For regular education classroom teachers, giving rewards in exchange for good behavior is a mistake.
It’s true that “do this and get that” type rewards can improve behavior in the short term. As in, “Sit up straight and give me your attention, and I will give you each a sticker.”
Or, “John, if you can go the whole day without bothering your tablemates, I have a surprise for you after school.”
But incentives of this nature, which include earning class pizza parties, extra recess, free time, and the like, don’t benefit students in the long run and make classroom management more difficult.
This applies to individual students as well as entire classrooms.
For real, lasting behavior improvement, focus instead on creating a classroom that nurtures intrinsic motivation.
And leave the bribery to the trainers at Sea World.
Here’s why:
1. Rewards turn good behavior into work.
Rewarding good behavior sends the message to your students that if they have to be paid for it, then it must be work. They logically conclude that being well behaved must be something difficult or noteworthy. Otherwise, why would they be rewarded for it?
This effectively makes good behavior less desirable… and more like an effort your students deserve to be paid for.
2. Rewards lead to entitlement.
When you offer rewards in return for good behavior, you create in your students a peculiar sense of entitlement. They’ll feel entitled to receive something for merely doing what is expected.
It leads them to believe that they’re behaving and following rules for you, and thus are owed something from you. After all, if they’re getting a reward for it, there must not be anything in it for them.
3. Rewards cheapen the intrinsic motivation to behave.
Being rewarded to behave cheapens the intrinsic merit of being a valued citizen of your class. In other words, it puts a price tag on the priceless.
Have you ever had a student who was uncomfortable or less than thrilled with public recognition, drummed up awards, or excessive praise? This is a person with already strong, deep-rooted intrinsic motivation who would prefer that you didn’t barter with it.
4. Rewards lead to more and more and more.
When you put a price tag on good behavior by offering rewards, your students will demand higher and more frequent payments. Rewards, you see, are not only ineffective in the long term, but they weaken over time.
If you’ve used rewards in the past, you’ve experienced this. What is exciting and fun at first, like extra recess, becomes boring and not a big deal after awhile. Therefore, you have to continue to increase the payment or the frequency of the reward.
The Ultimate Reward
Good behavior is its own reward because it offers students self-respect, confidence, and the wonderful feeling of belonging to a classroom that needs and appreciates them.
To deepen these feelings, and to get your students to want to behave–for themselves and for the betterment of your classroom–stop rewarding them for good behavior. Stop interfering with the awesome power of intrinsic motivation.
Instead, support it, encourage it, and feed it by creating a classroom your students love coming to every day.
It’s the best reward you could ever give them.
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Mike, thank you for the very interesting and informative article. It definitely makes sense. Is receiving awards like a drug, in which you build a tolerance for it and then need even more to be satisfied?
I agree with you wholeheartedly about the excess of awards. Kids know if they really deserve it or not.
Can you please give some quotes you would tell a class?
Thanks,
Bryan
Hi Bryan,
I think your analogy suits the fourth item on the above list–that rewards weaken over time. I’m not sure what you mean by giving quotes. Please email me with more details. I’m happy to help.
Michael
I appreciate your specifying that this is for reg ed – I’ve found that students receiving special ed often need the extra extrinsic motivators.
PS Can you change your RSS feed so I can read it in full in google reader?
I understand what you are saying. I believe that positive reinforcement builds self-esteem and ENCOURAGES students who may not be recognized for their hardwork. Think about it…do we work, show up on time, dress, research, study,seek out our professional education for free? Do we not expect jobs, bonuses or raises for our hard work? I can certainly understand not going overboard, but I have to disagree with you on this one…being recognized for good behavior is a GOOD thing! You may not get a “prize” but special acknowledgement does in fact work long term…I’m living proof!
Hi Cheri,
I appreciate your comments, but I think you’re confusing apples with oranges. The recommendation is about improving behavior. It isn’t about personal goals–academic, professional, or otherwise–or the rewards one receives pursuing them. Behaving in a way that doesn’t interfere with the rights of others to learn and enjoy school is an expectation. Students do much better when not directly bribed to behave in a way that is expected and required for success in school. Good behavior is a bit of a misnomer. It should read, “expected behavior.”
Michael
Hi Michael, thank you for the fantastic articles on classroom management.
I agree with your statement that rewards and other external motivators don’t work in the long term and that it is the intrinsic motivators we need to build.
My problem is that the school I work in hands out ‘behavior credits’ to students who are displaying good behavior traits on a consistent basis. These credits accumulate to badges etc that are awarded to students so they quite a big deal within the school. If I wasn’t to give out any of these credits – then I feel I am disadvantaging my students in some way.
