Earning Gumballs: Rewarding Students for Good Choices

This is the second year that I have used the gumball rewards.  I don't start the year with this reward system because students are expected to demonstrate positive behavior without rewards.  Praise is really enough at the beginning of the year. But by mid year a little extra encouragement to make the right choices is enjoyed by the students as well as myself.  I wait until after the November art show rush and the December 3D art craziness. Beginning in January is ideal.  We start off the new year by focusing on the best behavior for the art room and making good choices.  All but kindergarten are familiar with how the gumball machines work but I review the reward plan with all of the classes.  I explain it like it is a game.  They earn points when they behave how they should and I earn points when they don't.  If they have more points than the teacher by the end of class they get a "gumball" in their machine.  After they earn 10 gumballs they will be allowed to make the art project of their choice during their next art class. I show them how this works.  I put a C and a T on the white board and explain that sometimes I will give the class a point under the C when they are making good choices.  If they are not behaving as they should the Teacher gets a tally mark under the T.  I tell them that this is one game that I want to lose and I want them to win.  If they listened quietly during all of these directions I will give them their first tally mark and tell them it's for showing good listening skills. 
Other positive behaviors that I look for are:
*Coming into the class room quietly
*A student answers a question correctly
*Many hands are raised to answer a question
*Most students are on task
*Clean up was done right away when asked (some students want to keep on working)
*A student was observed helping another classmate.
 I often stress behavior that may need work on.  For my first grade students I have already praised them for planning their bathroom breaks before art class.  "I love how only 2 students needed to go to the bathroom in class today.  I think you all deserve a tally mark." It gives students pride when they have helped the class by earning points "The red table did a great job of picking up all of the scrap papers and crayons from under their table.  Sophia will you please go give the class a tally mark?"  "If the rest of the tables can get their areas just as clean within the next 2 minutes you can earn another tally mark." 

Some the reasons I give myself points:
*Class noise level is too high
*Not all students are on task
*I had to wait for the class to get quiet during directions
*Students call out during directions instead of raising their hand
If the same student keeps losing points for the class I will talk to them personally about lowering their daily grade for whatever rule they are breaking.

All students from k-6 have been really receptive to this positive behavior reward.  After a couple classes of using the tally marks the class brainstorms what one class period art project that they would all like to earn.  I write the project on the white board while the raise their hand to contribute to the brainstorm.  They often mention clay but they would need at least 2 classes for that.  I have left some grades select cloud clay (or model magic)as their project.  I've already made up some teacher examples of projects and some classes have been interested in adding those projects on their brainstorm list.  After 6 or so ideas the class votes on what they would like to earn after 10 gumballs.  That project is then written beside their gumball.  Mainly so that I can remember what they voted on but it's nice for them to have a reminder of their prize for making good choices.  Most all of my classes will earn a free choice art project.  I try hard to catch them making good choices.