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Edutopia

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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The Boy on Red and the Problem with Public Behavior Charts

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The Boy on Red and the Problem with Public Behavior Charts

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ASCD

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Field Notes: The Boy on Red and the Problem with Public Behavior Charts

Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod
We home-schooled our son Milo after the red, yellow, and green cards became his new identity as a 2nd grader. He was known as "The Boy on Red" and he came home and cried in his closet every night, finally escalating to the point where he screamed, "I just deserve to die. I will always be red. I want to kill myself." - Milo's mother
Teachers have the wonderful opportunity to teach a range of diverse learners. This also likely means they must deal with a great range of behavior. To cope with this challenge, educators sometimes use management approaches such as point, sticker, token, or the popular traffic light systems pictured below.

When a student misbehaves, the teacher might tell the student to move the clothespin with his name from green to yellow, or yellow to red indicating to the student-and the rest of the class-that he is not behaving appropriately. Students then receive further consequences such as revocation of recess.

For many well-meaning educators, these systems are intended to reward students for a job well done (green) and to help students stop and think about their behavior (yellow) before it escalates to the point of real trouble (red). However, for students who often end up on red, these systems can have negative, unintended socialemotional consequences. Milo's story above is heartbreaking but in our experience, not uncommon. We have found that student reaction to public behavior systems is nearly always shame, embarrassment, and disconnection from teachers. In fact, these systems increase challenging behavior from the students. Why? The following list highlights the major flaws in public behavior charts:

Students behave for a reason. Students behave to let us know that they are bored, frustrated, angry, hungry, depressed, or embarrassed. Simply moving a student's name on a chart does not address the underlying cause of his behavior.

It is public. Having your name listed next to red indicates to everyone (teachers, volunteers, visitors, and other students) that you are bad. It creates shame, anxiety, and embarrassment. These feelings are not conducive to learning or positive social-emotional growth.

Students are not rewarded. Students on green often feel not rewarded, but superior. If public behavior charts are connected to rewards, it buys short-term compliance, but not the intended intrinsic motivation most teachers seek.

Students with disabilities are at greater risk for being penalized by these systems. Educators are more likely to see students with emotional behavioral disorders, autism, or other behavioral disability labels as misbehaving. The unintended message to the rest of the class is that these students are bad.

It creates lasting scars. In our opening example, Milo's mom shares just how detrimental these public behavior systems can be for a child. Events like this at such a pivotal developmental stage can have a lifelong effect on self-esteem and academic success.

We have both been educators, we have both worked with students with extremely challenging behaviors, and we each now exclusively work with educators-often solving problems related to students with challenging behaviors. We know firsthand that teaching is difficult. In fact, teachers rate behavior as one of the most significant issues they face in schools. We think it is reasonable to want students to follow directions and stay on task to keep the classroom conducive to high levels of learning, especially in this era of accountability. So what might we suggest instead?

Humanistic Behavior Supports

We have several alternatives to the public behavior chart that, when practiced with kindness and compassion, can prove more effective. Using these types of supports can positively change a child's school experience.

Examine the classroom, not the student. Instead of looking for what is wrong with the student, look for what is wrong with the environment. Ask yourself, how can we help this student connect to peers? How can you give her more freedom? How can we create a more joyful learning space? How can he feel more responsibility or ownership?

Be calm and quiet. How can you calm or support a student effectively without drawing undue attention? Can you write a note? Have a private conference? Whisper to her?

Ask the student. Ask what the student needs to be more successful. In this way, we avoid doing things to the student and instead work with the student to determine a solution together.

Increase engagement and fun. Many students are misbehaving because of the nature of a task. Does the complexity of the task match the student's abilities? Can you make it more interesting or challenging? Can it be differentiated? Can you use videos, props, or humor?

Consider sensory needs. Consider your own sensory needs throughout the day. Do you need to dim the lights or stretch your legs to help you calm your mind or body? Students should have these same opportunities. Can you provide students with "fidgets"-small, silent objects with sensory appeal that students can hold in their hands and fidget with? Are there alternate options for seating (pillows, rugs, therapy balls)? Can you provide a physical change such as a dance break?

Sit together. Often when students act out, what they need is someone to hear them. Can you take five minutes to sit with her and let her talk and simply be present?

Be empathetic. Before reacting to the student, consider what it is you need when you feel out of control, bored, angry, upset, or confused. Do you talk with a trusted friend, take a walk, or cry? Providing empathetic, unwavering support for a child in need will communicate that the child belongs and is loved.

Start with love. You are a teacher because you are passionate about education and children. This child is someone's son or daughter, someone's sister, brother, or best friend. Imagine you deeply love this child-react to his behavior with patience, compassion, and acceptance.

When Milo re-entered school the following year, his mom asked the classroom teacher about the behavioral supports that would be used. His mom joyfully reports that Milo is now much happier and more self-assured. He has a positive and nurturing relationship with his teacher. He is no longer "the boy on red." Let's collectively make sure no one else ever is.

