Agree. Another thing that is vitally important is to recognize how each student learns. For example, my daughter and I have vastly different styles. I was always able to see and retain. One or two passes through a textbook did it for me for exams. My daughter is a very tactile/active learner. She learns by doing and writing. Put her in lecture-oriented classes and she struggles. Put her in science classes and she thrives!To take this another direction, I don't think rewarding results is the most effective way to improve performance. I think rewarding behaviors is. Getting the right results matters, but it matters more how they got those results, because getting the A in and of itself does not build the best habits to be successful later, since there are many paths to that A. If we want kids that are contributing members of society we need them learning the right behaviors that generate successful results, so that their success is transferable and repeatable in many circumstances. Not just googling the answers.
I remember in 5th grade we had the AR Reader program. At the end of the year you could use the AR Reader points you had to buy candy. I really liked reading when I was young, so I read all the big point books I could. I think I ended up with the 10th most points in the whole school. I got so much damn candy it was awesome.
The school also had a pretty unique thing where each individual class entered into a competition involving AR REader and Basketball. Towards the end of the year each class picked a kid to shoot for a chance at a pizza party. The catch was that your player got minutes based on how many AR Reader points your class had. Pretty much everyone in my class read, so we had a 30 seconds over the next highest class. My team chose me to shoot, and we won by like 10 points (3 points for 3's. 2 points for midrange, everything had to be behind the FT line).
It was pretty awesome. I don't know how dumb kids felt, and I didn't care. Sucks being dumb.
To take this another direction, I don't think rewarding results is the most effective way to improve performance. I think rewarding behaviors is. Getting the right results matters, but it matters more how they got those results, because getting the A in and of itself does not build the best habits to be successful later, since there are many paths to that A. If we want kids that are contributing members of society we need them learning the right behaviors that generate successful results, so that their success is transferable and repeatable in many circumstances. Not just googling the answers.
I do agree on the behavior vs. results part. We've backed off a bit on my daugther knowing her strengths and weaknesses. Better to encourage and reward correct behavior and have that lead to a positive experience vs. just focusing on the negatives.
Never ever seen a better way to divide students. Yes, good behaviour should be rewarded and some bad behaviours should be punished but school events should be for all. This is at best demotivational for students who don't get A's.
This may even increase bullying.
For CT. The first one is pretty effective way to get kids to read a book. Second one requires talent therefore some kids are bound to fail. Losers will always feel left out in competitions unless you are giving them pizza too. You can always reward the winner with better seats, first to get the pizza I don't know etc.
I couldn't disagree more.
At some point, kids have gotta learn that their grades matter. Not all grades are created equal. Most students feel entitled to their "A" grades. All students move along whether they demonstrate the skills or not.
This isn't lil league soccer. Everyone shouldn't get trophies because they showed up. We need to get back to advancement based on demonstration of skills education rather than this monster we have today.
Most students with "IEPs" are students who are just too damn lazy. So the spineless counselors will find excuses for them. I have one student who is completely manipulating the system. His legal guardian thought he had special education issues. So they tested him. He actually have an above average IQ and excels at reading and writing. So why are his worst grades in English and History?
He has "issues." He doesn't like getting up early (unless it's for football at 5am) and doesn't like to do stuff in class (because he loves his cellphone). He struggles with attendance because he loves McDonald's.
I'm sorry if he feels bad about missing out on a pizza party. But it's his own damn fault that he's getting straight Fs instead of As. And this kid will move onto the next grade regardless of what little he demonstrates this year.
That's our education system for ya. Some kids care and really invest themselves. Usually their parents are engaged. Most are apathetic and their parents are completely disengaged. Some are really bad students with family situations that would make you throw up.
I'm not endorsing pizza parties. I feel that a lot of the programs we have at school to motivate students are wasteful. But I have no problem with it. Kids will be divided and bullied no matter whether you have a pizza party or not.
Let's stop bitching about the failures and start celebrating the successes! It's weird how as a society we idolize the winners. Yet, in education, we focus only on the losers.
The best cure for 99 percent of all ailments is to get off your *** and to achieve.
Should we reward good students? Why shouldn't we? Should we reward bad students for being bad? We seem to with all the exceptions we give them.
Grades matter.
(the fact that anyone, with hard work, could accomplish anything).