I finished my ninth half marathon this morning and may have even PR'ed (still waiting for my chip time to post online)! Now that I've refueled with an In and Out grilled cheese/animal style meal (TMI?) I have all afternoon to do non-active things, like blog!
Something that has been on my mind recently is the debate on using incentive, or token, systems as Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) for secondary students. Some make the argument that students should be motivated intrinsically to behave and do well in school; they should do it because that's what they are supposed to do. What happens when the incentive system is taken away and they are unable to maintain on their own?
Parents ask every year, as do other school staff members. I've felt obligated to ask and answer these same questions of myself in order to give a thoughtful reply to these questions. I've spent many hours reading some of the plethora of research articles on PBS and incentive based systems. I don't want to practice anything in my profession that is not supported by research. After all, I am new and I should really leave it to the experts in the field :)
So here is my case:
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my job. I love coming to work, am willing to put in "overtime," and think of my job as really fun most days. That said, if I were not to get paid for this job I love so much, I would certainly not show up. For most learning disabled students, school is not something they LOVE,LOVE, LOVE. It is flat out hard. For many, school has always been a place of negative associations and little success. Hence behavior problems, poor grades and low motivation. Understandable.I can't imagine being forced to show up everyday to do something that I had repeatedly failed at. No adult in their right mind would put themselves in that position.
Do I expect that these students show up to school? Of course, that is the law. But do I expect them to be instantly happy or motivated to do so? Not at all. But, do I think that I can get them to a place where they begin to feel successful and start to replace those negative associations with positive ones? Absolutely.
Enter the incentive system I use with my students, the Student Salary...
Interested at all? STAY TUNED for PART II where I will explain how and why this system works!
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I think intrinsic motivation is a pleasant byproduct of the combination of excellent teaching and interesting material. It is never a guarantee that a student will arrive at that perfect mix so we have to work under the assumption that we have both intrinsically and extrinsically students. With that in mind, how can you work to ensure that both groups arrive at a positive learning experience?
ReplyDeleteI think you're asking all the right questions and you sell yourself short by saying you're not an expert. It's always good to look to the research, but I've seen a lot of research that indicates that if a teacher is not excelling after the first two years, the vast majority will never excel. It's great to see you pursuing excellence in yourself and others!
Ashley, your point is well taken, I do enjoy my job, but would not go if not for the pay check. I would maybe show up sometimes. But when the weather is bad, I would prefer to stay home and make bread and soup :)
ReplyDeleteCan you tell winter is coming?
I look forward to hear what you have to say in Pt. II, Martha