Julie Causton is a professor in the inclusive and special education program in the department of teaching and leadership at Syracuse University. Her published works have appeared in more than 30 journals, and she is the author of multiple books on inclusive education. A former elementary, middle, and high school special education teacher, Causton works with administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals to help promote and improve inclusive practices. Kate MacLeod is a doctoral student in the special education and disability studies program at Syracuse University. She works alongside Causton to help districts and schools create inclusive special education practices, and she has served as an education consultant to families who wish to see their children included in general education settings. Before entering doctoral studies, MacLeod was a high school special education teacher in New York City.

ASCD Express, Vol. 11, No. 15. Copyright 2016 by ASCD. All rights reserved. Visit www.ascd.org/ascdexpress.

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ASCD Express 11.15 - Field Notes: The Boy on Red and the Problem with Public Behavior Charts

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Field Notes: The Boy on Red and the Problem with Public Behavior Charts Julie Causton and Kate MacLeod We home-schooled our son Milo after the red, yellow, and green cards became his new identity as a 2nd grader.

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Before You Hand Out Punishment or Rewards

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Before You Hand Out Punishment or Rewards

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Pernille RIpp

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Three Problems With Traffic Light Behavior Charts

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Three Problems With Traffic Light Behavior Charts

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Education Week

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Education Week - Coach G's Teaching Tips

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I'm pleased to publish this guest post by my colleague Heather Bleakley Chang, who served 11 years as a K-2 teacher and school leader in Philadelphia, and now supports schools as a consultant specializing in instructional coaching. Heather earned her Ph.D. in Urban Education from Temple University, and you can contact her at: [email protected]

Early in my K-2 teaching career, I felt panic when my attempts to redirect disruptive students failed. I demanded that students move their names on the traffic light behavior chart, which typically elicited one of two responses: 1) a sad face, which I interpreted to mean the student felt remorseful and would quickly shape up, or 2) a full meltdown, which I still interpreted as effective because, "Hey, it shows they care." I've observed this same scenario in dozens of other classrooms, often accompanied by the ever-popular teacher line, "That's your clip!"

Reflecting on my teaching experience and observations in classrooms as a supervisor and coach, I've concluded that teachers use behavior charts to exert power over children they perceive as disobedient. In moments of frustration, teachers resort to the behavior chart to shame and threaten students into submission. It sounds harsh, but that's what I was doing when using a behavior chart. I expected that students' embarrassment would motivate them to stop the disruptive behaviors. I wanted students to consider that if their end-of-day color was red, their parents would be mad, and that should motivate them to get themselves together.

I see three problems with using a behavior chart to motivate students to change their behavior. First, children's responses to the behavior chart vary, with some children placing tremendous value on it and others placing none. Factors contributing to this difference include: students' level of sensitivity to pleasing or disappointing the teacher; students' sensitivity to peers' perception; and parents' follow-through on rewards and punishments at home. Teachers have little or no control over each of these factors.

A second problem with behavior charts is that they teach children to focus on the chart, not on the precipitating behavior. When teachers threaten to move a child's name on the chart, using statements such as, "If you do that again, I'm going to have to move your clip," they communicate that the chart is the reason to follow classroom rules and expectations. Similarly, when teachers yell, "That's your clip!" in response to a child's action, they send the message to students that the chart is the ultimate judge in the room and only the teacher has the power to control it. The chart becomes a tool for teachers to maintain their power and control while children are publicly sorted into levels of obedience on the chart.

Third, and perhaps most concerning, behavior charts don't help teachers or students understand why a behavior occurred. Moving students' clips doesn't help them identify the feelings that may have caused them to act out. Young children are still learning how to respond to others and how to manage their feelings and behaviors. When children act out, teachers should talk to them about their feelings and actions, and coach them through difficult situations. With teacher guidance, children learn how to manage their emotions more appropriately. In addition, talking to students about their feelings and actions builds student-teacher trust, and provides teachers with valuable information about each child's needs. Some teachers do talk to students after an incident, but still use the behavior chart. Why? What purpose does it serve, other than communicating a student's "bad" day to parents?

When a child's behavior commands our attention, we need to ask ourselves, "What do I want this student to learn from my response to his/her action?" We all want students to be productive citizens of our classroom communities. We want them to be kind to their classmates and engaged in their learning. While I empathize and relate to teachers' fear of losing control, the behavior chart system does more to maintain teachers' sense of power and control than it does to teach students how and why to respect their peers, their teachers, their classrooms, and themselves.

Do you use a behavior chart in your classroom? If so, reflect on its purpose and effectiveness, and consider an alternative approach that is rooted in meaningful student-teacher communication. Here are a few resources to get you started:
Image provided by GECC, LLC with permission.
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traffic light behavior chart move your clip

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Three Problems With Traffic Light Behavior Charts

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I'm pleased to publish this guest post by my colleague Heather Bleakley Chang, who served 11 years as a K-2 teacher and school leader in Philadelphia, and now supports schools as a consultant specializing in instructional coaching. Heather earned her Ph.D.

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It's Time to Flip Behavior Cards and Charts to STOP!

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It's Time to Flip Behavior Cards and Charts to STOP!

