Reward or Punish ?Making informed decisions on which to use.

Definitions

Punishment

• Generally speaking: an aversive given to a person

• ABA: A consequence that decreases the target behavior

Rewards

• Generally speaking: something thought to be valued given to a person

• ABA: A consequence that increases the target behavior.

Examples (general term)

Punishment• Detention• Office Referral• Time out• Call Home• Admonishments• Loss of activity- physical

or academic

Reward• Praise• Activity• Good grades/ report card• Tangible• Job or title (line leader)

But, what if?

Punishment• Detention• Office Referral• Time out• Call Home• Admonishments• Loss of activity- physical

or academic

Reward• Praise• Activity• Good grades/ report card• Tangible• Job or title (line leader)

Very Common Mistakes

• Not all kids want recess or outdoor time.• Some kids do not like red candy, blue candy or chocolate.• Some kids are not motivated with long distance goals like

grades, graduation or even an “end of week” prize.• Attention seeking kids are okay with admonishment and

praise alike: it is still adult attention• One size does not fit all and assumptions about likes or

dislikes is just that- an assumption• If the consequence you are giving isn’t working, stop!

Office Referrals

• Go to any office at any school and you will find the same kids there during recess, day after day. Sometimes you find them talking together, playing around, or getting lots of adult attention through talk and comforting. Even when they are alone or not talking, they are content.

• If this was intended to be a punishment, it is clearly not working.

• Students are choosing your office or your detention over recess and free time and there are reasons!

How we decide what to dole out to students.

• Personal beliefs: • Spare the rod and spoil the child.• They will do what I say because I said so!• School is for learning, not for fun.• My family was raised like this and we turned out okay.• The trouble with kids today is that we (schools) can’t give

corporal punishment.• They have to learn respect • The real world is cruel, we have to ready them.

Devil’s Advocate.

• Personal beliefs: • Spare the rod and spoil the child.

• Sneakiness, lying, wrongful blame, bad esteem• They will do what I say because I said so!

• How is that working for you? No, they don’t. Give a reason• School is for learning, not for fun.

• Learning can and should be fun, it can inspire.• My family was raised like this and we turned out okay.

• Yes, you turned out okay, but how were you as a kid? Ask your past teachers…..• The trouble with kids today is that we (schools) can’t give corporal punishment.

• Death penalty, traffic fines, jail time, firing. Marine Corps boot camp• They have to learn respect

• Or you could earn it. Nobody gives respect unless earned. • The real world is cruel, we have to ready them.

• The real world you have choices, school is very limited

Example

What do we say to a guest who forgets her umbrella? Do we run after her and say "What is the matter with you? Every time you come to visit you forget something. If it's not one thing it's another. Why can't you be like your sister? When she comes to visit, she knows how to behave. You're forty-four years old! Will you never learn? I'm not a slave to pick up after you! I bet you'd forget your head if it weren't attached to your shoulders." That's not what we say to a guest. We say "Here's your umbrella, Alice," without adding "scatterbrain."Parents need to learn to respond to their children as they do to guests.” ― Haim G. Ginott, Between Parent and Child:

Punishment

• Often, we tell them what they did wrong, but do not explain or model what they should have done instead.

• If we yell, shout, get physical, or take belongings, are we not advocating their use to our students?

• If we truly want better behavior, we have to model and to praise their attempts.

• If your punishment is not reducing the target behavior, don’t heighten the punishment, try something else.

• Don’t give punishment because you are opposed to rewards- think...

Training a dog to sit

• We call the dog over• We say “sit”• If they do not- we don’t take a newspaper and whack

their nose nor do we admonish them or put them in the doghouse.

• We push their rears down and then say “good boy” and give a treat.

• We repeat until they can sit without a physical prompt• Eventually we fade out the tangible and the praise

Students are not dogs

• But aren’t they worthy of the time and training that a dog is given?

Consider this

• When our admonishments and punishments don’t work….we have to increase them…..where is the limit?• No homework= 1 week detention (all year in first couple of weeks)

• When we praise and reward, the students are very likely to increase the behaviors that we want. We have shown exactly what we want them to do.

• Science demonstrates over and over that rewards produce lasting behavioral change.

• We may have to start from just a close approximation. • Andy and Spiderman

A Fresh Perspective

“I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration, I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.” ― Haim G. Ginott, Teacher and Child: A Book for Parents and Teachers

Catch Them Being Good

• Praise students who are doing what you want.• Ignore the students that are not (especially attention seekers)• Give immediate rewards instead of waiting until breaks• Make the connection between behavior and consequence for them!

• Rewards can be stickers or stamps or chart• When teaching a new behavior, catch them every time- then

fade • If you disrupt misbehavior, wait at least 1 minute before

praise. (connecting with good behavior not misbehavior)• Brag and let them “overhear” you bragging

Manipulation

• You are the adult• You are the authority• You are smarter

Comments or Questions

• david.gosbin@cvusd.us

• I welcome all comments or questions. Please make suggestions on other topics if you like.

• My phone number is included on every email I send- texts welcomed.