Brag Tags... What??

I'm all about some Brag Tags. Seriously. I love them. If you haven't ever heard of Brag Tags, you're missing out- fo reals yo! 

I spent a large portion of my summer printing, laminating, and cutting out brag tags. (See photo on left.) I also had a great display for the brag tags (unfortunately you can only see it in the photo on the right if you turn your head all the way around and squint and blink 156 times). 

So, what do you do with those things? Is it worth it? Does it really make a difference? Don't the kids think they're dumb? That seems like a lot of work. 

Those are all things I've heard over and over. So, let's ponder those things, shall we? 

What do I do with them? 

I give them to kids. Duh! But seriously, I started out the year wearing them on my lanyard and randomly handing them out when appropriate. Eventually I got irritated with the fact that my lanyard was always picking my clothes (and if you're like me and #lularoeobsessed then you know you paid too much to have your lula getting all picked up) and I started just keeping some out on my computer stand at the front of the room. That way I could access them quickly and easily. I would give them out as the kids worked. 

Is it worth it? 

I mean, I feel like this is a silly question. (There are no "dumb" questions, right? But there are silly ones.) If I didn't feel like it was worth it, would I have continued it? Some teachers might have said, "Well, I started it so I need to finish out the year with it." Not me, friends. My time is way too valuable for that. I believe with all my heart it was worth it. They loved those things! There were days I would get so busy I'd forget. Once I even went an entire week without even handing out one. Let me tell ya, as soon as I got those things out again it was like magic had been sprinkled over my classroom! They wanted those things! To me, that makes it worth it. Plus, if you can get kids to smile and be super excited about something, doesn't that automatically make it worth it? 

Does it really make a difference? 

Well, I think I covered that in the previous answer... but I totally think it is. Of course, some people wouldn't. What I think makes a difference may not make a lick of difference to someone else. Isn't that just how the cookie crumbles? 

Do the kids think they're dumb? 

Nope. Not at all. My third graders thought they were awesome. They were all about keeping up with how many they had and how many of each kind they had, etc. They loved telling each other their totals. They were so proud when they got to wear them (which was not every day). 

That seems like a lot of work.

Not a question. I'm aware of that. However, it's true. It's a lot of work. Sometimes when it's one thing piled on everything else you kind of get irritated and "bless" the heart of every single brag tag you cut out. But, you do it, gritted teeth and all... because it is worth it. 

Like I said, I love brag tags. L.O.V.E. I will continue to use them in my classroom. Bottom line is, if you're a good enough sells person, you can sell anything to anyone. I made them a big deal, so they did, too. 

The other thing I really like about them is that you can give them out as they are working and it sort of shows them, "I see you. I see that you're so smart and I'm so proud of you." Or "I see that you're working so hard and I am just loving that!" Everyone needs a little pick-me-up every now and then. 

I'll leave you with this quote I borrowed from Pinterest that originated somewhere else...

Tune in next time for the best Brag Tag finds, IMO!