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Edutopia

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So I Gave Up Punishment and My Kids Still Behaved

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So I Gave Up Punishment and My Kids Still Behaved

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Pernille Ripp

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When I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last summer I mistakenly assumed that all posts would seamlessly transfer. I have since found the error in my thinking and have decided to re-post some of my more discussed posts. This post first appeared in June of 2011 but still rings true to me.
Three years ago I gave up my inane punishment plans. Out went the sticks, the cups, the posters, the pointed fingers and definitely the lost recesses. No more check-marks, or charts to explain what that check-mark meant, no more raised voice telling a child they better behave or else. Some thought I was crazy, I thought I was crazy, and yet, here I am now a complete convert. So what happened?

Well, a lot of conversations. If just one child was off that day, disruptive, disrespectful and so on, it was usually handled through a quiet conversation off to the side or in their ear. Sometimes we went in the hallway. I tried to limit the times I called out their names and I spoke to them as human beings. No more teacher from the top, I am going to get you if you don't listen, but rather, "Do you see what your behavior is doing for your learning?" Believe it or not, framed in a way where they understood what the loss was = the learning, there was better behavior or at least an attempt to behave. And that was a central part of my plan; make the learning something they didn't want to miss. Most kids do not want to miss recess because they have a lot of fun and hang out with their friends, which is why it is such a favored punishment. Hit them where it hurst kind of thing. So I decided to make my classroom fun, exciting, and collaborative. That meant that students actually wanted to participate and not miss out.

Sometimes my whole class was off; jumpy, jiggly, or falling asleep. In the past I would have yelled, droned on, and probably lectured about the importance of school. No surprise there that usually didn't work at all. So then I would just get mad, tighten the reins and exert my control. Yeah, didn't work so well. Now I instead change my teaching and learning. While we may have had certain activities planned for that day they are modified to require movement and discussion or totally changed if I can. The learning goals usually stays the same, the method of delivering them doesn't. Often this takes care of a lot of behavior that would have led to a check-mark before. And I think that is central to this whole thing; bad behavior often comes from disengagement and boredom. So when we change our classrooms to give students more outlet for their energy, bad behavior reduces. My worst days were the days that I hadn't considered my students needs enough, the days were there was too much sitting down and not enough choice.

In the beginning it was hard. I so instinctually wanted to say "Move your stick!" that I actually had to grind my teeth. With time it got easier. The students knew when they were misbehaving because we discussed it. If the whole class or a majority of students were off we had a class meeting. Sounds like a lot of time spent on talking? Yes, but I would have been spending the same time yelling at the kids and doling out punishment. The kids got used to it and many of them relished the fact that they were given a voice in their behavior and how to fix it, rather than a dictation from me. Kids started keeping each other in line as well, asking others to be quiet when need be or to work more focused. They knew what the expectations were for the different learning settings because we had set them together. This was our classroom, not mine.

So did it work? Absolutely, I would never go back. I don't take away recess but have it reserved to work with the kids that need it, I make fewer phone calls home, and I rarely send a kid to the office. I am sure there are tougher classes out there than mine, but this is your every day average American elementary class. We have the talkers, the interrupters, the disrespectful, the fighters, and the sleepers. And it works for them as well. The kids feel part of something big, and they let me know on just how much it means to them. They relish the voice they have, even when it comes to their own consequences. They relish that rewards are no longer personal but rather classroom-wide whenever I feel like it. Kids are not singled out for horrible behavior and so I don't have "that kid" that everyone knows will get in trouble. Instead we are all there as learners being rewarded through our community rather than punished. I remember the relief I felt when I placed my old punishment cups in the staff lounge and finally let go of my old ways. To this day I hope no one picked them up.

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So I Gave Up Punishment and My Students Still Behaved

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When I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress last summer I mistakenly assumed that all posts would seamlessly transfer. I have since found the error in my thinking and have decided to re-post some of my more discussed posts. This post first appeared in June of 2011 but still rings true to me.

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Before You Hang Up That Public Behavior Chart

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Before You Hang Up That Public Behavior Chart

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Pernille Ripp

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I have written before about public behavior charts, how I feel about them, what they do to students in my opinion. And while some seem to have found a way to make them work within their environments, I wonder; what if we assumed that all students would have a great day, a great year, and we started off our year without them? No behavior chart prominently hanging greeting the students on the very first day of school?

I think of the message we send on the very first day of school and how it can frame the way a child sees us. I used to go over my behavior chart as one of the very first things of the school year; how to act, what the expectations were and more importantly what the consequences would be. I assumed that my students would need consequences. I assumed they would need punishment. I knew they needed a structure, all people do, but I framed that structure in a negative way hoping for a positive result Why I didn't see that oxymoron until a few years in, I am not sure.

I am not saying get rid of your behavior systems, not if you're not ready, but perhaps re-think the assumption that they need to be present from the very first moment of the new year. And while we are battling assumptions, maybe it is time to reconsider whether all children truly benefit from them. Do we really need a behavior chart for every single student in our rooms? I think of my own daughter who works so hard on being good every single day, proudly telling me whenever she gets a compliment from the teacher, and the devastating effect it would have on her if she had to be on "yellow" or "not so great" for the whole world to see. She cares so much about others, sometimes to a fault, that it would wreck her if others thought she was "bad." Some may say that that is exactly the intended response; for a child to be so mortified that they never do that behavior again. Yet, I wonder if that mortification leads to a break down in relationship?

