A Response to “The Risks of Rewards”
The article “The Risk of Rewards,” by Alfie Kohn from ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education (December, 1994) reviews research on the effects that rewards have on students. The author investigates how students are affected when they receive rewards versus those students who are not receiving them. Kohn finds through his research that while both teachers and parents prefer to reward students for good actions, this is not a practice that is helping children in the long run.
It is my belief that as a teacher I am helping to shape future citizens of the world. While I read this article I realized that some things we do as educators may seem innocent and harmless, but in actuality they are harming our students. Kohn notes that, “. . .classroom management programs that rely on rewards and consequences ought to be avoided by any educator who wants students to take responsibility for their own behavior – and by any educator who places internalization of positive values ahead of mindless obedience” (p. 2). I found this quote to be very important because I know I want my students to learn to be responsible for their behavior. My students will learn that to be responsible they will need to do their homework, study, be prepared, and respect one another. Honestly, I would hope that all educators, current or future, would also want that for their students. It makes a great deal of sense to me; if you have a student who is only motivated to do things when they are rewarded, what happens when they enter the workplace, where they are no longer rewarded for every action that they take.
Kohn also states that, “. . .good values have to be grown from the inside out” (p. 3). I feel that this means that a student must learn why they need to do something or act a certain way before they can. I think this is also important when you are an educator and understand that you are shaping the future of society. The fact is that while you may have a student for only a year or two, time can really change them. I know personally, I can give countless examples of teachers in my past who have taught me skills that I have used throughout my life and I feel have made me a better person. If you are able to show your students the importance of working hard and succeeding for self-gratification, rather than to receive a reward, you have in some small way helped them to become more motivated and productive.
Kohn makes some important observations about what rewards can do to the student/teacher relationship. He states, “. . . [rewards] models the use of power rather than reason, and ruptures the important relationship between adult and child” (p. 1). I feel that he is really talking about the trust that you create with your students. I think this point is very important because, as an educator, I feel that I must develop some sort of trust system with my students. I don’t feel that a trust system can be established if your students feel that you have a superior power over them. I feel that by rewarding students for things that they do you are creating a belief in their minds that you are superior to them.
I think that knowing rewards are not good for students is an important tool for educators. Kohn states that “a child promised a treat for learning or acting responsibly has been given every reason to stop doing so when there is no longer a reward to be gained” (p. 1). If students are always rewarded for behavior or activities how can we as educators motivate our students to want to do well for themselves and not because they get some material item for working hard? I think it is important to help your students create a self motivating attitude as a way to counter giving them rewards. I know that I want my students to have the best chances for success, so I am very pleased to learn that by not always rewarding my students I am helping them to reach their goals.
It is very interesting to find that through all of the studies that Kohn performed and all the studies that he observed, he found that no rewards are beneficial for students, so why are rewards used so much in the classroom? I feel that society is too often seeking a “quick fix.” It is very easy if you are having problems with a student to give them a piece of candy if the are quiet. Perhaps we can look to past generations and start to learn what it means to do something because you are self motivated and not motivated by other means. I think that as teachers if we are aware of what really helps our students succeed versus what may be an easy fix to get them to work, we can truly help them in life. In my opinion rewards should not be used at any level of schooling. I agree with Kohn’s point that, students should be able to ask themselves, “What kind of person do I want to be,” not “What do they want me to do, and what do I get for doing it” (p. 2)? I know I want to be the most responsible, ethical, and motivated teacher I can be and I want to find ways to translate my wants to my students.
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