Sunday, August 27, 2017

Awards vs. Rewards and Why I Prefer RE-wards

I'll always prefer RE-wards to A-wards and here's why:

You've met one or seen one. There are just some people who don't feel validated if they're not receiving accolades (not only in education, either). I am in NO WAY saying that they aren't good teachers. There's a reason teachers receive awards. They typically ARE amazing and doing a fabulous job that deserves recognition. I'm also not saying that everyone who receives an award is hungry for attention or awards. However, I receive many things that I'll call a RE-ward.

I'm not writing this for someone to think I'm just wonderful because I make mistakes all the time. That's part of being an adult and an educator. There's no way a person can be in education and not make mistakes. I work with and have worked with some seriously amazing people. The examples I'm using here I'm sure many of them and other educators out there can relate to. I'm using these examples because they are my examples and the ones I know best. Based on my examples, I'll explain why I just love getting what I call a RE-ward.

I know what you're thinking. "Wow! I'm so surprised! No award? You're such a good teacher. You build such cool relationships with kids. They seem to like you and your classes so much!" True, true. ;) And that, is what I call a RE-ward.

When I started this school year, like I do every year, I asked kids why they are taking the classes that I teach. For a number of them, it's because they need one more science credit. For another number of them, it's because they had room in their schedule and it sounded interesting. This year, there were a number of them whose only reason was, "because you teach it." Here's the thing. Most of those kids who said that don't need another science credit. They don't need any additional credit. They know that my door is always open and they are welcome to sit in my room on an open period. But, they chose to sit in my classroom, learn something and do work simply because that's where I am. I call that a RE-ward.

I added a new twist to my classes this year. It's actually a reward system for students. They helped decide on the behaviors that would received rewards and consequences. They also decided on the prizes available at the two checkpoints during the year. Wondering what my point to all of that is, yet? We started discussing this on Thursday. By Saturday, I'd had SEVERAL people mention to me that they'd heard about it. I've even heard kids correcting each other OUTSIDE of my classroom based on what the appropriate behavior is INSIDE my classroom. I call that a RE-ward.

Kids know who they can trust. They know who they can turn to. They know who will genuinely care about them. They also know who will call them out when they need it. I've heard kids say things like, "Don't lie to Mrs. Lumley. She always knows." I've also had kids tell me that someone else told them I was a good person to talk to. I truly love it when a student asks me for advice, to be a reference for a job, or even for a letter of recommendation. That means that this person thinks highly enough of me to ask me for something very important and personal. I call that a RE-ward.

Here's the thing. Students come and go. Curriculum comes and goes. Mandates, programs, standards, and acronyms are forever coming and going. Awards come and go. School years come and go. Summers come and go. Jobs even come and go. Sometimes, even those relationships built will come and go because life is funny that way. The one thing that won't come and go is that feeling of accomplishment when a student "gets it". That little bit of humbling when someone takes a class because it's your class also won't go. The feeling of PRIDE watching students master things that they find scary will never, ever go. That, in a nutshell is what I call a RE-ward.

According to Dictionary.com:

Award: a prize or other mark of recognition given in honor of an achievement.
Reward: something given or offered in return for a service or accomplishment.

Based on these definitions, I feel a RE-ward will always be greater than an A-ward. Here's why. An award is recognition. A reward is given or offered. An award doesn't give a teacher a feeling of pride or accomplishment like a RE-ward does. An accomplishment is what comes when something has been successfully achieved. Watching my students be successful in their achievements both inside and outside my classroom will always be my RE-ward.

 ***A little addendum. I WAS honored several years ago by a student who received a prestigious award as her teacher of recognition. That was amazing. Again, I see that as a RE-ward.