We all know that student behavior can get better if a child feels safe within our environment. That means safe to learn, safe to try, and yes, safe to have a bad day. When we publicly show the rest of the class that a child is having a bad day and then leave a reminder up, we limit the way a child can process through their actions. Some students will obviously correct their behavior, whereas others will continue down the path of bad decisions since they have already been called out on it. So instead of the public behavior chart, how about a private one? That way a child can still know how they are doing, you can still have the conversations it may spur, but you cut out the public call out, the public humiliation. And what if on the first day of school we didn't speak of just our own rules, but had the students discuss their rules for the classroom? How about instead of consequences, we spoke of the learning journey?

So before you hang up that public behavior chart, even though it may have room for both great behavior and bad, consider whether every child needs one? Can we accomplish the same privately? Can a compliment mean more to a child than moving their clip? Can a hushed conversation be a better consequence for a child who is making bad choices? Can the same benefits that some see in the charts be reached in a kinder, quieter way? I don't think it hurts to ask the question.

PS: If you want to read more about what I do now in my classrooms, read here
I am a passionate teacher in Oregon, Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students' heads every day. First book "Passionate Learners - Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students" can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press. Second book"Empowered Schools, Empowered Students - Creating Connected and Invested Learners" is out now from Corwin Press. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

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Before You Hang Up That Public Behavior Chart

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I have written before about public behavior charts, how I feel about them, what they do to students in my opinion. And while some seem to have found a way to make them work within their environments, I wonder; what if we assumed that all students would have a great day, a great year, and...

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Pernille Ripp

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I used to yell students' names across the classroom, making sure that everyone knew who was now in trouble. I had the teacher voice down coupled with the stern glance. I used to have students write their names on the board when they messed up. That name served as a public reminder of their poor...

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So What's My Problem With Public Behavior Charts?

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So What's My Problem With Public Behavior Charts?

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Pernille Ripp

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The day starts out fine, you had your breakfast, you had your tea, you feel prepared, happy even. You are off to school and ready to teach. At the morning staff meeting you get so excited over an idea you lean over to your colleague to whisper in their ear. After all, they really need to hear this. "Mrs. Ripp, please move your clip." Shocked, you look around and feel every set of eyes on you. You stand up, walk to the front, move your clip from the top of the chart to yellow or whatever other step down there is. Quietly you sit down, gone is your motivation for the day, you know it can only get worse from here.

Ridiculous right? After all, how many times as adults are we asked to move our name, our clip, our stick, or even write our name on the board so others can see we are misbehaving? We don't, and we wouldn't if we were told to, after all, we demand respect, we demand common courtesy, we expect to be treated like, well, adults. So us, moving sticks, yeah right...

Search for " Classroom behavior charts " on Pinterest and prepare to be astounded. Sure, you will see the classic stop light charts, but now a new type of chart has emerged. The cute classroom behavior chart, filled with flowers, butterflies, and smiley faces. As if this innocent looking chart could never damage a child, as if something with polka-dots could ever be bad. And sure, must of them have more than three steps to move down, but the idea is still the same; a public behavior chart display will ensure students behave better. Why? Because they don't want the humiliation that goes along with moving ones name. Nothing beats shaming a child into behaving.

The saddest thing for me is that I used to do it. I used to be the queen of moved sticks, checkmarks, and names on the board. I used to be the queen of public displays heralding accomplishments and shaming students. I stopped when I realized that all I did was create a classroom divided, a classroom that consisted of the students who were good and the students who were bad. I didn't even have to tell my students out-loud who the "bad" kids were, they simply looked at our chart and then drew their own conclusions. And then as kids tend to do, they would tell their parents just who had misbehaved and been on red or yellow for the day. Word got around and parents would make comments whenever they visited our room of just how tough it must be to teach such and such. I couldn't understand why they would say that until I realized it stared me in the face. My punishment/behavior system announced proudly to anyone who the bad kids were, so of course, parents knew it too. So I took it down and never looked back. No more public humiliation in my classroom ever again.

We may say that we do it for the good of the child. We may say that it helps us control our classrooms. We may say that public behavior charts have worked in our classrooms. I know I used to. And yet, have we thought of how the students feel about them? Have we thought about the stigma we create? Have we thought about the role we force students into and then are surprised when they continue to play it?

The fastest way to convince a child they are bad is to tell them in front of their peers. So if that is what we are trying to accomplish, then by all means, display the cute behavior charts. Frame them in smiley faces, hearts or whatever other pinterest idea you stumble upon. Start everyone in the middle so the divide becomes even more apparent when some children move up and others move down. Hang those banners of accomplishment, make sure not everyone is on there. Make sure everybody has been ranked and that everybody knows who is good and who is bad. Create a classroom where students actions are not questioned, nor discussed, but simply punished. And then tell them loudly and proudly to move their clip. After all, if the whole class doesn't know someone is misbehaving then how will they ever change?

