It's the new year and I'm seeing 5 classes of 7, 8 and 9 years old each. Last year, I was trialing a No Rewards art class and I felt that it was very difficult for me with some classes. I did stick with what I had intended and I would do the same this year. There are a few reasons for this:
When I just started out teaching, I was a form teacher teaching the first grade. Naturally, I wanted to carry out the point system in my classroom as an incentive for having their work done, team work, good behaviour, doing the CORRECT correction etc. I gave out cow cash coupons, group points, auctions and fairy dust cards (You can view it here) Logistically, it was managable because I only had 30 pupils. Despite my efforts, I found my pupils self-centered and fiercely competitive. They were angels in my class but a terror in others.
Fast forward to present day, I no longer have the luxury of time to develop rapports with pupils as though I teach only 30 of them. Given that we meet more than 400 pupils each week and the infrequency of our interactions, knowing every pupil in a conventional way is not realistic. As an art, music or PE teacher, I think our subject matter is inherently interesting. Therefore, I insist in a no rewards classroom because coming to class is a reward by itself. That said, most of the leverage will come from the teacher and the most important area is our lessons that must somehow be noteworthy. Bribing pupils to behave in return for rewards sends the wrong message and interferes with the intrinisc value of joyful learning.
As an art teacher, I have the privilage of interacting with other teachers and by entering their classrooms, I have observed that teachers who hardly focus on external rewards have pupils who have better self-regulation skills. I do not assume that this one strategy is enough to create ready learners but for this post, I would just like to focus on this.
When I just started out teaching, I was a form teacher teaching the first grade. Naturally, I wanted to carry out the point system in my classroom as an incentive for having their work done, team work, good behaviour, doing the CORRECT correction etc. I gave out cow cash coupons, group points, auctions and fairy dust cards (You can view it here) Logistically, it was managable because I only had 30 pupils. Despite my efforts, I found my pupils self-centered and fiercely competitive. They were angels in my class but a terror in others.
Fast forward to present day, I no longer have the luxury of time to develop rapports with pupils as though I teach only 30 of them. Given that we meet more than 400 pupils each week and the infrequency of our interactions, knowing every pupil in a conventional way is not realistic. As an art, music or PE teacher, I think our subject matter is inherently interesting. Therefore, I insist in a no rewards classroom because coming to class is a reward by itself. That said, most of the leverage will come from the teacher and the most important area is our lessons that must somehow be noteworthy. Bribing pupils to behave in return for rewards sends the wrong message and interferes with the intrinisc value of joyful learning.
As an art teacher, I have the privilage of interacting with other teachers and by entering their classrooms, I have observed that teachers who hardly focus on external rewards have pupils who have better self-regulation skills. I do not assume that this one strategy is enough to create ready learners but for this post, I would just like to focus on this.
