Seven things that make a MagiKats Workshop great! #4

What Makes A MagiKats Workshop Great? Reason #4

Everyone likes to have their achievements recognised – especially children and teenagers! Even as adults, the occasional “well done” or “thank you” goes a long way to improving our day and our mood. There are four main ways in which we reward MagiKats students – aren’t they lucky!

At every MagiKats workshop, we reward the work that has been done, both at home and in their mentoring session. We do this with stamp cards – and a full stamp card gets a prize! In addition, a few students will be invited to write their name onto the ‘Excellent Work’ board – not necessarily just for work though. We understand that achievement is not always about academics but can also be to do with attitude or behaviour. When a student is nominated by their mentor for the board, they go to their Principal to explain what their achievement has been. They are then rewarded both with congratulations and also with their name on the board, in front of everyone.

A third way in which we reward our students’ achievements is with our twice yearly awards ceremonies. Students earn certificates to reflect the work they have been doing at home and medals for their workshop efforts. Every student is recognised for their individual achievement – there is no competition for specific prizes. Awards ceremonies are great fun too – some feature bouncy castles and others ice-cream sundae stalls!

The final method of rewarding is the easiest to deliver but often the one most likely to be forgotten – praise. Not just praise though – constructive and informative praise. “Well done” just doesn’t cut it at MagiKats! Our mentors express their thoughts through our feedback system at every workshop – using a series of faces to show how they feel the student has worked that day. That’s no substitute for communication though – every student can expect useful feedback and encouragement. One of the first pieces of feedback we get from the parent of a new student to MagiKats is often, “They are so much happier and more confident now,” and we love hearing it!