I’m  going to start using DWS in my classroom this coming year.  My grade level uses Fun Friday/Study Hall.  I’m confused on how I can incorporate DWS into Fun Friday.  Am I just overthinking this issue?

RESPONSE:

I have no personal experience with Fun Friday/Study Halls but I gather it’s a reward for those who live up to expectations during the week––or a punishment for those who do not. This doesn’t match DWS thinking simply because it is reward/punishment based.  Rewards and punishments are both forms of external motivation. DWS uses an approach focused on promoting internal motivation.  It uses procedures, expectations and The Hierarchy to raise responsibility.  The two mindsets are quite different.

However, if you are required to participate in this school program, you could perhaps set it up with more of a DWS “flavor.” You could have the students self-assess their own involvement.  Students could be asked to decide for themselves if they meet the requirements of “Fun Friday” or if their own behavior during the week would be more in line with Study Hall.

The younger the child, the greater would be the need to start with a) very clear procedures and 2) very clear criteria for involvement in Fun Friday. One suggestion I would have would be to hold quick but frequent self-assessment times through the week (and throughout each day,) by reviewing the criteria.   This would help ensure that no child is surprised on Friday when they have to indicate that their choices throughout the week have been consistent with attending “Study Hall.”   Even so, with very young children, they may not be able to connect their in-the-moment daily evaluations with the end result (Study Hall five days later,) until the moment they realize that others in the class are going to Fun Friday celebrations––while they are not.

So, no, you’re not overthinking this; it really is quite difficult to find a way to combine rewards and punishments with a philosophy that states that rewards and punishments are ineffective approaches for working with people. Sometimes, in order to try out DWS in a school with a completely different philosophy, teachers simpy have to try to make the program fit with external constraints as best they can.

Some related postings on student self-assessment that may be of interest:

I’m required to give my students a behavior grade.

I would like my students to give themselves a daily discipline mark.

What is a good response to people who argue that extrinsic rewards are okay for students because they’re just the same as an adult getting a paycheck at the end of the week?  When people say this, I cringe.  I know it’s not the same, but I don’t know how to argue the point intelligently.

DR. MARSHALL’S RESPONSE:

Here is what to say:

Employment is a social contract.  A person provides some service for remuneration. The only thing a fee for service has in common with rewards (as acknowledgments or as incentives) is that they both MAY involve legal tender.

When was the last time you looked at your paycheck and thanked your employer for the reward?

RESPONSE:
In thinking about how I might respond to your question, I re-read sections of Alfie Kohn’s book that Marv was referring to in a recent post.  Although in the following excerpt, Kohn is talking about verbal praise (in a section comparing praise to “words of encouragement,”) I think his suggestions apply to situations involving tangible rewards as well.

On page 106-107 of Punished by Rewards, Kohn says:

I propose… keeping in mind two general principles that might be thought of as the standards against which all praise should be measured.  The first principle is self-determination.  With every comment we make — and specifically, every compliment we give — we need to ask whether we are helping that individual to feel a sense of control over his life.  Are we encouraging him to make his own judgments about what constitutes a good performance (or a desirable action)?  Are we contributing to, or at least preserving, his ability to choose what kind of person to be?  Or are we attempting to manipulate his behavior by getting him to think about whether he has met our criteria?

The other principle is intrinsic motivation.  Are our comments creating the conditions for the person we are praising to become more deeply involved in what she is doing?  Or are they turning the task into something she does to win our approval?

To determine the likely effect of praise with respect o these two guidelines, we need to examine, first our own motives.  Are we trying to control someone’s behavior for our own convenience, or saying nice things just to have something to say, or hoping to get that person to like us more?  Second, we need to think about how our comments sound to the individual who hears them.  Our intent, for example, may be to offer useful feedback about the quality of someone’s work, but he may interpret what we say as limiting his autonomy…. people of any age can be observed for signs of resistance, dependency, or reduced interest.

Although I do think it is important to help students develop a desire to print with neatness and work with care, personally I choose not to give out stickers in recognition of neat work — for a couple of reasons.

I find that giving out stickers to only a portion of the students goes against the spirit of creating a special feeling of community in the classroom. I have found that a portion of the class usually become quite competitive whenever rewards are used as a way to encourage certain work habits.  I find that whenever competition takes over in the class, the overall sense of community suffers and so does the quality of learning that can occur.  I often have stickers in my room but when I hand them out, everyone gets one and it’s not connected to behavior in any way.  I simply incorporate them into the lesson or give them to the students for fun, for free time art work or to to use in the decoration of a project.

