In chapter 7 “Behavioral Views of Learning” talks about the ways teachers control students' behavior. One of the ways teachers would be able to control the students behavior is by either having positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. I am very happy that this chapter discusses the difference between Negative reinforcement and Punishment. These two are always confused for each other. Negative reinforcement is “strengthening behavior by removing an aversive stimulus when the behavior occurs” and punishment is a “process that weakens or suppresses behavior”(pg.268). The main fact that the book states is that negative reinforcement involves increasing or strengthening behavior and punishment is decreasing or suppressing behavior (pg.268).
By working in the school I am able to see this in my daily life. We were a PBIS school, which is positive behavior intervention and support. I did feel that this would help students because they would have a positive reinforcement right away. So basically we had these sheets of paper that we called “pride paw” and if we saw a kid behaving or working properly we would reward the student with the “pride paw”. Once a student was able to collect a certain amount the student was eligible to “buy” different rewards, including dress down day, eat with the teacher, or even be put into a raffle where many of the students were able to win different toys or even a bike. This was a school-wide incentive and I did enjoy seeing the kids being proud of themselves.With new administration, always comes with a new environment. Now we have something similar school-wide, which are “Bucket Fillers”, but the incentives are teacher classroom lead. You could really tell the difference in the schools culture.
The students I currently work with are still excited to receive the different incentives that the teachers would give them for positive reinforcements, but I also see the negative reinforcement occurs in the school. For instance, I always catch myself telling students, “we could go to the bathroom as soon as you get quiet”, because I don't want to take them out into the hallway very loud I would have to tell them this and they usually stand in line and stare at me until I open the door. This would be a negative reinforcement because I won't let the students go to the bathroom until the desired behavior is achieved. At lunch where all the students are usually very talkative, I thought about “Classical conditioning”. We usually blow the whistle when we want the students to be quiet for the last minute of the lunch, this will make it easier for when the teachers come in to get them and they will be able to listen to the instruction of the teacher. We try to condition the students to be quiet as soon as they hear the whistle.
I can see positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement in my classroom, I would feel that punishment would be too harsh and it's not really effective on the students. I've seen where punishment won't even faze students if they have bad behavior and you take away their recess, or you tell him you'll talk to their parents they just won't care. Students seem to respond to reinforcement better.
Hey Ana!
ReplyDeleteI too was very interested in learning about the behavioral learning. I always knew that there was a difference between negative and positive motivation but now have a better understanding how the negative motivation differs from punishment. My school also does the "bucket fillers". I always find that the students who give out cardinal pride cards to their fellow classmates are also the same students who have more of their classroom buckets filled. This leads me to also connect the classroom management of a teacher who teaches their students to value one another to get the entire classroom's motivation up which reverts back again to a positive behavior. Thanks again for sharing.
-Ashley Neven
Ana,
ReplyDeleteVery well put, I agree with a lot of what you had to say. I also work in a PBIS school. I however feel like sometimes our students are rewarded a little too much and is the reason for a lot of their behaviors we have. Though a lot of us can be quick on our response to a problem behavior abusive language, threats, defiance, disruption, and etc. I feel as though using supportive responses also helps. Using Resource Classrooms, Behavior Supports ( students offered the opportunity to go to room 16 because their behavior indicates that they could benefit from an alternative classroom to achieve educational success).We do have a School Store and give out "tickets" that is used as money and they get to buy or save every Monday on top of day to day check in with certain assigned staff that reward them for simple things as just showing up or getting off the bus correctly. I only wonder if we over reward. But it's been interesting reading different articles and chapter 7.
-Dawn Casasanto