To My Students’ Parents,
I feel the need to apologize.
You see, I’ve recently discovered a little trick to teaching.
See…your children seem to be more willing to engage in lively discussions and “competitions” if, say, a little reward is offered.
Oh, forget the iPod thing. See, I’ve done my homework, and I know that the brain cannot adequately utilize all neurons if loud lyric-laden music is playing.
Oh no.
My idea is better.
It’s quite sweet, you see.
It is…
CANDY!!!
I can’t claim credit for this AHA moment, though.
For that, I must point to my dear friend and mentor, Barb.
I’ve seen her in action, and she’s good.
She comes into my classroom toting large bags of Skittles and M&Ms, and my students take notice.
She’s been teaching almost 25 years, so she’s got this down pat.
She’s not stingy with that candy either.
If she sees kids reading quietly, they get rewarded.
If they answer questions correctly and according to procedure, they get candy.
Sometimes, they even get candy when they leave the room.
Being the quick study that I am, I have picked up on this tip.
I went to Sam’s before Halloween and picked up…um…let’s just say a “few” bags of the sweet stuff.
Yep.
My students have definitely become a little more agreeable to the learning process.
Forget intrinsic rewards (I learned that term in EPI, by the way…see how far it’s getting me).
Kids are all about tangible rewards.
I aim to please.
So, if they come home drowsy or start gaining weight, do me a favor.
Get them some good sneakers and send them outside for a brisk walk.
I’m not changing my method.
It’s here to stay.
Until, at least, the price of fresh produce goes down. I’m not stupid, you know, and I realize that fruits and veggies are much more healthier.
Somehow, though, I doubt that kids are going to participate in RallyCoach or RoundRobin strategies with the promise of broccoli being dangled in front of them.
So, as I said before, get them some extra exercise. Put them to work on chores in your house.
And please accept my apologies for my sweet indulgence.
Sincerely,
Mrs. AuburnChick
Filed under: Teaching | Tagged: teaching | 1 Comment »
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