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Is it better to coax people into doing things by offering rewards or to pressurize them threatening some kind of punishment if they don't do it?
That is the question my English teacher wants me to answer. Yes, I’m a teacher myself, but I still need to practise my English too.
Since I consider myself part of the educational field in society, I’m going to focus on this area. Refering to the question, I’ve always believed that rewarding is far better than punishing, because the second one is a method I personally see as outdated and almost prehistoric. Just imagine a classroom with 32 children. Every year group works differently, but they all have something in common: if you are constantly punishing them, they will all end up against you and will see you as a bad teacher. But, at the same time, they will also take advantage of you if you always expect good behaviour in exchange for rewards.
That’s why I believe that neither extreme is good. Finding a balance is the key, because respect is not earned by constantly rewarding nor by constantly punishing. What truly earns respect is honesty, that is yo say, being yourself, but always setting clear boundaries. For example, even though I’m a very empathetic person and I want my students to enjoy being in class, I also want there to be real learning and real work taking place. And that’s exactly when, sometimes, not always, rewards or punishments are applied.
The main point is not to use them every single day or every single hour, but to be consistent and to remind them from time to time. If you work hard in class, make an effort, participate, and help create a positive environment, you will be rewarded, whether it’s through positive feedback, better grades, or some kind of recognition. However, if the opposite happens, none of those things will be given. In very negative cases, a stronger punishment may even be applied, such as talking to the parents. In situations like these, it is often said that discipline must be enforced in order to protect the learning environment.
In conclusion, as teachers, we have to learn how to find balance in the classroom. This is not something that is learned overnight; on the contrary, it takes years of experience and a lot of effort. Above all, it requires genuinely liking what you do and wanting students to learn how to self-regulate as well. In the end, students learn from us every single day in the classroom, but no matter how experienced we are, we also learn from them.
It is this reciprocal relationship that truly matters. I wish someone had told me all of this before I started working with students. If you’re a teacher and you’ve made it this far, consider yourself lucky. I wish you the best of luck in your next class. And if you're a student, well... Congrats, you can read. Now fuck off. xx
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Child of Light
I find what you are saying here is very insightful. Some people think only in terms of punishment and some think only in terms of reward and they argue endlessly about which of them is right. You have identified that there’s a middle road where you don’t go to either extreme but apply rewards or punishment as appropriate. Thanks for saying this. I bet you’re a great teacher.
That's right!! Being a teacher is looking for the best of the students. Thank you for your comment!!!! I appreciate it a lot <3
by Clara; ; Report
skyler
i used to teach younger kids. in my own personal experience positive reinforcement has shown itself to be stronger than positive punishment. both produce the desired effect of making the kids behave a certain way to a baseline point but theories suggest positive punishment leads to children only attempting to meet the requirement to not be punished (rather than going above and beyond), while positive reinforcement can lead kids to excel further than whats being asked of them. obviously this all comes from the few psychology courses i took a while ago and papers ive read here and there. im definitely not an expert lol, but its just my own personal experience. punishment obviously has a place but it's a last resort in my eyes (it is a nightmare to explain to parents with my-kid-can-do-no-wrong attitudes.)
Obviously, I agree with you, and I’m sure experts would back that statement up. In fact, I also use positive punishment only as a last resort. But not all children are the same, and honestly, I think that when a situation goes too far and you clearly see that positive reinforcement isn’t working, that last resort has to be applied. That’s why I always say balance is key, and knowing when to use it and when not to.
But I get you, dealing with parents is the worst part :p
by Clara; ; Report