If you give a student a Skittle…. Are Incentives Overrated?

If you give a student a Skittle is obviously a play on words from the popular book, “If you give a Mouse a Cookie.”  However, in this blog, it is the best way to explain negotiations in the classroom.  The Skittle, in this instance is symbolic for incentives.

Each summer, I think of new ways to negotiate with my students.  Is this right?  No! But, it’s a pivotal part of the teacher-student interaction in most cases.  A Skittle, gummi bear or candy corn is such a small thing and it can create so much drive and interest in students.  Coupons, candy or free time are all incentives that teachers use to keep kids invested in the learning process, but do we ever ask ourselves what happens if you give a student a Skittle?  Are incentives necessary or a pivotal part of the learning process?

I carry a box of skittles around on my cart, handing out candy for focused students, correct pronunciations of words, whole stories read, goals met and anything else that warrants a treat in the small group.  I am so predictable when it comes to these incentives that the students expect it daily and I am not all that sure that they are as excited about work without them. As I give my students these skittles, what am I teaching them about life?  A friend asked me that as she watched me purchase a 54 ounce bag one Sunday.  I tried to explain to her the background of the incentive and she laughed, laughed at the idea that I would consider giving them a tiny treat after small group.  I didn’t like the reaction, but I questioned why it seemed so strange.  I love working in education, but incentives are nice and that just sweetens the pot.  Should we not expect that our students feel the same way?  They can love learning new things, but incentives sweeten their pot also!  I’m not sure what the lasting effects of a skittle or two are on the learning process, but I am sure that incentives are a necessary part of the teacher –student interaction.  Whether these incentives are candy, stickers, coupons, free time or time with the teacher, they are important.  I, for one don’t think incentives are overrated, they are necessary!  

What’s Your Brand?

“Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room.”

-   Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon

We have four Mondays before that bell rings again!  Summer has come and it is on its way out.  However, there are still a few more moments of silence, moments to think about the upcoming school year and what’s next on the agenda as it relates to education and our students. In these moments of quiet, I begin to question choices that I made last year, students that I didn’t quite reach the way that I wanted to and lastly, what my impact was.  AS an educator, your best moments are not the moments that people remember, they are the moments that you cherish, but to everyone else, they are just moments.  You don’t get pats on the back for every great idea or lesson and certainly not accolades for every student that crosses your threshold, but you do have an incredible impact and that impact is your legacy or brand.  When I first began teaching, one of my colleagues said when you “teach after” people, you are able to see what or how they taught.  I trembled when I heard that for the first time because I certainly don’t ever want the next teacher to think that I just “taught”.  I want them to understand that I strive to make a positive impact on all of my students!  If your brand is truly what people “say about you when you are not in the room”, what do you want it to be?  Do you want people to say that you coddle your kids or that you play all day or that you teach to the test or that your kids experience the “sit and get” method more than they should or that you teach from bell to bell or that you create unforgettable experiences!  I’m not sure if I’m ever concerned about what that brand is to my colleagues *(only the people evaluating my performance)*, but I’m hopeful that my brand or impact is meaningful to my students.  How do you feel about your brand; what’s your impact? 

The Courage to Change Old Ideas....

“We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends.”  

Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune is one of this country’s greatest educators.  She suggests that service and dedication are consistently linked and one without the other is not only difficult to achieve, but not advised.  I am always engrossed in any conversation that concerns her work as an educator.  Her practices are unmatched and are deeply rooted in the idea that our children can change the world if we allow them to!  I think about her tonight as I write this post because I am at a crossroads in my educational career.  I have had the opportunity to work with a specific program for over a decade and I recently found out that this program has been defunded, leaving me to wonder, what’s next?  I question whether or not I have the capacity or “courage to change [my] old ideas and practices” so that my students can excel.  I know that I do, but I am concerned, as many educator are.  How or what are the next steps in this process?  Where do we go from here? As these concerns linger, I think about the “old school” educators that didn’t have fancy programs, teachers editions or websites to help charter their paths, they did it, and they did it well.  However, it was not without purpose or planning.  I see my next steps in this process as ones that will require an incredible amount of research and patience, but it’s a necessary part of the profession, one that should be embraced.  We cannot teach our children that trying new things is essential to growth and refuse to do the same.  I realize that the next decade of my career as an educator might be driven by something other than tangible resources, it must include what it always has, dedication to the idea that if I am willing and open minded, my children will be the most important beneficiaries.  

What Student Inspired You to Change?

During my 11 years as an educator, I don’t know if there is one single moment that I can look back on and say, “That didn’t change my thoughts or views.”  I am always reevaluating how student’s actions change my perspective.  Early in my career, I was introduced to the most creative and inspiring bunch of kindergartners.  Their excitement about learning was unparalleled to anything I could have imagined. My thoughts about my students were simple. I didn’t want anything to become a distraction or keep them from achieving what I thought were attainable goals.

