Teachers discuss the pros and cons of using rewards in the classroom
not sure about rewards!
Posted by: sy #34981
Giving rewards or "bribes" has been an interesting topic for myself, and other teachers for some time. I am still of the opinion that if we reward children for everything they do, then they will never want to do anything unless there is a reward attached. Is it not our intention to teach children to be independant individuals that will succeed in this world? Somehow, giving rewards is more of the behavorist theory, in that if you keep giving stimulas they will respond. I much prefer the way of thinking that children should want to learn from recieving intrinsic rewards instead of extrinsic....as in candy or such. But in saying that, I have had many heated debates (very enjoyable I might add) with my friends those that believe in rewards and those that do not. For me positive reinforc...
I am a second year teacher and my first year was also challenging. You develop and improve your system each year. I noticed in your letter that you did not mention any type of reward system. I know that many people will tell you that you should not give rewards. I know that as a first year teacher I was very against giving rewards. I would suggest putting in place a system of rewards your first year. The best advice that I have ever been given is "Ignore the bad and pay attention to the good." This is not to say that you should not write a child's name on the board if he is misbehaving, but make sure that you are giving more attention to good behavior. I would suggest putting the students in groups and giving them group points. A student who constantly misbehaves has their name s...
A year or two ago I started to read "Punished by Rewards" because I was feeling that I was hearing "What do I get?" too often. I'll admit, I found the book to be a bit deeper than I'm use to, so I skim read it. I do agree with what I read. I teach fourth grade and struggle with the rewards issue all of the time. I do not have any reward/consequences system in my class. Every so often I try one and I just cannot be consistent. (What is good for Tommy is not always good for Johnny in my book). I love to give out "handshakes, high fives and pats on the back." It's not to say I don't give rewards, but the students don't know when they will be given. For example, on a social studies test 3 students received 100%, I clipped a coupon on their test inviting them to lunch in the classroom....
I think that rewards for certain kids can work really, really well. For example, kids who may be severely behaviorally challenged or kids who need some sort of "reward" to get them moving. I have one student who has so many issues (won't get into it) and in order to get him to really focus on the task at hand, to do the best he can with it, even if it's not all that great in general (but is HIS best), he needs to have a little bit of extrinsic motivation. When he completes a task in a reasonable amount of time without straying off task, talking to everyone around him, whining complaining that he "can't" he earns a sticker on his little chart. He has started, all by himself, calling them "fast stickers." When he fills a row, he gets 2 jellybeans (because jellybeans are his favorite). ...
Interesting question... do only intrinsic rewards keep YOU going? I'd love to say that I teach only for intrinsic reward, but in all honesty, that paycheck (however small) is what motivates me to give up the lazy days of summer and go back to work. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching... but the extrinsic payoff is what motivates me in addition to the intrinsic rewards (there are alot of them).
So why should we expect kids to do things simply for the satisfaction of a job well done? I agree that I hate bribing kids with candy and trinkets. But the payoff for them is so far down the road ("when you grow up, you'll have a good job") it's hard to keep them motivated. I'd love to hear from some teachers who have found how to motivate students without rewards. I don't know how you could do ...
I don't have a problem with rewards
Posted by: Mariella #34989
First, I see a huge difference between rewards and bribery. With a reward, you are pre-determining the conditions and you are the one basically in control of the situation (I don't much like that word, "control" - it seems to have become a dirty word, but as adults and as teachers, we must have the control). Bribery is "after the fact" - after you have lost control and it is an act of desperation - "Please, please be quiet and I'll give you all stickers". Children value the approval and praise of their regular teacher because they have a bond and connection with that teacher which they simply don't have with a sub - many kids don't care if Mrs. X is pleased with them because who the heck is Mrs. X anyway and she'll be gone tomorrow and we may never see her again. This isn't true for al...
It bothers me when kids say, "What do we get if we do that?" I always say, "You can give yourself a big pat on the back for doing what is expected." Kids seem to think they need a reward for everything.
I work with a teacher (she supports my classroom for a majority of the day), and she relies on treats and rewards way too much. The kids wonder why I never give them rewards or treats like she does. It bugs me! That's all she seems to have to rely on because she is so inconsistent with everything else.
I rarely reward my students with candy or rewards. Once in awhile we might go outside at the end of the day if it's nice and has been a great day. Once in awhile we might take a few minutes to play a game. I think these kind of rewards are nice. It allows a change in routine too. Sometim...