If I put myself into the shoes of the children, I can imagine several different reactions when stickers are offered as an incentive:

• Some kids might care very little for stickers and think that there’s no need to write neatly simply because they don’t want a sticker.
• Some of the more sensitive kids might be hurt or discouraged.  Does discouragement lead to better work in the future?
• Some may feel that they have already done the best job of which they are capable and so feel that it is impossible for them to ever get a sticker– why bother trying?
• Some may feel that they are “superior” to others in the class–because of being awarded a sticker.  To me, this is fostering a sense of pseudo self-esteem which makes me feel very uncomfortable.
• Some may feel motivated to do a better job next time because they are wanting a sticker rather than the focus the teacher was hoping to create — a sense of pride in their work.

As many researchers have pointed out, rewards change motivation.  With the DWS Hierarchy it is very easy to understand why this happens:

When students are focused on improving their work in order to feel a sense of pride in their accomplishments, then they are operating on Level D — the highest level of personal development.  When students are focused on improving their work in order to get a sticker from the teacher, their operation is at Level C.   If I hope to influence my students to aim for the highest level of operation, would it be productive to offer them an external incentive?  For me, the answer is very clear–offering stickers can actually limit many of my students, by encouraging them to aim for Level C.

Although rewards can motivate people to do what you want them to do, they motivate only in the short term — in other words they motivate only as long as the reward is forthcoming.  I’m sure that all teachers want to help their students gain lasting positive work habits.  In my experience such goals can’t be accomplished by taking shortcuts–it takes diligence, patience and persistence on the part of the teacher.  I want my students to write neatly and work carefully––whether or not I am handing out stickers.

RESPONSE:
You might find Alfie Kohn’s definition of a reward, from his book, Punished by Rewards, helpful in clarifying this issue for yourself.  Kohn explains:

“Give a kid a banana and that’s not a reward.”

Say to a kid:  ”Do this and I’ll give you a banana,” and that’s a reward.

Rewards are always tied to some condition(s), whereas treats are given unconditionally––as gifts.

It’s important to be clear on another point too. The nature of the actual item being offered has no bearing on whether or not it can be considered a reward or a treat. A glittery sticker or an ordinary cracker––both can be used as EITHER a reward or a treat-–it depends entirely on how these items are offered.

Whether openly expressed or not, rewards are always connected to the meeting of certain requirements, whereas treats are given freely and are not contingent upon certain behavior, academic achievement or amount of effort on the part of the recipient.

Even though for a number of years I did use some rewards in my teaching, I always felt uncomfortable with the practice. It felt wrong to hand out special things to only some of my pupils, while leaving others out. The sad looks of my students bothered me and I worried what this practice said about me as an individual.

My teaching partner and I no longer give rewards to students but we certainly do give treats occasionally. In fact, we think that it’s smart to have treats every once in a while, simply because it helps create a positive and upbeat atmosphere in our classroom! When a student of ours has a birthday, we give them a tiny bag with a few inexpensive gifts inside and at Halloween we might give inexpensive trick or treat bags for each of our students to take home. Recently, we bought some little paint sets at a liquidation store, priced unbelievably at 2¢ each! Every child in our class received one––simply because we felt like treating them.

We often use food or little trinkets as a part of academic lessons to make our program more interesting. For example we always give every student a fancy jeweled ring on the day that we highlight the phonetic pattern, “ing.” That night, as a home task, we ask the parents to help their child make a list of “ing” words to bring to school. Having a glitzy ring to show off makes an ordinary task seem exciting and is sure to generate some talk at home about “ing,” which is our goal. We find that students tend to better remember lessons such as this one because the ring provides a “memory hook” for their learning.

Food, candies and even toys, offered unconditionally to every student in the class are treats or gifts––not rewards. When we studied farms two years ago, we brought in corn on the cob to cook and on the day that my teaching partner introduced fractions she started by having our students divide several pieces of shoestring licorice into halves, quarters and thirds. At Halloween, we might estimate, count and then eat a number of orange and black jelly beans that have arrived by way of the pretend mailbox we have in the corner of our classroom. Special memories and meaningful learning are a result of such experiences!

Keeping Kohn’s definition of a reward in mind, you will be able to determine whether you are using a particular item as a reward or as a treat. That will help you to know what you want to do in any given situation. Personally, I always strive to become aware of my own motivations and intentions in my dealings with others. Inwardly, I ask myself, “Why am I doing this? What’s my purpose in giving this item to this child at this time?” If I realize that my purpose is to manipulate, then I am likely using the item as a reward and I will change what I am doing. I do not want to be a person who is consciously manipulative.

