I know that on a psychological level, tangible rewards foster dependence on teacher approval on a practical level, they’re expensive, difficult to acquire and distribute, and tend to make teachers mad when the kids say “Is that all you haaaave?” I have never heard those words from the mouth of student (after interacting with me for 35 hours a week, the kids can easily predict my reaction to bratty ingratitude, and it’s not pretty.) I have also never spent a dime on prizes, ever. Rewarding kids responsibly in the 21st centuryĪnd yet, I have on occasion given tangible rewards in the form of a prize box. There are so many reasons I feel this way (ever read Alfie Kohn’s Punished By Rewards?), and I’ve written about responsible reward usage in a couple of posts: I use them only as part of a larger behavior mod plan (such as the bead system) that focuses almost exclusively on basic classroom privileges so that prizes are given VERY rarely, and only for an extended, sustained amount of self-control, good decision-making, and social problem-solving. Anyone who’s read my book or spent time on my website knows I am NOT a fan of tangible rewards.

Prize box clip art