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Home : 2004 : August : 4

kali
By Stacia

I think the bean jar is a great idea, and to me, that has nothing to do with a behavior management system. That's a great way to encourage children to explore their print and a wonderful classroom goal! I love it!

The
marble jar stuff I'm talking about is when you fill the jar for good behavior and take marbles out for not-so-good behavior.
I do not believe that by filling a jar with marbles, that we are helping children learn with a different style. I do believe in using intelligence strengths to help children master challenging materials. I believe in using the multiple intelligence theory when

teaching and helping children use their intelligence strengths to work on weaknesses and to help them develop a foundation in all of the intelligences.

You make a good point about children with severe disabilities. Yes, I do believe that different strategies are needed here - strategies you wouldn't normally need with normal, typically developing children. and visual cues and touches may be needed to help that child stay on task. What I don't understand is why you would use these strategies with normal, typically developing children? IN fact, most behavior modification strategies are taught in a special needs context, not for typically developing children.

The entire point of a behavior management system is to wean them off of it - the behavior mod specialists all agree with that. I will never forget my first day of teaching kindergarten. Some of the preschool children in my class were from a preschool that used rewards for just about anything. The first time we cleaned our room after play, the children worked diligently. I was impressed. When we sat down, they raised their hands and asked, 'What are we gonna get for this?" I said, 'what do you think you should get' they asked for stickers, candy, etc. and explained that everytime they cleaned their room in preschool, they got a treat. I laughed and said, guess what you get in my room, a clean room. The children laughed and asked again what they were going to get ' I said again, ' a clean room'. It took a while for this to be the reward in itself - a clean room. There was lots of discussion about 'why would we clean the room when we don't get anything for it?' Eventually 'they got it' and recognized that was a good thing, in itself. I even had parents comment that the children (some) took more responsiblity for their room at home and were excited to bring their parents in to show them the 'clean room'. That's why I asked the question about weaning - if you follow beh mod philosophy, you are supposed to wean.

I believe that children need to be safe and successful - and I don't think that's done by filling a jar with marbles. It's done through recognizing the varying intelligence strength and challenges children have and creating an environment that responds to that knowledge.