To see one teacher's journey of how she moved past public behavior charts, please read this post by Kimberley Moran "Moving Past Behavior Charts"

PS: As Patrick's comment wonders, what are the alternatives? I have blogged extensively about what to do instead, just click the links highlighted in the post or go to this page

PPS: More thoughts on this have been posted tonight
I am a passionate teacher in Wisconsin, USA, who has taught 4th, 5th, and 7th grade. Proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students' heads every day. First book "Passionate Learners - Giving Our Classrooms Back to Our Students" can be purchased now from Powerful Learning Press. Second book"Empowered Schools, Empowered Students - Creating Connected and Invested Learners" can be pre-ordered from Corwin Press now. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

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So What's My Problem With Public Behavior Charts?

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The day starts out fine, you had your breakfast, you had your tea, you feel prepared, happy even. You are off to school and ready to teach. At the morning staff meeting you get so excited over an idea you lean over to your colleague to whisper in their ear.

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Kristie Mraz

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Responsive Classroom

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Children build on their strengths, and to do that building-to grow academically and socially-they need us to recognize and encourage their positive efforts. But what's the best way to offer that recognition and encouragement?

For some time, I used rewards-tickets that I gave out when students met expectations. But something felt wrong: Although students would often change their behavior, at least temporarily, they seemed more focused on the tickets than on learning and building a classroom community.

After a lot of reading and reflection, I put the tickets away and settled on a new strategy for motivating students: language, specifically Responsive Classroom reinforcing language. Rather than giving students tickets, I'd give them words that told them exactly what behavior was working well, and why. After teaching and modeling classroom expectations, I might say to the whole class, "I see many people walking in line with hands by their sides and voices quiet. That helps students in the other classes keep learning." Or to an individual student I'd say, "Taylor, you waited until Axel finished speaking. That showed him respect and let him share his whole thought so we could all learn from it."

When I taught expectations and then used words in this way, students knew I believed they wanted to and could learn. The difference in their learning-and their behavior, motivation, independence, and stamina-was amazing. Still, it took me a while to complete the transition from rewards to words. Here's my story.

Poor Long-Term Results With Tickets

My ticket system was a way to reward students when they chose positive behaviors. Sometimes, when the entire class walked safely and respectfully in the hallway, I'd put a ticket in a jar. Other times, I would notice individual students completing work efficiently or working cooperatively and give them a ticket to place in the jar. Once the tickets in the jar reached a number I'd pre-designated, the whole class earned a prize, such as extra recess.

The system seemed to be working alright. But then I noticed that as students became more proficient in routines, procedures, and skills, they were still expecting tickets. A typical scenario: One day when the class was walking safely and calmly in the hall, a colleague passed by and commented how quiet the children were. When we reached our destination, Luna asked me if I was going to put a ticket in the jar because not only were they quiet in the hallway, but another teacher had noticed.

This sort of thing happened frequently, with children asking if they would receive a ticket for meeting expectations such as sharing materials, picking up trash, and completing tasks on time. Students had become more focused on receiving tickets-on being rewarded for their actions-than on understanding how and why to choose actions that would help them learn, stay safe, and respect others. They weren't developing their motivation or their learning muscles.

That's when I realized that although the ticket system did seem to work in the short run, in the long run it was working against my ultimate goal-developing intrinsically motivated students. I needed to reconsider how to recognize positive behavior. I'd heard about reinforcing language and decided to look into it.

Moving to Words

At first, ending my reward system seemed like a daunting task, and I had many questions and concerns. Could students really be kind to each other or complete their classwork without receiving tickets? Could I manage the classroom and nurture positive behavior without a quick, convenient system that required me to think and say very little? How could I teach efficiently while also carefully choosing words that would help students develop into strong, independent members of our learning community?

But then I remembered my own learning experiences, the ones that had the greatest impact on me. What made certain teachers of mine so powerfully motivating? One characteristic that stood out was the specific feedback they gave to let me know exactly what I was doing well. Because my teachers' reinforcing language had helped me develop my academic skills-and become a responsible community member-I was confident that using reinforcing language with my own students would have a similar impact. And I decided that if I allowed myself to learn this language slowly and steadily, I could eventually master it.

I began this learning at a Responsive Classroom summer workshop. We studied the characteristics of reinforcing language-clear and direct, genuine and respectful, and specific-and practiced using it. Afterward, I read The Power of Our Words: Teacher Language That Helps Children Learn. I then felt much more prepared to replace my ticket system when school started that fall.

Scaffolding My Learning

Here are some of the things I did that helped me leave rewards behind in favor of reinforcing language:

Posted this quote from Responsive Classroom on my computer screen: "Children, like all of us, need to feel recognized for their positive contributions and accomplishments. And they need ongoing information from the teacher about how they're doing." Each time I saw this quote (many times a day), it reminded me that students needed me to support their learning and positive behavior with reinforcing language.

Created multiple cue cards-sheets of construction paper on which I wrote reinforcing language sentence starters for myself, such as "I see you followed our rule on _____" and "You did _____. That helps us all be better learners." I hung these cards so that I could see one from anywhere in the classroom.

Practiced observing all my students carefully, looking not just for spectacular successes but also for the small yet important steps children take as they learn skills and behaviors. "Alva," I might say to a struggling writer, "I see that you ended three of your five sentences with a period or question mark. These punctuation marks will help your audience read your story more fluently."