There was one student that I recall very well.  She was very small, timid and frail, but very smart and highly motivated!  I always relied on her ability to answer a question correctly or submit her work without errors.  Day after day, I would make her the example, suggesting to the other students that they should pattern their work and temperament after hers. After months of consistency, she began to show inconsistency in her work and although it was right, she didn’t bring the same level of tenacity that she had shown in the past.  This didn’t trouble me, I just figured that she had reached her peak and because her work was still on point, I didn’t’ ask questions.  However I should have. 

One day her grandmother came in and explained that many things had recently changed in my student’s life!  The most important was her living situation and her relationship with her mother.  I was troubled, but continued to treat her the same, not expecting any less.  I stepped up my compassion, but didn’t reduce my expectations.  I understood the changes, but didn’t want my lowered expectations to be the reason that she stopped trying.  The last day of school, her last day of kindergarten, my student’s grandmother came to speak to me and my para.  She shared with us that my student’s mother had taken her life that weekend and it was really hard on the family.  She also shared that this attempt was not the first and the changes that I had seen in my student were the result of those failed attempts.  I could not hold back my tears, but realized that in that moment, my tears were the only thing that I thought I could offer the grandmother, along with condolences.  However, she wanted to thank me for my consistency because she felt that our classroom and the expectations were the only things that didn’t change for her granddaughter.  This story and student inspired my change.  I realized that in her darkest moment, my student knew the one thing she had was consistency in our relationship.  This made me realize that the individual relationships we have with our students are so special that many times they are unmatched.  The internal battles that students have become their story, but by lowering the expectations placed on them, you also change the outcome.  Every student teacher interaction that I’ve had hasn’t been this powerful, but in each of my students, I try to find a source of strength and pray that this strength inspires me to change as I teach! 

If traditional data is not driving your instruction, what’s the deal?

Data is not a new concept and in education, it is one of the most prolific buzz words around.  As we begin to work with our students, we are either expected to use the data presented to us or generate our own data points on each student.  Many times, teachers make most of the pivotal decisions about instruction based on data and student expectations, however there are some educators that abandon traditional data when creating their lessons.  So, I am left wondering, if data is not driving your instruction, what is the deal?

What are you using to discern groups, instructional strategies and make other critical decisions in your classroom?  I, am perhaps not the best model when it comes to varying strategies based on data.  Once I find something that works for my group, I’m sticking with it.  However, I wonder on many occasions, if I switch up my style, will the students suffer?  If I abandon the hard core data and base my instructional strategies off of something less tangible like checklists, would my outcome be the same?

If the checklist or observation gives me insight into a better grouping model or allows me the opportunity to see that I need more review, should I wait for a traditional test to change my methods?  The short answer is no!  Many times there is great fear in changing the way that you teach because you don’t want the students to learn in spite of your “on the job research” however, I am convinced that a little modification in the way things are done can be healthy and impactful for your students. 

Is there Strength in Exposing Your Weakness?

New teachers enter the profession excited about many things; however the very idea that this year will be the worst year doesn’t resonate in their minds.  As a new teacher, my biggest fear was that my students would not listen to what I had to say, but I realized that listening to my words would prove to be less important than demonstrating the skill.  This realization came with time, and many tears.

Early on in my career, I was consumed with print rich environments, student incentives, interactive small groups and covering EVERYTHING on my schedule for that day!  As I matured as a teacher, I realized that I didn’t have to get it all done that day.  The kids and their development would help set the pace in the classroom. That became one of my weaknesses: wanting to get it ALL done.  

During a summer program, as I worked with novice teachers, I spent most of my time exposing my weaknesses as a new teacher so that they could become stronger.  I am not sure that many teachers are willing to do this in the most raw and uncut ways. When teachers realize that they are not in that space alone, it helps them grow.  Somewhere along the way, I forgot that and began playing to my strengths, but I’m wondering if it would not be more impactful if I went back and revisited the moments when I showed my hand, my weaknesses.  I move in and out of teacher's classes on a daily basis and am amazed at some of the strategies that I see.  However, I am curious if these veteran teachers would also feel comfortable speaking about the areas that they are weakest in?

I present this idea as many teachers are leaving the profession for varied reasons and those of us that choose to stay continue to get stronger, abandoning many weaknesses or converting them into strengths. It makes me wonder if we are teaching our newest colleagues how to do the same. Our greatest strength as veteran teachers is our vulnerability when it comes to the development of others.  

Entitlement through Education? Is it to help or to hurt?

 “Ask yourself one question. Was it to help or to hurt?” 

-   A wise teacher

This response to conflict or upset is not necessarily one that should be reserved for students in trouble or on the verge of receiving a warning for hurting another student’s feelings or pride, but it can also be posed to educators.  During the last few weeks of school, small class room celebrations and larger moving on ceremonies occur.  These celebrations are important rites of passage for both the teachers and the students.  For the teachers, they are necessary because they represent a sense of closure for the group of students that will be moving on to the next grade.  Likewise, for the students the ceremonies are important because they represent the culmination of hard work or lack thereof during the year.  It is also during these times that teachers begin to question how awards are given and who should receive what certificates or accolades. 