Should I change the focus from using the credits for behavior to ‘random acts of kindness’ and then award them out on that basis? Do you have any suggestions on how I can use the system — but perhaps for a different purpose? Thanks in advance for your response.
PS. I teach 10 and 11 year old children.
Hi Shalinee,
I think you should be straight with your class that you’re not going to give them out to individuals for expected behavior. However, given that it’s school-wide, I agree with you that it’s probably best to give them out in some small way. You might say to your class every so often, “Hey, good day today. We got a lot done. I have these credits here. Anybody who wants one come on up and I’ll give you one.” Using them class-wide and announcing it unexpectantly is probably the best solution.
:)Michael
What about students who have zero respect for themselves or others? What about students who come from broken communities and households where traditional family values are neglected and maladaptive behaviors are ignored or often times reinforced? How do you motivate a student and teach him/her that the reward for behaving well is just simply doing the right thing because it “feels good?” How do you motivate a student that has zero motivation?
The answer is rewards. Rewarding students has its place, I think the older and more skillful the student gets the more we teach them about these intrisic values and transition them to adulthood, and yes, ween them off of a rewards system. But you may have a student for 6 hours a day, while the other 18 hours in a day that student may be engaging in the very opposite of what you are teaching him/her in a classroom. To say that rewards have no place universally is a big mistake, it highly depends on the demographic of students you are working with, their surrounding environment and peer influences. Mr. Linsin has a good point in that sometimes good behavior can feel like work, and sometimes kids will feel entitled to something each time they do the right thing. But some students need to have motivation other than “feel good.” Of course rewards system should be managed, but It actually feels good for students to receive rewards in return for their hard work, why is this such a crazy concept?
I do rewards in my classroom. They have to earn it once a week. I only use stickers a day to track where they are at. I think rewards helps with assessment, self regulation, and making goals. I know they may be short-term goals, but it also helps children learn the rules and I noticed they behave better. Eventually, I made them wait two weeks instead of one week to earn the prize to make it more of a challenge. We have also a color system so they know where they are at so they can fix their behavior to self regulate themselves. The colors are red, yellow, and green. When they are on yellow, they can earn green back. Even though my co-workers say that only 3 year olds can earn back green, I still let afterschool students earn back green because they are learning to self regulate their behavior. Also, I want to be fair. Children are not bad, they are just learning and some behaviors are bad. You need to patient and understanding. I understand inntrinsic is the way you want to go, but eventually they behave just to get approval from me, especially the kindergartners. If they behave, they are able to be my helpers in the classroom, they can get a prize from the prize box, and other things happen that they notice. We have more fun in the classroom when we all get through homework because we have time afterwards because of it to do a fun activity.
This is an important article, especially because many public schools now mandate PBIS, which translates to schoolwide reward systems/cash-type systems that promote rewards for good behavior.
I understand what you mean by a reward system losing its impact and becoming stressful. For the first half of the year, I used a marble jar to promote good behavior for the class, and only a couple classes have gotten a reward such as a homework pass (middle school). However, I find that using the jar is more work than it is worth. How would you suggest I wean the class off something like this? Am I able to “ditch” the jars in exchange for something more intrinsically motivating such as class games to promote learning? How do I do this without resentment for going back on something I had planned to do?
Thank you for your help. I just found your website yesterday, and I have been hooked!
-Mitchell
2nd year teacher
Hi Mitchell,
You just walk in and say, “I’ve made a decision to get rid of the marble jar and here’s what we’re doing instead.” Your students will understand, particularly if you replace it with math jeopardy, vocabulary basketball, or other fun learning game you make up to fit your class.
Michael
I agree with Brandon, you have not addressed the issue with children from disadvantaged communities who have a warped sense of expected behaviour. They have not seen the proper behaviour modeled and it is rarely modeled for them by older children in the school. In a sense they need a type of classical conditioning to learn the appropriate behaviour that is required in the classroom and society.
Hi Niamh,
All of the strategies and principles on this website were developed in the classroom with children in schools located in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Michael
I work in a district with disadvantaged students and we don’t provide rewards as a school wide policy (and due to our school model). Most of them have a lot of inconsistent or nonexistent expectations at home, so they really seem to crave the clear expectations and consistency a good classroom provides. They don’t need rewards.
Bravo, Janna! So glad to hear about your school policy. Thanks for sharing.
