Genius Dots, Stars of Knowledge, and 10 Finger Woo's

A genius dot is a dot drawn on the hand between the thumb and index finger.  It's earned when a student volunteers a correct answer to a question that students wouldn't normally know the answer to.  When a student answers or extends an answer to a hard question correctly I say, "Only a genius would know that!  Would you like a genius dot?"  If the student says yes, I say, "Excellent!" and place a dot on their hand.  If the students says no, then I simply say, "Thank you for sharing." 

A star of knowledge is a small star drawn on the bottom of the wrist.  It is given when a student has asked a deep question.  A question that cannot be answered easily and requires the student to dig deeper for information.  When a student earns a star of knowledge I say, "Oh!  That's a deep question.  Only a student that's on a quest for knowledge would ask a question like that.  Would you like a star of knowledge?"  If the student says yes, I draw a star on the underside of their wrist.  If the student says no I say, "Thank you for sharing."

The 10 finger woo is when you take both of your hands, form them into fists like a puppy dog begging for a treat, and you flick out all 10 fingers while saying woo! It's one of my favorite ways to celebrate a students' success in class.  A student earns a 10 finger woo for just being awesome.  Perhaps it's a student to answered correctly after struggling with the concept being taught or any number of reasons.  It's just a great way to acknowledge their efforts in class and let's face it, who doesn't love a good woo in the morning.