These certificates range from “best all around” to “most improved student” and anything that fits within.  However, there are some students that don’t fit in the prescribed categories designated for awards.  What do teachers do with these students?  Many feel that all students should receive an award and there are others that subscribe to the belief that you “work for what you get”.  I am a member of the latter in terms of what should be expected during these celebrations. 

Students work hard during the year and once the year ends, the expectation is that the rewards they are given for their work encompass their effort and grit. As educators do we help or hurt our students by giving them certificates for showing up or showing out?  Awards ceremonies are not designed to punish students who do not show improvement or struggled in particular areas.  These programs are exactly the opposite!  They exist to highlight the students that have excelled or improved.  What do we, as educators, teach our students if we give certificates of “attendance or participation”?  Are we suggesting that little or no effort is worth an award or accolade?  This seems to be a topic of discord among teachers; however, I am always left wondering the same thing during this time.  Are we building a strong sense of entitlement and setting our students up for failure if we teach them that a lack of effort should be celebrated as much as consistent effort? Is this mindset one that “helps” or “hurts” our students?    

Passion for Change?

You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy. … Not just awareness, but action. 

--Barack Obama, Howard University Commencement 2016

Earlier this weekend, I watched in awe as yet another school year has passed and college students are graduating and embarking on their journey into adulthood with degrees and experiences well beyond their wildest imagination.  One of the highlights of the weekend was Howard University’s Commencement exercises, orated by President Barack Obama.  During his speech, he made a comment that many know to be true, but very few want to internalize.  President Obama suggests, “You have to go through life with more than just passion for change; you need a strategy…not just awareness, but action.  This is very similar to the bible verse that suggests, “faith without action is dead (futile).” 

I realize that as educators, many times we think that our passion for teaching will inspire the students to learn.  Sometimes passion is not enough to inspire; you need a plan!  What is your plan as the teacher or educator in charge of leading the students on a life changing process?  How do we plan for success in our classes and among our students?  I can only speak for myself in charting my journey through the year, I plan to see growth and changes, but I can’t begin that process until I see where my students are.  I am constantly in awe of teachers planning lessons during the summer.  This level of tenacity is encouraging, however I am unable to walk into the year with an armful of lessons until I see my class roster, data and make expectations for each student.  This is a quality that I learned from a few veteran teachers over the course of my career.  You take your students and begin to draft plans based on the class, but you can’t do that until you have the actual information about the students.  My strategy is data driven and thrives on the need to know my students in order to create attainable goals for each of them.  Thus, reinforcing the idea that your passion has to coincide with a strategy for success, the success of your students.  

Do educators take time to appreciate themselves?

As I come to the close of almost a decade of Teacher Appreciation weeks, I am curious about what Teacher Appreciation really means to hardworking educators across the country.  Teacher Appreciation week gives students and parents the opportunity to #thankateacher, but how many students and parents spend that time thanking educators for the tireless hours that they spend working with, caring for and nurturing their children?  Most importantly, how many times do educators reflect on how much time they spend “doing the work”? Many times, this week is reserved for administrators, reaching back and showing how essential their faculty and staff really are to the school environment.  Although this is important, I would like to take a moment to reflect on what teaching really means to me as one of those “self-proclaimed” hardworking educators.  Each year, I begin with a sense of completion as I realize that the year that I am walking into has to be better or more successful than the prior year.  My challenge, as a teacher, is one that is centered around growth and professional development with my students and colleagues.  During pre-planning, time is spent looking back on the mistakes, challenges and successes of the year before.  However, in those moment, many decisions have to be made concerning what the upcoming year should look like.  When I begin looking at the mistakes that I made the year before, I start with my students and their growth, then I reflect on my time management and lastly, I look at the time that I spend with my coworkers and dissect the value, hoping that we have more positive and less negative moments.  All of these experiences comprise a personal “professional plan” that I create in order to address each one of these areas.  By mid-year, many of the changes that I have put in place are either perfected or abandoned. I begin to center my thoughts so that I can objectively look at what is working and what is not working.  I also begin to prepare myself personally for the end of the year.  So many things happen during this time and these thing force me to look at my next steps.  It is also during this time that Teacher Appreciation comes around and I realize that we, as educators, work really hard to consistently be the best version of ourselves as professionals.  This week should not be the only time that we remind ourselves of that.  This sentiment should be our personal reflection always. Regardless of how many small tokens of appreciation we receive as educators, we must take the time to appreciate ourselves for preparing the next generation of leaders.  I cannot express how often I forget that this is one of the most meaningful professions and spending one week reflecting on that is not enough.  I have firmly decided to spend each year in reflection, charting a journey of appreciation for small, medium or large wins.