Blog #4

 

Rewards

If there is one thing that seems consistent across elementary classrooms everywhere, it is the pervasive use of reward systems. How do you plan to use them? If not at all, why not? If some, how? If you plan to use them a lot, what is your evidence for why that is the best plan?

Reward systems bring me a lot of mixed emotions when considering the implementation of them in my future classroom. The last question feels the easiest to answer: I would never use rewards consistently. However, I wouldn't completely remove them altogether. The problem with rewards are the emphasis on extrinsic motivation rather than intrinsic. While of course we want to motivate the involvement and success of our students, we don't want to engrave the idea that things are only worth doing when they get something out of it. Teaching intrinsic motivation and allowing students to develop their own values and priorities are key life skills they will use in the future. Outside of the classroom, there won't always be a reward waiting for them. In my opinion, relying on rewards sets students up for failure in the real world when they miss out on opportunities because there isn't an immediate or physical gain. I think this plays hugely into student led learning and management as we have been learning about the past few weeks. A great example being rules. While we could create a set of rules that seem appropriate from our standpoint and give students rewards to ensure they follow them, it will result in the learning of bad habits. On the flip side, allowing students to engage in the process of creating rules that hold value and meaning to them will open the door to following the rules because they WANT to, not because they have to. With that being said, I don't think a reward every so often is harmful. After all, our students work hard and they do deserve some recognition from us to know that their hard work is valued and that we appreciate them. I think the best way to accomplish this is through words of acknowledgement and praise. This way we are uplifting our students and reminding them that their hard work doesn't go unnoticed. Also, I personally like the idea of classroom wide rewards on occasion. However, I would prefer for them to be a surprise rather than a goal. For example, maybe an extra recess or a classroom party to recognize students effort. I think this creates a positive and encouraging environment without taking away from their intrinsic motivation. So, while rewards are okay sometimes, I would never make them the basis of my classroom management. 

What do you think of Gus' (Kovalik's) idea of a set of powerful vocabulary like the LifeSkills? Do you think you will use something like that in your classroom? Why or why not?

I personally love the idea of using a set of powerful vocabulary such as the life skills. First, it pushes students to pay attention to the actions of each other. In some cases, it's better for peers to model good behavior rather than the teacher. Then, the words of affirmation come from their friends and classmates and make them feel more apart of something special. Not to mention, the vocabulary gives them a way to format their compliments in a more straight forward manner rather than a simple "good job". As students pay closer attention to these life skills, they will learn why they are so important. For example, if they are on the receiving end of a kind gesture that makes them feel really good, that student will be more likely to do the same for someone else to reciprocate the feeling. I also believe positivity is beyond valuable in a classroom. Sometimes, school days can be hard. It's awesome to give students an opportunity to recognize one another with specific words of acknowledgement that let them know their hard work never goes unnoticed. So, I would absolutely use this 100 times over in my classroom, especially using the format you talked about in the video.