I have recently been observing a class at Taft Alternative, which is a section of Taft Middle School in Cedar Rapids. The children who are part of Taft Alternative all have behavioral problems, are disruptive in class, and most have been diagnosed with some form of ADHD. The main focus of the teachers in this section is to help the students better control their behavior. This being said, half of the students grades are based upon their behavior throughout the day. Each student has a points sheet that ranges from 0 to 50 (50 being the best behavior and 0 the worst). Throughout the day the teachers give students points based on their behavior in the class. Points may be deducted because of inattention, disruption, yelling, swearing, etc. Points may also be given if the student volunteers in the various programs at Taft. If a student gains enough points, they will then receive 'money' to spend in the school store on different objects like pens, erasers, and so on.
Chapter 5 of the textbook discusses extrinsic rewards. The author mentions that in school-based studies rewards distract students' attention towards the reward rather than the material being learned. Also, when the rewards stop a person has trouble regulating that behavior. With this information, does offering rewards in Taft Alternative make sense? From what I have observed, I do not think that the rewards are very effective. Students are not troubled by a low points sheet and do not really seem to work towards getting points.
What are some ways the teachers may be able to motivate the students to have better behavior? Should Taft Alternative completely remove the points system, revise it, or keep it the way it is?
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