There are many ways to reward students for good behavior. A Remington Traditional teacher dyed her hair blue to reward hers. 

Libby Hilker, a second grade teacher, rewarded her students for earning more marbles than her in August by changing the color of her hair. 

“Every time they do something exceptional or just way above and beyond or if I notice a really great act of kindness, they get a marble,” she said. “Anytime they need to work on something a little bit, I get a marble.”

The class decided they were going to make a challenge out of it and at the end of the first month of school, the students had 208 marbles. Hilker had only 188. 

Lyla Williams said she was surprised to see her teacher come in with colored hair this morning. 

“I didn’t think she was actually going to do it, so I was like, ‘Whoa, what happened to her hair?” she said. “I think it’s pretty cool.” 

Hilker said the students have been thinking about other rewards for the upcoming months. 

“They’ve come up with some great ideas like doing a puppet show or having a dance party,” Hilker said. “One student mentioned pieing me in the face and I think we will save that one for the end of the year.” 

Today’s excitement happened to line up with pajama day for her Rumple Buttercup Annual Pajama Jam Cotton Candy Pancake Parade Celebration.

“We read Rumple Buttercup at the beginning of every school year, especially when the years are looking so weird right now,” Hilker said. “It celebrates weirdness and fun, and at the end of the book, there is a pajama jam party so we usually do this during the first or second week.” 

The students got another little surprise at the end of the day - everyone got their own cotton candy treat.

Photo gallery: https://pattonvillesd.smugmug.com/2021-2022/RT-Hilker-Pajama-Jam-Party/