Another area of cost I incur as I teach is the price of the prize. I drop dough on stickers, suckers, and Sponge Bob books as a means of motivation and behavior management. I bribe, I admit it.
Intrinsic motivation is a beautiful thing. According to Wikipedia (the source of all knowledge), “Intrinsic motivation refers to motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself”. Wouldn’t it be spectacular if 4th grade students were drawn to fractions like they are to pizza, or if 6th graders enjoyed writing spelling sentences as much as they did texting their friends? But my experience has been the state standards for education in math and language arts do not entice, engage or even enter the consciousness of my student body unless there is an external motivator in place – be it a grade or a gummy worm.
“Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they believe they have the skill that will allow them to be effective agents in reaching desired goals.” (wiki again) I teach special education. My students face a plethora of challenges that stand in the way of their academic success. Hearing and vision problems, processing disorders, specific learning disabilities, other health impairments and behavioral disorders all impede their progress. During the weeks of Standardized Testing, my class is a pitiful collection of frustrated, angry and depressed children, acting out or slipping into apathy as the days drag on and their spirits get deflated. I can’t afford to bank on intrinsic motivation. I need to pay it forward with cookies and cartoons. A well placed KitKat can alleviate a looming tantrum. During the course of the day I provide snacks. Pretzels, carrot sticks, cubes of cheese, and chunks of watermelon are distributed and devoured around 10am. Most of my student body is bussed to school. They leave home before 7am, and might have time for some cafeteria food prior to school starting at 8am. Two hours into the day, shoulders start to slump, quarrels start to rise and attention goes out the proverbial and literal window. Snack Time! Popcorn breaks help us all get back to a place of peace. This buys some time to teach – at least until the next food crisis at noon when it’s time to break for lunch.
Grades are tricky in special ed. The students may make great gains during the school year, say, gaining two grade levels in reading fluency. But if they are 5th graders who started at a first grade reading level and progressed to a third grade level, they will still score far below basic according to their peers. This is disheartening, to say the least. Classroom certificates and awards help. Stickers and prizes also help. I tell them it’s their ‘paycheck’. I mean, I love teaching, but I want to get a salary. So if my students are working toward their goals I believe a ‘token economy’ is a good way for them to get ‘paid'. So there is always a stash of stuff read to distribute in my classroom. I shop gladly for these ‘teaching’ supplies. I consider the cost of such treats as money well spent… although I wouldn’t mind getting reimbursed.
Maybe a tax write-off?
No comments:
Post a Comment