If my purpose is simply to give my students a gift (without making anyone feel badly in the process), or if my intention is to make my classroom program more interesting, more educational or more fun, then I notice that I feel good inside, and I go ahead and give the item happily and with a clear conscience––it is a treat, not a reward.

RESPONSE:
Would you agree that actions speak louder than words?

If a teacher chooses to reward a student extrinsically but at the same time tells the student that the intrinsic reward is always more important, what message does the student actually receive?

If this is done routinely–sometimes both at home and school–what ideas/habits/attitudes does the young person develop over time?

Good luck as you start teaching! How forward thinking of you to be looking at this important issue so early in your career!

One of the reasons I like this system so much is that it feels much nicer to be in a place where everyone is treated equally. Kids don’t always need the same things, so there will always be plenty of times when we need to give certain kids more of our attention, more time, more help, etc.—but that’s not the kind of equal I’m talking about.

What bothers me is that it often seems that the more behavior problems a child has, the more “rewards” they ultimately end up with. This may sound odd, because they certainly also end up with a larger share of negative consequences too—but in reality, this is often what happens when someone sets up a “behavior plan” for these kids.

A child who always does the right thing, does not need a reward behavior plan to get them to be cooperative, but the kids who don’t behave, get one. So what happens? Well, in some classrooms misbehaving kids get stickers every 15 minutes or so. Or they earn lunch with the teacher or principal, or prizes from a prize box, or a whole host of other rewards. What must the behaving kids think???

And I will disagree with anyone who says that the kids who typically behave themselves, understand that other kids need special treats more than they do—or that it doesn’t bother them. I have talked to too many kids (including my own), who years later, still resented the fact that the kids who bothered them, bullied them, disrupted the class, etc., were somehow rewarded, while the “good kids” were just told, “Keep it up, nice job.” In my opinion, any treat, whether it is tangible like a sticker or intangible like getting to be a helper in another class, needs to be available to ALL the kids who might enjoy that activity or treat.

Under the DISCIPLINE Without STRESS system, ALL the kids can have a popcorn party–not because Kevin stayed on task without hurting his neighbors for 30 minutes (Yes, it did happen in my son’s third grade class!), or because all the kids “behaved themselves all day”– but rather just because the teacher wants to treat all the kids to popcorn as a fun thing to do. In my own DISCIPLINE without STRESS class, everyone gets a sticker simply because I found some really cute stickers to share–not because I’m doling them out every 15 minutes, the way the school psychologist wanted me to do, to encourage one boy to stay on task!

I am definitely NOT saying that all kids will get our equal attention in class, but I don’t think this is a problem. I believe that kids DO understand that some of their classmates will need more help from the teacher than others. A high achieving child takes pride and pleasure in working independently with opportunities to share her work; she does not need or want the teacher standing at her elbow, always helping or monitoring her.

When it comes to reward plans, I believe that they are damaging for ALL the kids:

• For those who receive them for doing what comes naturally to them.

• For those who willingly behave themselves, but aren’t recognized with a reward because “they don’t need one.” and;

• For those who misbehave–but end up with rewards anyway!

There are NO winners in such a situation.

RESPONSE:
As you mentioned, this type of a “behavior store” would not be in line with the thinking of DISCIPLINE without STRES, an approach which emphasizes the counterproductivity of rewarding students for following expected standards of behaviour. Like you, I too, would be concerned if I were required to participate in such a discipline scheme for some of the following reasons:

• Although intended to provide students with a positive experience, I would be worried that such a store would in actuality have quite a discouraging impact on some children–particularly those that the program is most trying to reach—those who haven’t yet discovered the benefits of operating at Level C or higher. What are the chances that a student with limited access to a “special treat store,” due to misbehavior, would feel MORE positive about school and MORE motivated to come?

• How likely is it that a child who FEELS punished (by the fact that he has very few Duck Bucks), would use such an opportunity to reflect on his/her own behavior in a constructive way? Rather than encouraging students to raise the level of their behavior, I think such a program would in fact, encourage them to focus on negative feelings commonly associated with punishment. Such experiences would seem to be the perfect breeding ground for the development of “victim,” rather than “victor,” thinking.