Made sure to use reinforcing language with every child. Even when a student's behavior or work isn't where we want it to be, we can see positive efforts and growth if we observe carefully. To keep track of whom I've used reinforcing language with, I checked names off a list, keeping the list private to avoid provoking competition or anxiety among students.

Focused on giving specific information about behaviors that were helping students learn. This helped students become more aware of what they knew, what they could do, and how they'd progressed. With those ideas and images in their minds, they could pull up their positive behaviors to repeat and build on. Some examples of how I changed my language:

Good job on
your math!

You tried several different ways to solve that problem. That kind of persistence really helps you learn!

I love how you worked in the library.

You used your very quiet voices in the library. That helped the other students keep their learning going.

You're doing better with your writing.

I see that you included vivid adjectives. That helps readers really "see" what you're describing.

Gave myself permission to make mistakes-and I made plenty! For example, I'd say, "Good job!" or "That's awesome!" When that happened, I would follow up with specific feedback. For example, as I was conferring with James about his reading, I said, "Great, James!" because I was ecstatic that he was independently book shopping. As he gave me a blank look, I remembered to follow up with, "When you book shopped alone today, you chose books that are just right for you."

Staying Flexible

Gradually, reinforcing language has become my main tool for recognizing and encouraging students' positive behaviors. But that doesn't mean never using rewards. Some students with an entrenched negative behavior, such as habitually calling out during group discussions or speaking sarcastically to classmates, need that extrinsic support for a short time while I help them recognize and grow their capabilities and build their intrinsic motivation.

Before moving right to an external reward, though, I first try a tangible tracking system. A small chart taped unobtrusively on a child's desk enables us to check off how many times she remembers to raise her hand before speaking, use kind words, or walk quietly in the hall. Having a tangible tracking system to prompt self-noticing-and to show that I am also noticing-is often enough to motivate children to engage in positive behavior.

Fewer Misbehaviors, Less Stress, More Learning

That first year I used reinforcing language, students misbehaved less frequently, so I was less stressed and more able to interact positively with the class. And with their attention drawn to specific things they could do to meet expectations, students learned more, both academically and socially. Reinforcing language was a win-win for all of us.
Tracy Mercier taught grades three, four, and five for twelve years in diverse classrooms.
Tags: Challenging Behaviors, Classroom Rules, Misbehavior, Redirecting Language, Reinforcing Language, Reminding Language, Responsibility, Revisiting Rules, Rewards

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Children build on their strengths, and to do that building-to grow academically and socially-they need us to recognize and encourage their positive efforts. But what's the best way to offer that recognition and encouragement? For some time, I used rewards-tickets that I gave out when students met expectations.

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Top 10 Differences Between Rewards & Recognition

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Top 10 Differences Between Rewards & Recognition

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Incentive Magazine

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As an industry, we've created a semantic conundrum for ourselves. We interchange the usage of rewards and recognition as if they were identical twins. Ironically, in order to understand them both and to use each better, we must decouple them and tease out their differences and learn the benefits that each brings to the table. Learn from this Top 10 list and apply the insights you gain from it.

1. Rewards are tangible. Recognition is intangible. Whether tangible or monetary, rewards are always something you can touch and of a specific amount. Recognition is often invisible in nature and yet priceless in value. You can give recognition without giving a reward. You should never give a reward without giving recognition.

2. Rewards will always be transactional. Recognition should always be relational. Rewards are always if you do "X" then you'll get "Y" in return. Recognition is so much more of a relational exchange between people. Rewards are great for attracting people to an organization, and recognition is perfect for keeping them.

3. Rewards are simply consumed. Recognition is mostly experienced. When you receive money or a gift it is usually spent, used up or somehow consumed until it ends. In contrast, recognition is a total immersion experience and a personal encounter of the best kind which can last forever. Carefully using both will help address the unique differences within all of us.

4. Rewards are transferable. Recognition is non-transferable. Rewards can be passed off from one person to another and are temporary in nature. Recognition cannot be removed from the person given to or exchanged and is quite permanent. Focus on achieving that kind of permanence through recognition while using the momentary impact possible through a tangible reward.

5. Rewards are certainly conditional. Recognition happens to be unconditional. Rewards are very dependent consequences based on certain terms or conditions. Recognition, however, tends to be more independent and not part of a fixed result derived from specific actions. It is about blending rigidity with flexibility or at least knowing when to use one over the other.

6. Rewards are expected. Recognition is a surprise. It seems that, with rewards, we go into a situation knowing that if we perform well we deserve the reward. With recognition, on the other hand, you have no idea until you unexpectedly receive it. Never let anyone down by not giving them a merited reward and learn to be spontaneous with appreciating and celebrating people every day.

7. Rewards are economical. Recognition is emotional. Rewards are a prudent use of resources in the whole economy of production, distribution and income. Recognition contrasts as a psychological and emotional event, a felt phenomenon. Remember that performance may reign but feelings rule!

8. Rewards are outcome driven. Recognition is focused on behaviors. Rewards are used to reinforce the occurrence of achieved results. Recognition can happen anytime someone notices positive behaviors of another. People want to know how they are doing before the end result is achieved.

