When Rewards Don’t Work Presented by: T. Brown, J. Dills, P. Douthett, K. Helms, J. Kohn and C. Lancaster

Introduction This case presents the story of two students who are continually behaving poorly and being disrespectful in class. These two students, Tommy and Delia, come from different socio-economic backgrounds; Tommy comes from a lower-class family, and Delia comes from an upper-middle-class family. Their teacher, Ms. Anderson, decides to institute a reward system for them, and while Tommy responds positively, this system does not promote any change in Delia’s behavior.

Use of Reward Systems Each student has a pocket with their name If students misbehave a stick is added to their pocket Students with no sticks get a prize at the end of the day. Students with 2 sticks get a phone call home This is an example of a reward system Jessica has used before:

Would We Use the System Ms. Anderson Did? We would not use this system. Tommy and Delia come from different backgrounds Tommy’s background leads him to work harder Delia is used to getting what she wants The same system does not work for them Reward systems should involve the whole class

Relationship Based Responses Low socio-economic-status students are motivated by relationships. This is how we would use this motivation: “Delia, as your teacher… I am responsible for teaching you and your peers every day, and I care about how your behavior is affecting yourself and your peer’s time to learn. When you hurt someone’s feelings, it becomes difficult for them to learn. I believe in you, I know that you can make a positive change that will benefit everyone including yourself. When you are nice to others, they are more likely to be nice to you.”

Relationship Based Responses This is one more relationship based response we would use: “Delia, as your teacher.... I am here because I want to prepare you for your future. I am worried that your behavior will not benefit your future, and I want to help you. So, if you don’t have something nice or encouraging to say to someone, just don’t say anything. I will reward you for having a better attitude with points towards rewards we discussed, and you can change your life for the better by focusing on your education, earning rewards, and being proud of yourself for not hurting other people’s feelings.”

Pros and Cons of Ms. Anderson’s System Positive AspectsAreas for Improvement She let the students choose the rewards She could involve the whole class She did try to help change their behavior She could have a list of consequences as well

Differing Behavior Expectations Have students compare and contrast their rules at home and at school. Then have students share their work. Explain that for each place students go that there are different sets of rules If they misbehave ask them if what they did is something they would be able to do at home Have class discussions about the expectations for behavior, and how they may be different than what is allowed at their homes. Different expectations at home and at school

Child Rearing Practices in Low-Income Homes In low-income homes there is typically: More conflict More tension caused by stress Parents work longer for smaller salaries According to Jen Gratz, these situations combine to result in more inconsistent child rearing practices. Neuman, Susan B. and David K. Dickinson. Handbook of Early Literacy Research. New York: The Guilford Press, 2002.

Should Parenting Behavior Impact Teacher Behavior? Parents and teachers must find balance Parents Need ToTeachers Need To Take an active role in their child’s education Set up conferences with parents Allow the teacher to use the strategies he/she feels best fit their classroom Be respectful of parent opinions about different viewpoints about discipline Do not undermine the teacher Do not undermine the parent

Conclusion We found several areas for improvement in this case. We thought that Ms. Anderson meant well and was genuinely trying to help her students, but that she forgot to take their different backgrounds into consideration. This impacted how effective, and in Delia’s case ineffective, her reward system was. In addition, we also thought that the reward system should be used for the whole class, not just two students. This case gave us the opportunity to either reflect on reward systems we have used, or brainstorm ideas for reward systems we would like to use in the future. As teachers, we must take the backgrounds of our students into account when trying to determine how they will respond to a change in discipline or a new reward strategy.

Sources A Casebook for Exploring Diversity by Angela and George Redman Slide 1: Slide 3: Slide 4: Slide 7: Theme Slides 9-10: Neuman, Susan B. and David K. Dickinson. Handbook of Early Literacy Research. New York: The Guilford Press, Slide 10: