Rewards
There are so many trends for using rewards in the classroom. I have seen the "dreaded" clip chart where students move up and down the ladder of "goodness" based on decisions they make in class and those who have been good all week go to prize box. These, often cute, themed charts tie into the perfect classroom decor and are front and center for all in class to see, whisper about, and know who's been naughty and who's been nice. There are no secrets here. Parents are often sent a note at the end of every day showing how their child behaved in class during the past 7-8 hours they were away from them. At the end of the week, those who did good, went to prize box, and those who didn't well...that's another story. The same children generally climb the ladder, while the less-disciplined few tank every single day. I wonder about the self-esteem of those who never get above the first rung on the ladder. The constant reminder that they have been "bad" must have some effect. And, allowing it to be proclaimed in a prominent spot for all to see is, well, rather embarrassing, to say the least.
At one point, I jumped on the bandwagon with these seemingly popular scales of goodness...or badness, but I have long-since packed them away in file 13.
Another system I tried was the red, yellow, and green cards. Everyone starts on green at the beginning of the day, but before long, little Johnny has tripped someone and that starts the downward spiral from green to yellow, and before long, red. There is no moving up once you hit rock bottom and getting there everyday is no surprise for some of the children who have a hard time with self regulation. Again, day after day, parents receive a note showing the color of the day. Some, tired with the constant negative behavior, don't even check the sheet anymore. It is just too discouraging. And, once again, the prize box is pulled out at the end of every week and students are rewarded for superb behavior, while the rest are left behind.
Does it make a difference? Do those who are on the "naughty list" determine to change based on these rewards?
Research on using Rewards in the Classroom
Much of what research has to say about classroom rewards is not great. Many researchers find that rewards tend to make students less self-disciplined. They say that it stunts a child's intrinsic motivation. After all, don't we WANT students to want to do the right thing simply because it is the right thing and not because of the promise of a reward? But how do we get students to the point that they want to do right? This is definitely the debate and challenge in every school. Even though rewards tend to be looked down on, there are some things you can do to encourage the positive behaviors every teacher dreams of.
Practical Ways to Use Rewards
One way I like to use rewards is through positive notes home. With positive notes, the intent shifts from naughty to nice. I want students to be given kudos when they do something right. It takes the focus away from the not-so-nice things they do and refocuses everything on the positive. I suggest making a list of students and rotating through (secretly of course). Each day give out two or three positive notes. Keep the students guessing about who will be next. One thing I would do is look for that student who is known for negative behavior. They are going to need even more positive praise to help in turning their bad behavior around. I would try to send something positive home with that student once a week if possible. The effect of this type of reward is the child leaving the classroom feeling great about the positive actions they took.
Here's how I suggest you plan it out. Print out some easy positive note templates. These can be as simple as notes that you just need to check the positive behavior on instead of writing an actual note, but shake it up from time to time. After you print a stack, fill out one with each child's name, leaving the positive characteristic blank. When you see a behavior you want to reinforce, check the box next to the trait and at the end of the day, make an announcement about the notes. Build it up. Tell the students you have been looking for positive behavior and that you have 3 (or however many) notes to send home today for students who have demonstrated it. Then read out the names and have each child come and receive their note...this is one note that ALWAYS makes it home, you can be sure of that!
Another reward system that I have enjoyed using in the pass is a classroom economy. Basically, it works like the real world. Work, get paid. Don't work, don't get paid. At the beginning of the year (or whenever you begin) tell students that we are going to run our classroom like a mini society. You'll probably have to explain this a bit, since that vocabulary may be new to some. Tell students that they will earn classroom money (no, not the real deal) for completing assignments, doing classroom jobs, etc. Different jobs have varying pay based on the difficulty of the job. Generally, I suggest paying them every week, biweekly, or monthly like an actual business does. I found that it takes a bit of time, so really think about the pay schedule before you commit. Another thing I did was have my students pay expenses. I created a list of expenses that people in the "real world" have to think about...things like electricity, water, house, and car. The desks represented their houses and the chairs represented their cars. Students in my classroom had the option to rent or buy their houses. If they chose to rent, they would pay each month a certain fee for their "house." Those who chose to buy, would have to rent until they could save up enough to pay for their house. Anyone who purchased their house could then save up to purchase other houses of any classmates who were renting. If a child purchased their house, they did not have to pay rent for the rest of the year. Once someone purchased their own house, they could then save up to buy someone else's house and become a landlord, receiving the monthly house payment from the tenant.
The fun part of the mini society is of course shopping. I had a store for the students to shop at on our pay day. Sometimes I had small items like what you could purchase from Oriental Trading, or gently used items I thought the students would love. We had tasty treats that could be purchased as well. It is also fun (and free) to include coupons for students to earn privileges for the classroom.
Another fun thing you can do with mini societies are that you could have a classroom auction. What I like about auctions are that those who save or work hard to earn more have a chance to get even bigger prizes. You could even ask for donations for an auction. It is really a lot of fun and a great life experience!
Rewards
Rewards can be done in many ways and after being in the classroom for twenty-five years, I have to say that research is just a small piece. You know your own classroom better than any other. What you need to do in your classroom may not be right for another class or teacher, but if it works for you and your kids, who's to stop you? I would just caution that you look at your system as a whole. Is it focusing more on the negative, or is it encouraging students to grow and show the positive behaviors more and more that you want in your class. Cause we all know managing a classroom can be a challenge and positive behavior is what we want.
If you are looking for ways to bring positivity into your classroom, check out some of my positive classroom notes (click on the pictures below). You will love how easy they are to use!