9. Rewards are fixed. Recognition is flowing. Rewards are fixed and determined based on desired performance and the expected returns. Recognition is free flowing from one person to another and expanded upon as shared by others. Know when each has their place and use each one wisely.

10. Rewards are impersonal. Recognition is personal. Rewards have little human dimension based on their tangible, contractual arrangement, even when given to someone. Recognition differs because it's purely human connection celebrating people for who they are and what they do. This is where the giving of rewards can be made much more personable by giving recognition too.

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Top 10 Differences Between Rewards and Recognition | Northstar Meetings Group

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As an industry, we've created a semantic conundrum for ourselves. We interchange the usage of rewards and recognition as if they were identical twins. Ironically, in order to understand them both and to use each better, we must decouple them and tease out their differences and learn the benefits that each brings to the table.

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Alfie Kohn

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ERIC Digest

December 1994

ERIC Identifier: ED376990

By Alfie Kohn

Para leer este artículo en Español, haga clic aquí.

Many educators are acutely aware that punishment and threats are counterproductive. Making children suffer in order to alter their future behavior can often elicit temporary compliance, but this strategy is unlikely to help children become ethical, compassionate decision makers. Punishment, even if referred to euphemistically as "consequences," tends to generate anger, defiance, and a desire for revenge. Moreover, it models the use of power rather than reason and ruptures the important relationship between adult and child.

Of those teachers and parents who make a point of not punishing children, a significant proportion turn instead to the use of rewards. The ways in which rewards are used, as well as the values that are considered important, differ among (and within) cultures. This digest, however, deals with typical practices in classrooms in the United States, where stickers and stars, A's and praise, awards and privileges, are routinely used to induce children to learn or comply with an adult's demands (Fantuzzo et al., 1991). As with punishments, the offer of rewards can elicit temporary compliance in many cases. Unfortunately, carrots turn out to be no more effective than sticks at helping children to become caring, responsible people or lifelong, self-directed learners.
REWARDS VS. GOOD VALUES
Studies over many years have found that behavior modification programs are rarely successful at producing lasting changes in attitudes or even behavior. When the rewards stop, people usually return to the way they acted before the program began. More disturbingly, researchers have recently discovered that children whose parents make frequent use of rewards tend to be less generous than their peers (Fabes et al., 1989; Grusec, 1991; Kohn 1990).

Indeed, extrinsic motivators do not alter the emotional or cognitive commitments that underlie behavior-at least not in a desirable direction. A child promised a treat for learning or acting responsibly has been given every reason to stop doing so when there is no longer a reward to be gained.

Research and logic suggest that punishment and rewards are not really opposites, but two sides of the same coin. Both strategies amount to ways of trying to manipulate someone's behavior-in one case, prompting the question, "What do they want me to do, and what happens to me if I don't do it?", and in the other instance, leading a child to ask, "What do they want me to do, and what do I get for doing it?" Neither strategy helps children to grapple with the question, "What kind of person do I want to be?"
REWARDS VS. ACHIEVEMENT
Rewards are no more helpful at enhancing achievement than they are at fostering good values. At least two dozen studies have shown that people expecting to receive a reward for completing a task (or for doing it successfully) simply do not perform as well as those who expect nothing (Kohn, 1993). This effect is robust for young children, older children, and adults; for males and females; for rewards of all kinds; and for tasks ranging from memorizing facts to designing collages to solving problems. In general, the more cognitive sophistication and open-ended thinking that is required for a task, the worse people tend to do when they have been led to perform that task for a reward.

There are several plausible explanations for this puzzling but remarkably consistent finding. The most compelling of these is that rewards cause people to lose interest in whatever they were rewarded for doing. This phenomenon, which has been demonstrated in scores of studies (Kohn, 1993), makes sense given that "motivation" is not a single characteristic that an individual possesses to a greater or lesser degree. Rather, intrinsic motivation (an interest in the task for its own sake) is qualitatively different from extrinsic motivation (in which completion of the task is seen chiefly as a prerequisite for obtaining something else) (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Therefore, the question educators need to ask is not how motivated their students are, but how their students are motivated.

In one representative study, young children were introduced to an unfamiliar beverage called kefir. Some were just asked to drink it; others were praised lavishly for doing so; a third group was promised treats if they drank enough. Those children who received either verbal or tangible rewards consumed more of the beverage than other children, as one might predict. But a week later these children found it significantly less appealing than they did before, whereas children who were offered no rewards liked it just as much as, if not more than, they had earlier (Birch et al., 1984). If we substitute reading or doing math or acting generously for drinking kefir, we begin to glimpse the destructive power of rewards. The data suggest that the more we want children to want to do something, the more counterproductive it will be to reward them for doing it.

Deci and Ryan (1985) describe the use of rewards as "control through seduction." Control, whether by threats or bribes, amounts to doing things to children rather than working with them. This ultimately frays relationships, both among students (leading to reduced interest in working with peers) and between students and adults (insofar as asking for help may reduce the probability of receiving a reward).

