Teacher reward the children?

Question

My grandaughter's teacher rewards the children with candy, pizza or what have you when they do good while the others look on. I think it's STUPID for a grown person let alone a teacher to do that. What kind of message is that sending a 5 year old? When you're teaching them manners and respect for others at home?

Answer 1

I am a preschool teacher and I do not do this with my children.  I want them to behave because they are supposed to, not because they will get a prize.  The teacher probably is just taking the easy way out.  I bet she threatens the children, that if they do not behave that they won't get the pizza... or candy, etc.  Also, do you really want the teacher feeding the children junk when they are good.  This is giving them a bad habit.  I agree with you.  The teacher needs to read a few books about early childhood education.

Answer 2

I think she is teaching them that hard work has it's rewards.

To a five year old , this concept  works very well.

But then there is always someone, like you to take it the wrong way.

Answer 3

I, too, agree with you.  The rewards at this age should be the enjoyment of a job well done.  Nothing can compete with that unless it is clouded by a false sense of accomplishment (i.e. candy).

Teachers should also be promoting more of a healthy lifestyle to these children.  They can get candy from their parents if they want it.  Children are just as happy (even happier from my experience) when they're able to make their own fruit salads or cut up carrots to have.

The American education system is so engrained with "rewards" at a young age and we wonder why our high schoolers can't pass 10th grade.  One factor (not the only one, but I'd say the main one) has a lot to do with the fact that we failed to teach a lot of these students how to enjoy learning at an early age.  What are we going to do?  Offer a candy bar to a 16 year old if he becomes a Junior in High School?  Me thinks not.

Direct consequences to an action and direct rewards are the way to go with early children.  Not side distractions like candy, pizza, or toys.

Matt

Answer 4

Using junk food as a reward contributes to obesity. As for a reward system, it should be possible for all kids to earn the reward with some kind of effort. It is harder for some kids to pass a spelling test than for others to get 100. The goals ought to be individualized if possible.

Answer 5

Calling people names isn't very good manners. Who taught you your manners and respect for the ideas of others? Unfortunately, 5 year olds don't always intrinsically love praise, so pairing praise with food items actually makes sense.

The day you go tell your boss that he doesn't have to pay you anymore, just praise you, then we will stop rewarding children with payment in kind.

Answer 6

it shows that the teacher understands that the children need to learn at an early age that hard work gets results.  And it also teaches the children that they need to work for something, that it isn't going to be just handed to them.  I'm sure the children who grasp this idea will do much better with chores and school work if they know that they will gain rewards.

Answer 7

The message is karma. When you do something good, something good happens to you. It helps to do that at home to, when they set the table for dinner, reward them with a small bag of M&Ms to have after dinner. When they clean up their toys without help, let them watch their favorite movie.

Answer 8

I have 4 kids and I hold desert over their heads as an incentive for doing something responsible for themselves..geese I never thought that was wrong!!!!

my kids are not obese. Its the only goodie they get all day.

At the end of the day I do praise them for what they do.

Keep In mind. they are most receptive to this and accomplish what I ask of them.

Our job as parents is to prepare them for the real world. We work hard, we get a good pay.  I thought that's how it worked. I don't work. 1. I get fired 2. I get no pay.   I don't know about any of you in here but we are working ourselves out of a job and making responsible adults.

By the way I hate the term "raising kids". because I think kids do a pretty good job at being kids.  I tell people I am raising future adults and teach them the responsibilities of doing so.

1. responsibility of self

2. responsibility of family

3. responsibility of community

We have fun (oh boy we have fun)with this many in the family we can. but it is only after the three things above are complete.

just my thought on the matter.

Boy I love Dr. Phil!!!

