pen I'd picked up at the Cracker Barrel gift shop this summer. "Okay," I told them in my best teacher voice, "whoever improves their grade the most on this next algebra test gets this fish pen." I was holding up the fish pen as well, hoping to tantalize them with it. But I figured it wasn't enough, and that the test was too far in the future. "In fact," I added, going out on a limb, "if you can all make a 100% on your math today, I will get you all a fish pen." (Positive peer pressure- they all had to make a 100 on the same day.) Big smile. Panic. Where on earth am I going to find 17 fish pens, and how much will that cost? Too late. I had already said it, and I mean what I say. Of course, they all got a 100% on their math that day, and they have, with a few exceptions, made a 100% on each of their daily math assignments since I made that brave announcement a few weeks ago. It worked! They realized they could do it. But now I had to find the fish pens. I found a few lame ones, and then I found the awesome ones pictured above, only I would have had to buy a gross of them (144) for $125. I eventually found just 36 of them for a much more reasonable price on eBay. Yay for eBay. So, the students all got neat fish pens, they also all are making much better math grades, and I kept my word. And, while I was looking for fish pens, I found this fish purse. I just couldn't resist, especially when I saw the inside-- guts and all! Whoo hoo!