Moreover, students who are encouraged to think about grades, stickers, or other "goodies" become less inclined to explore ideas, think creatively, and take chances. At least ten studies have shown that people offered a reward generally choose the easiest possible task (Kohn, 1993). In the absence of rewards, by contrast, children are inclined to pick tasks that are just beyond their current level of ability.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE FAILURE OF REWARDS
The implications of this analysis and these data are troubling. If the question is "Do rewards motivate students?", the answer is, "Absolutely: they motivate students to get rewards." Unfortunately, that sort of motivation often comes at the expense of interest in, and excellence at, whatever they are doing. What is required, then, is nothing short of a transformation of our schools.

First, classroom management programs that rely on rewards and consequences ought to be avoided by any educator who wants students to take responsibility for their own (and others') behavior-and by any educator who places internalization of positive values ahead of mindless obedience. The alternative to bribes and threats is to work toward creating a caring community whose members solve problems collaboratively and decide together how they want their classroom to be (DeVries & Zan, 1994; Solomon et al., 1992).

Second, grades in particular have been found to have a detrimental effect on creative thinking, long-term retention, interest in learning, and preference for challenging tasks (Butler & Nisan, 1986; Grolnick & Ryan, 1987). These detrimental effects are not the result of too many bad grades, too many good grades, or the wrong formula for calculating grades. Rather, they result from the practice of grading itself, and the extrinsic orientation it promotes. Parental use of rewards or consequences to induce children to do well in school has a similarly negative effect on enjoyment of learning and, ultimately, on achievement (Gottfried et al., 1994). Avoiding these effects requires assessment practices geared toward helping students experience success and failure not as reward and punishment, but as information.

Finally, this distinction between reward and information might be applied to positive feedback as well. While it can be useful to hear about one's successes, and highly desirable to receive support and encouragement from adults, most praise is tantamount to verbal reward. Rather than helping children to develop their own criteria for successful learning or desirable behavior, praise can create a growing dependence on securing someone else's approval. Rather than offering unconditional support, praise makes a positive response conditional on doing what the adult demands. Rather than heightening interest in a task, the learning is devalued insofar as it comes to be seen as a prerequisite for receiving the teacher's approval (Kohn, 1993).
CONCLUSION
In short, good values have to be grown from the inside out. Attempts to short-circuit this process by dangling rewards in front of children are at best ineffective, and at worst counterproductive. Children are likely to become enthusiastic, lifelong learners as a result of being provided with an engaging curriculum; a safe, caring community in which to discover and create; and a significant degree of choice about what (and how and why) they are learning. Rewards-like punishments-are unnecessary when these things are present, and are ultimately destructive in any case.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Birch, L.L., D.W. Marlin, and J. Rotter. (1984). Eating as the 'Means' Activity in a Contingency: Effects on Young Children's Food Preference. CHILD DEVELOPMENT 55(2, Apr): 431-439. EJ 303 231.

Butler, R., and M. Nisan. (1986). Effects of No Feedback, Task-Related Comments, and Grades on Intrinsic Motivation and Performance. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 78(3, June): 210-216. EJ 336 917.

Deci, E. L., and R. M. Ryan. (1985). INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND SELF-DETERMINATION IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR. New York: Plenum.

DeVries, R., and B. Zan. (1994). MORAL CLASSROOMS, MORAL CHILDREN: CREATING A CONSTRUCTIVIST ATMOSPHERE IN EARLY EDUCATION. New York: Teachers College Press.

Fabes, R.A., J. Fultz, N. Eisenberg, T. May-Plumlee, and F.S. Christopher. (1989). Effects of Rewards on Children's Prosocial Motivation: A Socialization Study. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 25(4, Jul): 509-515. EJ 396 958.

Fantuzzo, J.W., C.A. Rohrbeck, A.D. Hightower, and W.C. Work. (1991). Teachers' Use and Children's Preferences of Rewards in Elementary School. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 28(2, Apr): 175-181. EJ 430 936.

Gottfried, A.E., J.S. Fleming, and A.W. Gottfried. (1994). Role of Parental Motivational Practices in Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation and Achievement. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 86(1): 104-113.

Grolnick, W.S., and R.M. Ryan. (1987). Autonomy in Children's Learning: An Experimental and Individual Difference Investigation. JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 52: 890-898.

Grusec, J.E. (1991). Socializing Concern for Others in the Home. DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 27(2, Mar): 338-342. EJ 431 672.

Kohn, A. (1990). THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF HUMAN NATURE: ALTRUISM AND EMPATHY IN EVERYDAY LIFE. New York: Basic Books.

Kohn, A. (1993). PUNISHED BY REWARDS: THE TROUBLE WITH GOLD STARS, INCENTIVE PLANS, A'S, PRAISE, AND OTHER BRIBES. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Solomon, D., M. Watson, V. Battistich, E. Schaps, and K. Delucchi. (1992). Creating a Caring Community: Educational Practices That Promote Children's Prosocial Development. In F.K. Oser, A. Dick, and J.L. Patry (Eds.), EFFECTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE TEACHING: THE NEW SYNTHESIS. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

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ERIC Digest December 1994 ERIC Identifier: ED376990 By Alfie Kohn Para leer este artículo en Español, haga clic aquí. Many educators are acutely aware that punishment and threats are counterproductive. Making children suffer in order to alter their future behavior can often elicit temporary compliance, but this strategy is unlikely to help children become ethical, compassionate decision makers.