Thread: My Pupils Are Bribable :-)

I do occasionally give out stickers or candy for a job well done, or if I see a student doing something particularly nice for another. I also use a behavior chart in the shape of a traffic light. Green is good behavior, yellow is a warning, and red means we are having serious problems and a note will be sent home. For each day the student's name stays on green they earn a ticket. Tickets can be saved and turned in at a later date for a prize. The students love it and their behavior has improved since we started using the chart.

I think rewards like stickers and candy can be very effective in helping to manage classroom behavior. I don't give them out everyday or anything, but the students tend to model the behavior that got them the reward more frequently after I do.

Originally Posted by GreenBunny

I don't. I expect them to do their work and they do it because it's expected. Every so often, I'll give stickers but not necessarily for anything they've done. I'll just give them stickers because I like stickers and I know they like them too.

I agree. I HATE it when people bribe their kids. My biggest brats are the bribed ones. If you bribe them then they learn they only have to behave when they are getting something for it. The ones who are bribed at home come to us expecting the same and when we ask them to follow a rule, they want to know what they can get out of me. If they think it's not worth it, they don't behave. Children need to be taught how to follow rules because that's the way life works. I tell them they have to do what they are told whether they like it or not because that's part of life. I will never pay a child to behave. That's taking the easy way out. It's what parents do when they have no parenting skills. Please stop teaching your school kids that they only have to follow the rules if they can get something!

Originally Posted by Homework

I don't think there's anything wrong with rewarding kids for good behavior/good work. Too many adults these days fail to acknowledge a job well done, and it can be devastating to the recipient's self-esteem.

I agree, but why does it have to be things? When my kids do something good, I give them a high five and say that I am SO proud of them. Sometimes, I'll even tell the parents about how wonderful of a job their child did. A girl in my class the other day was so sweet helping me to cheer up a little girl that was nervous about her first day. I'd like to talk to her mom and just let her know what a great job she did. Simple praise goes a long way with kids. I do reward them with things occasionally
as well, but not as a bribe. There is a big difference. If they are only doing what they are told because they are promised something, that's bad. If they do something and are unexpectedly rewarded sometimes, that is a good thing. I had a child offer to help clean up and he worked real hard for a long time helping me with this mess, so I gave him a big thing of Twizzlers. He was SO happy! But he cleaned because he's just a real considerate child, not because he thought he'd get something.