Reinforcing effort is an excellent strategy. I use it with all students because it motivates them to keep on trying and do their best. Sometimes I write Spanish praising phrases on their graded papers and they get excited. I agree with Dr. Orey when he said reinforcement is the “most powerful” of the operant conditioning.
I use homework to reinforce what students learn in class. I teach Spanish and understand it is not something parents, siblings, or many friends may help with at home. At the beginning of each nine weeks I give each student a homework sheet that I stamp. Students must show me their homework at the door where I stamp it and review quickly. Every five stamps is a grade. After I stamp it at the door for effort and completion, we go over it as a class, and then I stamp their sheet. It is a lot of work for me, but great for students because they keep track of their grades and at the same time they put some effort on the homework.
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I love the idea of the stamp it seem that it could be very effective with the students. What grade level is this that you teach? It seems as though it would be more effective with younger students.
ReplyDeleteShileah,
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, it is with high school students. They truly love the stamps. They put effort, and I tell them they control their grades because it is based on the work they turn in. It is immediate feedback. They keep the stamp sheet and after 5 they write their grade, not me. I consider it empowering for them. Whoever said high school students do not like stickers and stamps does not know how to use them. I do all the time, and students love them.
sra.pedroza,
ReplyDeleteSounds like your students really enjoy the stamps. I think part of our job as educators is to do whatever we need to in order to motivate our students and get them to do their work. I agree that reinforcing efforts can be an effective tool for educators.
Last year, I listened to the other teachers around me who kept pushing for students to act more mature by removing the little rewards. This year, I ignored this and made a mystery box that has little prizes in it. This year's discipline has been a much smaller issue mainly because of this. The simple fact is that students like receiving gifts and they LOVE earning them. A small item can become a badge of honor. I hope they appreciate the work that you have to put forth at the beginning of each class.
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