• Research studies conducted on the practice of rewarding, point to the fact that reward systems can actually DE-motivate people. Consider the student who consistently operates at the very highest level of behavior–Level D, the level of INternal motivation. By offering a reward to such a student, a teacher runs the risk of lessening the motivational level of their young charge. Although the teacher’s intention would simply be to acknowledge the young person’s high level of behavior, it’s quite possible that instead, the teacher would have encouraged an unintended new focus—a focus on receiving rewards!

• Handing out rewards based on expected behavior, (of for academics, kindness-whatever!), creates a situation in which some students appear to be MORE SPECIAL than others. I wouldn’t want to give that impression to the students in my classroom. Instead, the message I prefer to send to both students and parents, is that despite the fact that young people sometimes misbehave or talk too much, I still think of them as special! My best-behaved students aren’t MORE special to me than others. Although I certainly appreciate their high-level behavior and acknowledge them for it, I don’t want to give them (or anyone else,) the impression that some students count for more than others.

• I wouldn’t want to lead my students to conclude that mistakes (academic, social or behavioral), aren’t part and parcel of the learning process. Instead, it is my goal to present the mindset suggested by Dr. Marshall–misbehavior or mistakes are an OPPORTUNITY FOR LEARNING.

• It has been my experience that reward systems generally lead to competition among children. I find that fostering competition is couterproductive to my goal of establishing a quality learning environment and a healthy sense of community in the classroom.

Personally, if I were in your position, I would simply give every student the same number of Duck Bucks and encourage them to have a great time at the store! For me, there wouldn’t be any other way to do it. I’ve reached a point now where I COULD NOT, in good conscience, tie rewards to anything.

Probably, I would put the Duck Bucks in my classroom mailbox and they would arrive “by mail” as a lovely surprise–a surprise for everyone. I would simply say, “Well kids, what a great day this is! We all get some money to celebrate the end of term and we get to go to a store!”

Certainly, I would also be prepared to explain (if someone asked me about it), why I had chosen to give out the Duck Bucks in the way that I had. I would have ready some research articles, questioning the effectiveness of the practice of rewarding to help me explain why I felt unable to implement a discipline system based on rewards and punishments.

I would also have the DISCIPLINE without STRESS Hierarchy nearby so as to be able to explain the differences between Level C and Level D. I would ask a reflective question: “Do you want me to encourage my students to aim for the top level of behavior–or for something lower in terms of social and personal development?”

I wouldn’t be derogatory in my comments about the school discipline plan and I wouldn’t go out of my way to argue with anyone about it, but I would be prepared to explain my decision to share the Duck Bucks freely and equally among my students.

RESPONSE:
You can certainly use DISCIPLINE without STRESS in your small-group teaching situation. You can implement it effectively even if the other staff members at your school don’t follow a similar philosophy.

There’s no need to announce to your students that you don’t give rewards for expected behavior and learning–unless they bring it up. If they are conditioned to being rewarded heavily, it’s quite likely that they will! If and when they do ask for a reward, you might handle it in this way:

Refer to the DISCIPLINE without STRESS Hierarchy and ask your students to consider this question:

• What level is a person operating on, if he/she
needs a reward from another person for doing a task?

After your students realize that this indicates operation on Level C, you can ask and discuss further questions, such as:

• Would I be doing you a favor if I encouraged you to read in
order to get a sticker or a prize?

• Would I be helping you to reach the highest level of behavior?

• Which person is going to be a better reader in the long run…
someone operating at Level C or Level D? Why?

• Even though someone at Level D doesn’t get a little sticker or trinket at the end of a lesson,
what HAVE they gained?

• Over time, which is more valuable?

RESPONSE:
Your feeling is correct. A sticker plan is contradictory to a system of discipline based on internal motivation. DISCIPLINE without STRESS employs the power of inner satisfaction to influence students to achieve, while a behaviour modification approach focuses on offering an external incentive (in this case, stickers), in order to influence student behavior.

The fundamental characteristic of an approach employing external motivation is that another person is responsible for changing the student’s behaviour. The adult does the thinking and then presents the student with a plan to deal with the problem.

As a rule, such approaches produce results only as long as external incentives are offered, and only as long as the particular incentive remains attractive to the student.

In direct contrast, an internal motivation approach makes the student responsible for changing his/her OWN behaviour. The student, rather than the adult, is the one who does the thinking and with guidance, develops a plan to deal with the problem.

While a reward program may result in sudden and temporary compliance, over time, a program based on internal motivation such as DISCIPLINE without STRESS, will result in far greater gains in terms of long lasting personal growth for a student.