Cookie Jar of Righteousness

Detentions are a pain - you've got to fill out the paperwork, schedule a date, be in your classroom the entire time... it creates a lot of work. Not to mention the students never bring anything with them to do, making the whole situation unnervingly awkward. A few years ago I came up with a solution: behold, the Cookie Jar of Righteousness!

Inside this righteous cookie jar are scraps of paper with classroom chores written on them. I tell my students at the beginning of the year that if they are fortunate enough to earn a detention with me, they must draw a task from the Cookie Jar of Righteousness and must complete the task satisfactorily in order to receive credit for the detention. It's amazing - they are more than eager to fold towels, wipe down desks, clean white boards, sharpen pencils, or anything else they draw from the jar. It makes the time go by much more quickly for them, I get a little extra help, and at the end I get to thank them for their assistance, which helps "heal" the relationship and we can forget the incident and move on. I highly recommend!