How Full Is Your
Bucket?
Courtney Clifford, LCSW
Positive Behavior Support Coach
With help from:
Jill Donley, St. Vrain Sch. Dist
Nancy George-Nichols, Douglass County
How many of you have heard…
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I shouldn’t have to reward them for something
they should already be doing!
Rewarding students inhibits their ability to
develop “intrinsic motivation”
How can I possibly have time to teach and
reward all the time?
The Theory of the Bucket and the
Dipper…
Everybody has an
invisible Bucket.
We are at our best
when our bucket
is overflowing…
The Theory of the Bucket and the
Dipper…
… and at our worst
when they are
empty…
The Theory of the Bucket and the
Dipper…
Everyone also has an
invisible dipper.
In each interaction, we
can use our dipper
either to fill or to dip
from others’ buckets.
The Theory of the Bucket and the
Dipper…
When we choose to fill
another’s bucket, we in
turn fill our own…
Negative Culture…
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It’s much easier to tell people when they did
something wrong…
Negativity permeates our society at all levels
Parents call teachers to complain
 Teachers call parents when there is a problem
 Parents focus on bad grades, not good grades
(77% in the US).
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What does the Research Say?
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Gallup surveyed more than 4 million
employees, including over 10,000 business
units and more than 30 industries, and found
that individuals who receive regular
recognition and praise experience …
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Increase in individual productivity
Increase in engagement among their
colleagues
Are more likely to stay with the organization
More Research…
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Negative work and school environments
increase “actively disengaged” employees
and school dropout rate…
More Research…
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John Gottman’s study, cited in Blink
Analyzed over 3,000 couples
Within one hour could predict divorce rate
with 95% accuracy based upon the ratio of
positive to negative interactions between the
couple…
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Reducing the time observed to 15 minutes
decreased this accuracy to 90%
So- What is the ‘Magic Ratio’?
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Research shows that a ratio of:
5 Positive Interactions to every
1 Negative or Neutral Interaction
Is the ratio that predicts successful
relationships.
Research about Kids…
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Study done by Elizabeth Hurlock in 1925
Fourth and sixth graders
Math tests
Progress over 5 days (after baseline)
3 groups plus a control group
More research…
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Group 1: Praised in front of the classroom
for their performance
Group 2: Criticized in front of the
classroom for their poor performance
Group 3: Ignored completely, but present in
the classroom
Group 4: removed from classroom (control)
The Result?
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Group that was praised: 71% increase in
score
Group that was criticized: 19% increase
Group that was ignored: 5% increase
Control group: less than 5% increase
Bucket Filling…
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Bucket filling is most
effective when it is
individualized, specific
and deserved.
Kids Know…
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Most kids know how an adult feels about them
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Body Language
Tone of voice
Words
Some kids misinterpret direct and implied messages
whereas others overreact…
How do you fill someone’s bucket?
Four Specific
Strategies for
Increasing Positive
Emotions
Strategy #1: Prevent Bucket
Dipping
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Teach your students what bucket dipping is
Call attention to bucket dipping and bucket
filling
Teach your students how to Fill Buckets
Reward Bucket Filling
Strategy #2: Make Best Friends
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Tell the most important people in your life
how important they are and why
Become known for noticing when others do
a good job
Make the tough kid your best friend!
Strategy #3: Give Unexpectedly
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Give a small token of appreciation
Write a drop for someone else’s bucket!
Be specific, make it individual, and make sure
it’s deserved!
Strategy #4: Reverse the Golden
Rule
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Do unto others as they would have you do
unto them
Make your energy and effort at filling
someone’s bucket specific and meaningful to
that person!
Tips for Educators:
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Be specific about the behavior
Praise effort and behavior, not ability or
attribute
Avoid praise that hints at past negative
behavior or weaknesses
Praise should be a congratulations, not a
wish that the student should do something
else.
Tips for Educators, Continued…
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Structured reinforcers (Pride Tickets)
structure adults responses… force us to give
postives
When appreciation and positive interactions
at a 5:1 level are habits, the reinforcer is no
longer necessary.
Changing student behavior is first and
foremost about changing adult behavior.
How Full Is Your Bucket?
The Research… Positivity works!!!
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The #1 reason people leave their job is
that they don’t feel _____________
Appreciated!
Positivity Works!
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Bad bosses can increase the risk of a
stroke by ___%
33%!!!
Positivity Works!!
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The Cost of disengagement: $200300 ______ per year
Billion!!!!
Positivity Works!
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__% of Americans reported receiving
no recognition last year
65%!!!!
Positivity Works!
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__ out of __ people say they are more
productive when they are around
positive people
9 out of 10
Positivity Works!!
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Increasing positive emotions can
lengthen life spans by ___ years
10 years!
To Begin Filling Someone’s
Bucket…
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Complete the drop for another staff
member, a family member, or a student.
Choose two activities you will try when you
get back to your classroom to fill other
people’s buckets.
Share with your neighbor your plans…
Resources…
Gladwell, Malcolm; Blink; Time Warner Book
Group, NY NY; 2005
T. Rath and D. Clifton; How Full is Your
Bucket- Educator’s Edition; Gallup Press,
New York; 2005