Michael
I am a positive teacher and reward studets in the past. If you’ve used rewards in the past. however, i found that it was exciting and fun at first,then became boring and not a big deal after awhile. I have to continue to increase the payment or the frequency of the reward.I agree with that we should not reward in the beginning.
i have been using rewards for 6 months and I have never had to change the at all. They were glad just to get something. Even a bookmark they like getting even. I use other things with rewards and that is possibly why it works for me. i have helpers in the classroom that you can be if you behave and also a color chart. The color chart is red, yellow, and green. Your clip is moved to where your behavior is and I let them earn back green, if they show improvement throughout the day. Also, I understand that they are not going to be perfect all 5 days so I give them a day or so of a slide. I have noticed they do so much better when you are understanding and know that they are learning and give them a chance. I do stickers daily so then the students know what color they were on the day before. They get a sticker only if they were on green or earned back green. I have trees with apples on them on my bulletin board that when they earn a sticker it is placed on the part where the apples go. I have 13 students and only one child I have a challenge with right now, but has special needs, but is improving. I use intrinsic motivation with him/her through hugs, praise, and giving chances. I am typing up a behavioral plan of action for him/her too.
Hey Mr. Linsin,
You’ve really taught me an important lesson. I’ve actually blogged about it, with my own ideas on the whole thing. I wholeheartedly agree!
This happened to me today, on our third day of school… My students are now experts at hallway behavior. We have practiced that for the greater part of the first three days. But today, they began to ask if they might get a reward for all of the teacher compliments they are receiving. I told them I would think about it and let them know. They got excited.
The downside of this is now I have assigned them a job. “Be good, silent, in line, respectful to other classes, etc. in front of me and you might get a reward.”
So I was sad to see them in line two different times today, for other teachers, and their behavior was off. They are performing for me… I need help getting my second graders to appreciate self motivation and reward within….
Thoughts?
Hi Ms. Martin,
I’m not sure what you’re asking. I’d really like to help, though, so please email me.
:)Michael
Can you tell me what impact does the reward have on a childs developments?
I never liked the idea of bribery nor the rewards systems. Thanks for the articles.
You’re welcome, Angelica!
Michael
Our district has adopted a new prescribed program of professional development seminars, which are all so poorly researched and coordinated that the advice touted in one course as being the most correct research-based method clashes with a contradictory method making the same claims. I see this happen at just about every training I attend, but I mention something here now because I’m about to leave for a class on dealing with “tough kids,” in which we were taught that there is more “research” out there proving that extrinsic rewards boost student cooperation than there is “research” proving that rewards can be addictive.
I just find it all so hilarious how the soft sciences (read: education and social sciences) put so much faith in their “research,” and yet can’t seem to get on the same page. Really, the “research” is just tweaked and tailored until the data matches whatever someone’s grad school thesis committee wants to hear, or whatever will result in the cheapest route for schools and districts to take.
Not all of us have the luxury of being able to autonomously apply whichever classroom management philosophy we find best fits us and our students. As dollars become tighter and tighter, I expect to see more shoddily slapped-together seminars that adopt whatever “research” best facilitates the blame-shifting culture of the current war on teachers.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts CP!
Michael
I was wondering if you ever thought of changing the structure of your site?
Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe
you could a little more in the way of content so people
could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot
of text for only having 1 or two images. Maybe you could
space it out better?
No, I’m happy with it the way it is.
:)Michael
Hi Michael,
I work with families who often have worked with a reward system that puts them out of control when the child expects a reward before doing what is required and turns all requests into a control contest. The first thing I have to do is give them another way to observe what is happening. I like your points in this blog and will read others. Though I have been out of the classroom for many years, the families I work with are able to make changes immediately. I share with them a hierarchy of morality development in such a way that they understand their child is stuck in the have-to and reward levels and cannot progress until they perform at a have to level completely. I would enjoy talking with you and thank you for your excellent advice. 602-549-4077 (cell)
Hi Billy,
It’s good to know of the work you’re doing, and I’m glad you found our website. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas! I’m in the midst of winding down the school year. Perhaps we can talk this summer.
Michael
I run a rewards program with my students. Every time we have a good day, you get free time. If you don’t behave we don’t get to go have free time. I tell them all the time that good behavior gets rewarded and they know it. I work with 3 other teachers and we all agree that if they didn’t have the expectations I set for them and know that meeting those will host a reward then they wouldn’t do it. I also happen to teach in a very poor neighborhood, some of my kids have no idea of respect or personal space or even the idea of not hitting other kids. I’d say do what works for your group and keep with it. Stick to your guns.
Michael, have you read Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational yet? He actually hits on some of the exact things that you mentioned here. He explains it as changing the dynamic from social norms to market norms.
Also, I’m definitely one of those kids who didn’t care for all of that reward stuff. I still don’t like it when people make a big deal like that towards me. It makes me feel like I’m some sort of trained seal or something.
