Although your course packet asks you to post to blog for parts A, B, C, and D…we are asking that you only post part Dto the blog as we’re trying to make the blog more user-friendly and easier to read. Thanks!
A. Self Assessment of Current Beliefs and Practices: This component asks you to reflect on how and why you currently use the instructional strategies of Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition in your classroom. The intent of this is to activate your prior knowledge of your strategy use so that you can make comparisons as you read the chapter. Below are the questions to help you complete your self-assessment.
• This chapter discusses the potential influence of reinforcing students' effort and providing recognition for their accomplishments. Think back to your own personal experiences and try to identify situations in which your learning was positively influenced when someone reinforced your effort or recognized your accomplishments in some significant way. You might also remember situations that would have been improved if someone had reinforced your effort or had given you recognition.
• Now try to remember examples of situations that you positively influenced because you did reinforce students' effort or provide recognition.
• How do you currently reinforce students’ effort in your classroom and what is your purpose?
• What makes reinforcing effective or ineffective?
• Although verbal recognition seems to be most effective, providing concrete tokens (e.g., stickers, candy, toys) can also be effective. What advice would you give to a new teacher about using tokens as rewards?
B. Read & Reflect “Research & Theory”:This portion of the assignment asks you to read chapter 4 and reflect briefly on your thinking after reading the “Research and Theory” section for both reinforcing effort and providing recognition. You may want to consider reflecting on the bulleted comment below.
C. Practice: Choose one of the specific “classroom practice” strategies or techniques shared in this chapter to teach to your students (If you are not currently teaching, you may share how you would use this strategy in your classroom). You may want to consider reflecting on the bulleted comment below.
• This chapter recommends the use of rubrics to help students see the relationship between their effort and their achievement. Try to identify a specific long-term, challenging assignment that might be enhanced by using these rubrics.
D. Final Strategy Reflection: Use the following sequence of questions/promps to reflect on what you’ve learned about both the strategies presented in the chapter and what you’ve learned about yourself as both a teacher and a learner. Please post your brief reflection to the posting labeled Week Four: Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition by clicking on the “comment” link below.
How has the information you read in this chapter on summarizing affected your thinking about teaching and learning? What have you learned about yourself as a teacher and learner? You may use some of the following questions to assist you in writing a brief strategy reflection:
• How might I change how I reinforce students’ effort in my classroom?
• What is something you now understand better about reinforcing effort or providing recognition?
• How might you change how you provide recognition in your classroom?
3 comments:
I think that I had a hard time with this chapter! I know that I’m going to sound old and curmudgeonly when I say this, but it seems like students are being rewarded for every little thing. My 5 year old already has a dresser littered with trophies for simply participating on a team. I go with the flow but wonder how much they really mean to him. I also think of the old saying that “too much honey gluts the stomach.” Sometimes praise can go too far – and students know when you’re being sincere! Also, I’ve seen teachers spend an enormous amount of time and money on external rewards.
With all that being said, I also know that I can be more supportive of my students. I particularly liked the comment that I should make “recognition as personal to the students as possible.” I try to be specific in my comments to students when I’m scoring their essays. I try to comment when a student regularly turns in work when he/she normally might not do so. I try to be encouraging when a quiet student speaks up in class discussion. In all, I try to be sincere.
However, the part of this chapter that energized me the most was teaching students how to keep track of their effort and how it pays off. In the past, I’ve asked students to reflect on their final essay or a big test. I ask two different types of questions: 1. What grade do you think you’ll receive on this test/essay? Why? What was easy? Hard? 2. How much effort did you put into the completion of this test/essay? For some reason, I’ve let go of this practice. I think I’ll reinstate it again! Also, I loved the idea of students tracking this over an entire school year. I agree that this process might “help students heighten their awareness of the power of effort.”
I really enjoyed reading this chapter because it made me reevaluate my practice and my beliefs on praise and recognition. Similar to Sarah, I think too many kids and young adults have been given a ribbon for everything they have done. Sports teams hand out ribbons and trophies for completing a race, finishing a soccer game, and being cooperative on the field. Children have an expectation that they will receive these rewards and often little work or effort is done to deserve them. Parents, coaches, and teachers do this because they do not want anyone to be left out and they want everyone to succeed. I agree that all students should live up to their own potential and succeed, but what is the long-term effect of always receiving a ribbon? My husband works for a recruiting company and manages a group of recruiters. Many of these recruiters are recent college graduates who have had this mentality engrained in them for years: “I should be rewarded, even if I do not put very much effort or work into it. I should make $60,000 out of college because I have a degree and I show up for work, etc.” My husband and other managers within his company refer to these employees as the “Everybody Gets a Ribbon Generation.” Although this is their joke, there is an underlying problem when these children turn into working adults.
As a teacher, I have really tried to be specific in my praise and recognition. I use positive, specific praise for my students. I think it is critical to all students that they receive their own specific praise. I do not hand out stickers or candy to students instead I had out verbal compliments/praise and “Pride Tickets.” Our school is a PBIS school and overall I do believe that it works. Classes can receive “Class Pride Tickets (large awards that hang outside classroom doors)” for being noticed by another teacher during transition times. Classes receive these out at recess, working together in PE, Music, or Library, during times of transition in the hallway, or having a clean/quiet lunch table in the cafeteria. Once a classroom receives ten Pride Tickets that class gets a celebration. We also give out individual pride tickets to students who are being safe, responsible, and respectful. When I hand these out, I explain why I am giving them the ticket. First Graders love to get these! They write their name on them and are entered into our weekly class drawing. I draw two names that are announced overhead during Friday morning announcements and those two students get to get a prize from the office. Then at the end of the day I pick four more students to pick out of our classroom treasure box. Each week we empty the pride ticket box and start again.
Overall, I agree with the notion that students need to be given praise and recognition during their school years. I do not know a single person who does not enjoy being praised or recognized to some level. It helps with our self worth. However, I do believe there is a balance and that as educators we need to find it so that we do not help create children who expect a ribbon, prize, or money for just showing up to work someday!
Ladies, I think we are all on the same page here! :D No, Sarah, I don't think you are "old or curmudgeonly." You both said it very well and I LOVE the "Everybody gets a ribbon generation!" I will def. be sharing that one with my friends.
I believe there was an article a couple of years ago talking about exactly what your husband notices Amy.
The answer I would suggest is exactly what you said...balance. I'm a firm believer that students need to learn how to lose and experience failure as part of the learning/growing process. Too often parents/teachers want to "protect" kids from the "harsh realities" of life. However, in fact it appears they are doing more harm than good.
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