Finding a way to motivate students can be a daunting task, especially for middle school students. However, Mr. Tony Catalano, a sixth-grade science teacher at WEB DuBois Academy, feels he has found a great motivator for his all-male student body. Each month, students in Catalano’s class can submit their names to the drawings for prizes. If they complete all tasks and perform well, they will receive a pair of Michael Jordan shoes. “As far as reward systems go, I always want to give them what they want because then they’ll be really motivated to do it,” Catalano said. According to Catalano, the results speak for themselves. “There were students who were in trouble in other classes at school and I heard about it. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s good in my class!’ because he wanted to have an incentive,” Catalano explain. Bryson Abren is the winner of September’s Air Jordan Retro 4. “I was surprised because my luck has never been that good,” Abron said. “I never thought I would win these shoes.” Abron said the shoes were a huge motivator for him and other students to excel in Catalano’s class. “I already liked him the most, but this made me like him even more. I felt like I had a connection with him,” Abron said. A bond formed over a shared love of shoes. Catalano said he has collected hundreds of pairs of Jordans since 1984. “I’m the only husband who has more shoes than his wife,” Catalano said with a laugh. “In August, I was wearing different shoes every day. So I would look at them and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Catalano, I saw you wearing these!’ They knew the number, they knew I wore them name of the shoe because they recorded it as well.” Catalano, a 29-year veteran teacher at JCPS, said he has been doing shoe giveaways for years. He paid for each pair of shoes out of his own pocket, according to a JCPS spokesman.
Finding a way to motivate students can be a daunting task, especially for middle school students. However, Mr. Tony Catalano, a sixth-grade science teacher at WEB DuBois Academy, feels he has found a great motivator for his all-male student body.
Each month, students in Catalano’s class can submit their names to a drawing of a pair of Michael Jordan shoes if they complete all assignments and behave well.
“As far as a reward system, I always want to give them what they want because then they’ll be really motivated to do it,” Catalano said.
Catalano said the results speak for themselves.
“There were students who were in trouble in other classes at school and I heard about it. I thought, ‘Wow, he’s good in my class!’ because he wanted to have an incentive,” Catalano explain.
Bryson Abren is the winner of September’s Air Jordan Retro 4.
“I was surprised because my luck has never been that good,” Abron said. “I never thought I would win those shoes.”
Abron said the shoes have been a huge motivator for him and other students to excel in Catalano’s classes.
“I already liked him the most, but this made me like him even more. I felt like I had a connection with him,” Abron said.
A bond formed over a shared love of shoes. Catalano said he has collected hundreds of pairs of Jordan shoes since 1984.
“I’m the only husband who has more shoes than his wife,” Catalano said with a laugh. “In August, I wore different shoes every day. So (students) would look at them and say, ‘Hey, Mr. Catalano, I saw you put on that pair!’ They knew the number, They knew the name of the shoe I was wearing because they recorded it too.”
Catalano, a 29-year veteran teacher at JCPS, said he has been doing shoe giveaways for years. He paid for each pair of shoes out of his own pocket, according to a JCPS spokesman.