Answer 9

As a preschool teacher myself, I can honestly say that I use Skittles as a reward in my 3-yr old classroom.  However, it's a reward that's earned by the entire class...sometimes because of a group accomplishment like cleaning the classroom very quickly and sometimes because of something awesome that a particular child has done to earn a skittle for each of his/her classmates.  Some of my fellow teachers use treasure boxes and other incentives which are reflective of individual children's accomplishments but I prefer to let my students enjoy their successes as a group.  If there's a particular day when one child is having a terrible day behaviorally, just getting that one skittle earned for him by a friend can be a huge turning point in the day.  And, as a parent of four children and teacher to 18 (I teach two different 2-day classes each week), I can tell you that no matter how diligent we are about teaching manners and respect at home, that teaching can easily fall by the wayside in the heat of a struggle over the coveted pink dress-up dress or a disagreement on the playground.  Rewards in the classroom help to foster children's self-control during those moments of passion when their parents aren't there to remind them of what to do or say next.

Answer 10

First, the teacher should NOT give food to some and not to others.  There are too many children in our school system who do not have enough to eat.  It is cruel for a teacher to distribute goodies to only some of the children.  Some one needs to report this teacher to his/her supervisors, maybe even to state regulators.

Answer 11

I find extrinsic rewards work rather well with young children.  Children don't always understand the value of intrinsic rewards.  Sometimes they need a visual reward to show they are doing a great job.  I don't typically use candy or pizza to reward my students, but find stickers to work just as well.  I usually pair the giving of a sticker with a verbal response like " WOW!  I love the way you helped clean up the toys you were playing with.  You did a nice job and have earned a sticker.  Way to go!"  I also let the children know that they don't ALWAYS get stickers.  I give the extrinsic rewards very sparingly, else they lose their value.

Answer 12

Hi

Rewards are okay, but food rewards aren't the best reward to give.  You should try and stay away from food rewards.  A reward could be 10-15 min of free play, computer time, coloring time, game time.  Anything that doesn't require food as a reward.  Unless it's a movie and popcorn that the children have earned.  I use a reward system with the child I work with at the school.  Every 3 stickers earned he gets free play for 15 min at the end of the day with any toy of his choice off the shelf or  he gets to pick a prize out of the treasure chest.  The decision is up to him.  The treasure chest has erasers, pencils, crayons, stickers...

Answer 13

Hi,

I think most of those that have answered this question have missed your point.

"Early childhood provider"  has at least provided an intelligent, well thought out approach to rewarding children.   The ticket system with rewards, not related to food is a good one.

But I think your biggest objection isn't the rewards, it is the teacher being insensitive to the children that apparently do not "do good", at least in her eyes,  that has you angered.

I can understand, and totally agree, with that feeling.  

Everyone might disagree, but it is RUDE to eat or drink something in front of others without offering to share.

And I agree that the teacher is promoting rude behavior.  I'm not sure that she recognizes that side of the issue.  I would like to think that it is merely an oversight on her part.

The philosophy that she may be trying to use would be that seeing the reward  those children are getting will encourage

the other children to do better.  

I, for one, disagree with that philosophy. I think it merely serves to make the other children feel bad.

The  alternative would be that she happens to be one of those teachers who should not be teaching younger children.

That she abuses her "power" as a teacher to artificially inflate her own ego by making potentially wonderful learners, who have yet to reach that stage, feel bad about themselves.

If at all possible I would encourage you to offer your services to assist in the classroom.   That would give you an opportunity to observe the way the teacher relates to the children in the class.  If your observation confirms your feelings that the teacher is setting a poor example for the students, go to the principal and voice your objections.

Good Luck

Answer 14

This is the real world.. although we may not work for food.. we work for the right to buy food.

As well as often put in extra effort in order to get a raise, bonus or promotion or even special recognition.

There are very few things in the real world that us adults to that we are intrinsically motivated to do.

Are you objecting to food rewards? or the use of rewards in general? Rewards in general is a wonderful idea that teaches children that hard work is rewarded and helps you targeted specific skills to reward and focus on. The types of food choices may be questionable if it is happening at high rates for health reasons, but I personally have rewarded myself with Ben and Jerry's ice cream on occasion for good work or a trip to Macy's for a new outfit.

It's normal, human and INTELLIGENT.