Rewards are something I really struggle with. Ideally, I would love to use the Ron Clark Academy Model. They give rewards, but it is only for superior work and they stick to high expectations no matter how hard a student works. They reward achievement not effort.
A few weeks ago we hosted Solo and Ensemble. There was a mistake made on a rubric and a group was told they received a lower rating then they actually did. This group of middle schoolers was devastated. I understand wanting to do your best, but what are we teaching our kids if all they want is the gold medal? In my opinion, it is the process that counts. For those girls, it was the hours of practice and all the new skills they learned. The top rating was just a bonus, but it does not impact how much they had already learned from the process of performing and preparing.
When I think of rewards, I automatically think of grading. Do our grades really show how much students have learned? I think we do an injustice to our students when we tell them they did a great job and we pat them on the back when they don't always deserve it. We need to raise kids who are passionate about learning and who give 100 percent. Effort almost always beats talent.
When do you give rewards? Are we raising kids who are only in it for the prize, or who have a strong sense of self respect and want to do their best regardless of the prize?
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