Praise
Professional practice-rewards and sanctions essay
The use of praise within the primary classroom
I will use this essay to analyse the effective and destructive often harmful use of praise as a reward system within the primary classroom.
Firstly it is important to explain what a reward system actually is in terms of a primary classroom. According to the Universal Dictionary, (1998); a reward is “something given or received in recompense for worthy behaviour”. A reward system therefore, is a system adopted by either a class teacher, adult or as a whole school ethos for the delivery of rewards for positive academic or social behaviour during the school day. From experience, the reward scheme does not have to finish at the end of the school day and can extend into what children achieve during their own time, whether this is through commendations or simply through public use of praise, perhaps in an assembly, as a form of verbal reward.
All reward systems are based around the principal of two forms of praise; these are either extrinsic motivators; these tend to be based around variations of the token economy, or intrinsic motivators. Praise as a system in its own right falls into the intrinsic motivators category as there is no extrinsic or ‘token reward’ physically given to the children.
“Intrinsic motivation occurs when we act without any obvious external rewards. We simply enjoy an activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn and actualise our potentials.” Coon et al (2010).
Praise is a crucial part of all reward systems whether intrinsic or extrinsic, but praise can be a reward system on its own. When praise is used as a reward system within a primary school classroom, according to Sutherland, et al (2002) “praise is positively related to intrinsic motivation among students” which is linked directly to the PSHE strands of the National Primary Curriculum and the idea of fostering a culture of intrinsic motivation to achieve both academically
The use of praise within the primary classroom
I will use this essay to analyse the effective and destructive often harmful use of praise as a reward system within the primary classroom.
Firstly it is important to explain what a reward system actually is in terms of a primary classroom. According to the Universal Dictionary, (1998); a reward is “something given or received in recompense for worthy behaviour”. A reward system therefore, is a system adopted by either a class teacher, adult or as a whole school ethos for the delivery of rewards for positive academic or social behaviour during the school day. From experience, the reward scheme does not have to finish at the end of the school day and can extend into what children achieve during their own time, whether this is through commendations or simply through public use of praise, perhaps in an assembly, as a form of verbal reward.
All reward systems are based around the principal of two forms of praise; these are either extrinsic motivators; these tend to be based around variations of the token economy, or intrinsic motivators. Praise as a system in its own right falls into the intrinsic motivators category as there is no extrinsic or ‘token reward’ physically given to the children.
“Intrinsic motivation occurs when we act without any obvious external rewards. We simply enjoy an activity or see it as an opportunity to explore, learn and actualise our potentials.” Coon et al (2010).
Praise is a crucial part of all reward systems whether intrinsic or extrinsic, but praise can be a reward system on its own. When praise is used as a reward system within a primary school classroom, according to Sutherland, et al (2002) “praise is positively related to intrinsic motivation among students” which is linked directly to the PSHE strands of the National Primary Curriculum and the idea of fostering a culture of intrinsic motivation to achieve both academically
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