Rewards rather than punishment

The boy with attention problems I taught was labeled as ‘bad and lazy’ in my class, and a teacher who called herself ‘godly’, gave him a very abusive punishment. I had a very hard time explaining to them that he may be having ADHD, which makes it very difficult for him to sit still in class and be attentive.

The rewards that were structured were all aimed at students who memorized well, completed homework, and followed instructions. There wasn’t even one reward for originality, as that was considered unimportant to them. This boy was the most creative child in class. I was disallowed to give him awards, and stickers. He didn’t even crave for positive reinforcement though, like the other kids in the class did.

Teachers often think that kids with learning and intellectual disabilities better be set right with a series of repeated humiliating punishments. It’s always better to prioritize rewards over punishments to motivate them, even for what it seems to be small achievements and milestones. His/ her feat may seem microscopic in proportion to a child who wins the Spelling Bee maybe, but is important from him/ her. Instead of comparing students, we need to realize that each one of them is unique.

Smacking the child, or insulting him/ her in class, will make studies less interesting from him/ her. He may develop school phobia. Instead we need to improve teaching methods and classroom strategies to accommodate them. Rewards will act as positive reinforcement, and encourage them to improve themselves.

I’m not saying kids should be beyond and above punishment. For what I consider a minor offence, I’d tell the child to maybe read a meaningful story book, especially if he/ she hates reading. For a serious offence like bullying, I’d give a harsher remedial method, and also work with the school psychologist to try to mend his/ her ways.

#punishment, #reward, #school, #disability, #bullying, #love, #support, #inclusiveness, #teachers, #teaching, #ADHD, #ableism, #classroom, #milestones, #originality

https://pixabay.com/photos/kids-school-emotions-globe-2835430/: Image by Михаил Мингазов from Pixabay: Picture courtesy

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