|
Should we publicly praise students?
Many teachers believe that if they publicly praise a student that is doing very well, it will motivate others to be like that student. In fact, often the opposite is true. Most difficult, disruptive, or unmotivated students do not want to be more like the publicly praised student. Instead they say, "Whatever with him or her. He's always being praised. I don't care!" The praised student is often ridiculed by his or her peers and wishes his success was kept private. Instead, privately praise individual students for different things. This way nobody has to worry about feeling embarrassed in front of their peers.
Stop writing names on the board!
Imagine walking into a faculty meeting 20 minutes late. Your principal sees you enter and instead of saying something to you, he writes your "name" on an overhead projector for all to see. Later in the day you go down to the faculty room to get your lunch and the overhead sheet is hanging on the refrigerator door.
You go to your principal's office and ask him why the name is on the door. He says, "because everyone needs to know that it is not ok to come to my faculty meetings late! But don't worry, because if you are on time (or good) the rest of the day I will erase it tomorrow!"
You might be good the rest of the day, but you will also be miserable. Kids respond the same way. They might be good the rest of the day, but you really have not done any long term good.
|