The Incredible Years - Session 3 - Motivating through Incentives

Some interesting conversations around rewards and incentives at this session. There was a lot to think about coming off Marg's Restorative Practice PLD last week, and the difference in philosophies with PB4L, behaviour conditioning, and Ross Greene 'Lost At School'.

Thoughts from Restorative Practice and clash with  PB4L (and IYT) Philosophy -

• PB4L is contingent on 'good behaviour.' It's reward for compliance. Extrinsically motivated. Think Skinner (human behaviour conditioning) and Pavolv (animals for goodness sake!)

• "Kids with trauma history (behaviour needs??) don't need more punishment. And quite frankly, they don't need more stickers." - Dr Ross Greene  

'Hard Wax' children - challenging kids. Praise and attention might not be enough.

Take aways from the day - 

• Concrete evidence (sticker charts, tangible rewards) can work UNTIL praise and attention are enough on their own.
• Affirmed my personal philosophy on rewards - it needs to lead to intrinsic motivation. Long term extrinsic rewards are not ideal.
• Incentives need to be consistent, achievable, define targeted behaviour,  deliberate.

An interesting graphic around equity and equality that I'd not seen before.

Was really encouraging to note 'Cultural Considerations' on todays agenda. Unfortunately this turned out to be a whakataukī shared with English translation. Really? 

More terrible vignettes. But lots of really good conversation today around what we would do differently.

Just as I am about to press Publish, up pops a perfectly timed article from Margaret Thorsborne and Associates's Facebook page - The Dark Side of rewards and punishments in the classroom. Timely.