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Lesson Plans


Re: awards/rewards

[ Thread ][ Subject ][ Author ][ Date ]
Melissa Enderle (enderlml.wi.us)
Wed, 19 Aug 1998 20:25:05 -0000

I teach kids in an inner-city school through grade 6 or so. Mostly I have
kids up to grade 3. Similar to you, I keep track of behavior, etc. for
each table. If their table follows the art rules according to my
standards, - and they get their table cleaned up in time- then their
table gets a point. When their table gets 5 points, then the students on
that table get to come and eat lunch with me in my room. Itıs amazing how
carefully students keep track of their points. Whatıs even more amazing
is how much the students look forward to coming up with me. They relish
the extra attention and will often recall what they did the last time
they came up, whether it was working on an art game, working on a
computer art program, origami, etc. Yes, it does take some of my lunch
time, but the students love it. As one kindergartener put it, ³This is
the BEST day of my life!²

>I am generous with praise and encouragement for my elementary students, but
>I question whether using tangible awards/rewards is ultimately a good thing
>to do. It has been suggested to me, to give art achievement awards to 5th
>graders who are moving on to middle school, what do you think of this idea?
>If you think it's a good idea, what would be the criteria?

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| Melissa Enderle |
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__( ( art teacher/ adaptive art ) )__
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Melissa Enderle
enderlml.wi.us