Removing Rewards to Focus on Motivation and Character

We see it all the time-using some type of prize to reward good behavior.  As psychologists we learned, from the work of B.F. Skinner, that behavior is determined by consequences, reinforcements or punishments, which make it more or less likely that the behavior will be repeated.  The thought of actually removing these rewards probably makes some of us really nervous.

In this article from Mind/Shift, a high school in Florissant, Missouri did just that. They changed their lesson plans to incorporate character development into their curriculum, creating a new school mission statement that put character at the center. Students that were most challenging for teachers often responded most positively. Although this particular school was a special education school only, with most students receiving free and reduced lunch and many in foster care, the results were impressive: 89% graduate, 87% report feeling safe at school and attendance rates hover at 90%. Stephanie Valleroy, the now retired principal who started this program at Northview High School, reported that "it would be a paradigm shift" but mainstream schools could "absolutely" do it.

As a bonus, there is a Ted Talks video at the bottom of this article by Daniel Pink about motivation that you may find interesting.