"A kid stands up in the hallway, walks into the room quietly unpacking their things and begins their morning work. I walk by only to hear the student say "Did I earn a ticket? I came in the room correctly."
It amazes me to see how different children are these days. Back in the day, when I was elementary school age, kids behaved and followed the directions because it was the right thing to do. We always aimed to please our teachers and parents by not having any conduct marks. (For me, I aimed to please with the fear of not getting it right. -- At home motivation) My parents always had a way of motivating me to do the right thing, whether it was a negative reinforcement or positive, however the frequency of these reinforcements, were not as frequent so I appreciated it more. (Or not)
Now a days we are in the world of instant gratification and rewards. Many kids play games on phones and computers and immediately after they win they are congratulated by a noise/graphic, points or both. As teachers these devices and these sounds are what we are competing with in the classroom. We are expected to give rewards for all types of behaviors, including the behaviors that students should already be doing.
When I think about young children and classroom behavior, I picture a time when students are young and they need to be taken to the "treasure chest" or the prize box in order to continue doing well. I also see a time when students need stickers to track progress. However, I am lost on when exactly we as teachers should teach our children when it is time to do the right thing because we want to feel good. When do we do the right thing so that we can learn and be smart. When do the classroom rewards end?
As a teacher who gives out tickets, I have become critical of myself, for I am not certain if using tickets are benefitting the students or hurting them in the long run. Teaching character is just as large as a topic as any other in my opinion, for that is something they will use in their everyday life.
Do others see this as a potential problem? What classroom management techniques do you use, and when do you think it is important to begin to ease off of these incentives? I sometimes feel that by giving trips to the "treasure chest" and trading in tickets too much is hurting the students for later on. Next year, teachers may not do rewards as often and I want them to be able to understand the reasoning. I love rewards, however should we reward kids for things they should already be doing? I feel like the kids who already do these things sometimes get left behind, because they are ALWAYS doing the right thing!
As an adult, we do get rewarded (Jean Passes), however they come far and few in between. By being intrinsically motivated, I am able to be so much more positive without the disappointments when I am not given a reward for something I should already be doing.
Thanks for reading! Tuesday's are for THINKING out LOUD!