Hi Travis,
No, I haven’t read that book. Thanks for sharing.
Michael
I highly recommend your readers look at the article: “Pervasive Negative Effects of
Rewards on Intrinsic Motivation:
The Myth Continues” by Judy Cameron, Katherine M. Banko,
and W; David Pierce published in 2001 in the peer-reviewed journal titled “The Behavior Analyst” and know that the 1970’s research that de-valued extrinsic motivators has been disproved by over 100 research studies since then. The meta-analysis of these scientifically founded articles tells us that using extrinsic rewards (or “bribes” as you like to call them) is actually necessary for some students to engage in a non-preferred task and increases internal motivation at later times. I would suggest using current research to support your ideas of not rewarding students before you suggest struggling teachers can rely on students to come in with pre-learned internal motivation and refuse to use rewards/praise as you advise in your posts.
I mentioned the other day I just took over a second grade classroom for the final quarter.
I taught first grade for a few years before a little career switch. In my first grade classroom, I had a color chart. Everyday each student started on one color–and either remained and that color or went down according to consequence. While I believe I also mentioned classroom management is a struggle for me, I liked that chart.
My present classroom has a different chart present: one that allows them to move UP according to good behavior. I made the big mistake of deciding to keep going with it even knowing I hated the darn thing and by really really really using it that first week to help get the kids in line.
Well, this morning I was complimented on the already apparent change in the kids’ behavior, but my use of that chart has brought out all the brown nosers, if I may use that term with second graders. If I don’t allow them to move up for every little positive thing they do, I’m reminded.
I do consider it as being helpful to get them in line, but I wish I had just scrapped it to begin with and gone with my old system or even another one.
I think many of the kids are simply eating up some clear rules and boundaries (apparently last teacher had zero management skill, even less than me). Rewards aren’t necessary.
I don’t believe we need to
I think it is great for students (as a whole group) to be able to work towards an earned privilege such as having 15 minutes to talk to peers, being allowed to watch a special video, getting half an hour of game time, or doing a quiet activity of their choice at their desks for an allotted period of time (say 15 to 30 minutes) such as reading a book, drawing, or playing solitaire.
People need mental breaks and children, especially young children, have more difficulty sustaining attention for long periods of time than adults do. Therefore it is reasonable for them to be able to work towards a group break for following directions, attending to instruction, and completing work.
Hi!
Do you think that middle school students winning art show ribbons, being honored with their work displayed on an “Artist of the Week” easel, or receiving an “Art Excellence” medal or trophy at the end of the year would fall under the category of rewards?
Hi Anna,
No, the article above only refers to rewards in exchange for good behavior. Although how often and how much is an article for another day, awards for academic, artistic, or athletic excellence are a-okay.
Michael
Wholeheartedly agree! My son has gone from a Montessori background, which foundations come from intrinsic self discipline to a state school with a reward system & he is suffering socially. He has started acting disrespectfully & is always ‘wanting’. I refuse to give in to his ‘wants’ and demand respect at home but am totally frustrated at the way the classroom is ran. It is as though kids are expected to be naughty and unruly- and consequently, that’s the way they act. Give them a chance! Aargh!
Thanks for sharing, Hayley. I can definitely empathize with your frustration.
Michael
The school I am at this year is a PBIS school so we are expected to reward positive behavior with school money which in turn is cashed in for some type of award. Every teacher is expected to give out a certain amount of money per month. Do you have any suggestions on how I might work within this type of system? thanks
Hi Joy,
It’s a question I’ll have to think over and include the topic in a future article. Thanks for asking!
Michael
Hi Michael, Interesting read, Can I provide a parental view? (I have kids in a large secondary college).
I appreciate that if incentives are the only way for good behaviour perhaps the model is misguided and education needs to address the “incentive” model. However my view with my parent lens – in particular my children’s school, there is focus on values and expectations of student behaviour that does include “allowing others to learn without disruption”. Recently at a parent information nights (three) it was highlighted how children will be disciplined, called “at risk” students. Nowhere in the presentation was there a mention of the pathway for student recognition of positive behaviour, or aligning to school values. As a parent of three children who are highly unlikely to be “at risk”, I was curious as to how students could be recognized for being aligned to and practicing the school values & expected behaviour. In a school that is large (over 1500 students), how is it possible for students to be recognized and encouraged to continue on the path of authentic, engaged and motivated student participation? Especially during their years of adolescence, where risk taking and boundary pushing is part of their development and possible learning approach.
If anything your article has provided me with an opportunity for reflection on how my children’s secondary school could be better…for students!
I’m glad you got something positive from the article, Lisa. Thanks for sharing.
Michael
Hi! Thanks for your beneficial articles! But I wonder, how to deal with students who do not care about any consequences and directly speak about it. Also, how to deal with a student who becomes noisy when the consequence is taken and disrupt the whole class preventing teacher from instructing and other students listening. I’ve read plenty of articles on the site, but haven’t found the answer.
Thank you!
Hi Angela,
We’ve indeed written about both extensively and in various places. In fact, the former is a major component of SCM. Please read through the Time-Out, Rapport & Influence, and Rules & Consequences categories of the archive.
Michael
My school is doing PBIS rewards for the first time this year & the kids are into it. I love your advice (in the comments) that you offer rewards to a class for those who want. I have two honors/gifted classes who have far less class cash than my other classes. The irony of the ‘catch kids doing good’ system is the kids who meet expectations all the time get the fewest rewards. In my other classes, kids get rewarded for meeting the simplest expectations, like having their notebooks out when it’s a daily routine. Some kids benefit from that kind of extrinsic motivation, but most find it condescending (I teach seventh graders, who are extremely earnest & have a very keen sense of fairness and earnestness). All of my classes have really responded to intermittent response at the end: “Hey, you’ve all worked hard — class cash for everyone,” in my best Oprah “YOU get a car” impersonation. But I have also followed your advice of giving short, sweet notes on good stationery; private celebration; positive calls home — all of which have a deeper, longer-lasting impact. The overall message is ‘school can be a joy,’ which is the ultimate message I want to convey.
Hi Abbie,
It’s sounds like you’re finding ways to work within the system but in a way that is better for students. Great!
Michael
Hi Michael,
Thanks for your wisdom and God bless you and May God thank you.
I have a system: ( school for 13-16 years old boys)
*good behavior : a plus sign (+) in a chart in front of the student’s name,
*bad behavior : a minus sign (-) in a chart in front of the student’s name and consequences you said.
*in the end of the session, for the students that I am satisfied also I give a plus sign.
in the end for grading I will affect all these.
This record paper is almost secret but when a student acts bad I say to him that he got a minus, and also for plus,
what is your opinion with this? thank you.
Hi Javad,
It sounds fine to me, although as you can see from the article I don’t recommend rewarding for good behavior. I am going to write an article about clipcharts in the near future, which your system resembles.
Michael
I am not a teacher, but rather a parent of a child currently struggling with homework completion, staying on task, and as a result recieves a lot of Checks (6 in a two day period). My wife and I feel his confidence is being hurt when he gets told over and over again that he is messing up.One infractions can lead to three negatives including a zero, a check (8 ends up with a detention), and if you don’t get any checks at all you get a fun friday so he has never had one of those while every girl except 1 and only 1 boy get to go! I have never been told I am a mess up three times in one day ever (I’m 37)! If I was ever placed with that type of judgement I would leave that negative environment. We think he struggles with ADD, but we do not want to diagnose him because we don’t want him to ever use it as an excuse!
Any ideas on how I can help my child?
Hi Kyle,
I sure wish I could help, but short of observing your child at school, I wouldn’t be able to offer you reliable information.
Michael
Michael,
My kids’ school is implementing self-management badges. My daughter (5th grade) has always been an excellent student, good classmate-showing empathy and caring for others, and a rule follower. She lost her self management badge in the first couple weeks of implementation because she was “running on the stairs” (still trying to get to the bottom of the story. She is now one of three kids in the class who have to wait for the teacher to walk them to various other rooms, lunchroom, etc. To me it is tantamount to public shaming but the teachers say these badges improve behavior. We have never had any behavior management issues with our kids. I’m looking for research on this to share with other parents.
Hi Stephanie,
I wish I could give you some insight. I’m unfamiliar with the program.
Michael
Is there any research supporting these ideas or is it your personal opinion from experience?
Hi Asher,
Yes, there is a lot of supporting evidence. I cover this in detail in my upcoming book, The Happy Teacher Habits, due out in May 2016.
Michael
Is this applicable to kindergarteners?
I would do just about anything for candy as a child so I hated when teachers gave it out to the good rows. I give candy/ food to all children many times to try something new. I give a star a day to the class for ALL trying their best when we have good days and get lots of learning done which is most days. Every 10 stars we do something as a class like relay races, origami or minute to win it games. I try to teach my students that their attitude and behavior is what ultimately is going to take them far in life and not their grades. But I want ALL my students to do their best everyday. I feel most kids want to please and do their best. I tell my students that we are like a family for the year and we all need to work together to be successful. It seems to work.