To think school awards are always a bit unfair?

[Stickladylove88]

We have house points at our primary school and you get badges for every 25 house points you get. Trouble is a lot of the points are achieved through doing homework, getting 100% on spelling tests and reading three books a week at home. Surely this disadvantages children whose parents can't or don't get involved in learning at home? What system do you have at your school and do you think it is fair?

So what system of rewards, points and certificates would you like to see as a motivator and reinforcer of wanted behaviour?
What would work, in your opinion?

Life is unfair, and kids need to realise this. The school awards system teaches them that.

I remember I was in primary school, about about 8 or 9. We had weekly achievement awards and then a big end of year award where one person in every class got it, with a big speech saying why. I was so desperate to get it that year - did all my homework (I did this anyway tbf), volunteered to help in classes, did lots of extra curricular stuff, did very well on all of my tests etc. The award that year went to a lad who used to behave awfully, never did his work, etc - because he was better behaved than the previous year and made an effort with the schools borrowing playtime equipment system, instead of stealing what other's had borrowed. That was the age when I realised the system was fucked.
And before I get flamed, I still know this guy 18 years on. He doesn't have SEN.

On reflection as an adult, I think the weekly awards are fine, but not the yearly ones. Kids working hard all year to not feel good enough at the end of it isn't the best way to encourage them.

So what system of rewards, points and certificates would you like to see as a motivator and reinforcer of wanted behaviour?
What would work, in your opinion?

Every child does things that are praiseworthy, that's all that I'm saying. If the point is to reward and motivate wanted behaviour then why not reward wanted behaviour - in all children?

Life is unfair, and kids need to realise this. The school awards system teaches them that.

Ok. And you explain that to a 6 year old how? When they are upset because it's June and they've not got 1 certificate despite doing all of the homework, reading every night, no misbehaving yet the child opposite could paper a wall with his certificates despite regularly clumping other kids, swearing like a trooper and never doing his homework. It's quite difficult explaining how working hard and behaving is its own reward to a 6 year old who is asking what's the point, no one notices when I'm good (which was true).

They have to learn life isn’t always fair and more importantly, how to cope with this. It’s always going to be subjective. No system is going to please everyone but that doesn’t mean nobody should get a reward.

With anything like that there will always be either some unfairness or a perception of unfairness.
Children who have illnesses can never get 100% attendance however hard they try. Some children will never come top in anything, despite their best efforts.
It all depends how they are done though. When I was in school they gave out prizes for both best achiever and most effort in a subject.

I think they need to reflect all skills, both academic, artistic, sporting and personality/character based ones.
My daughters school have a regular certificate assembly. Children can take in certificates from out if school,(swimming, gym, music, cubs/brownies etc) as well as being given them in school. One week my daughter came home with an award for upholding school values.
In the infants they used a colour based reward scheme. She would often get moved up for sitting nicely, trying hard and being kind, or helpful. If a child misbehaved and went down the chart, they could move back up for good behaviour. Each day started afresh. At least that gave a level playing field as the teacher could take any individual needs into account when necessary.
We are in Wales and just had eisteddfod. Dd won house points for coming first in violin. She was the only one that played violin, so openly told people that she had come first before she started! I told her she earned the house points for taking part and being brave enough to go on the stage and play in front of the whole school (about 240 people) - she has only been learning since September!

They have to learn life isn’t always fair

Why do they? And why at that age? Why is their effort to behave or to work hard not worthy of some praise too?

If praise is a good motivator to improve bad behaviour why isn't it also a motivator to encourage on going good behaviour?

Our school is fab - merit points are awarded for all sorts of things & any staff members can give them. I make a point of giving them to children who have been helpful, kind, polite, a good friend, tried their best, achieved something they couldn't do before, bettered a personal best in something, concentrated during a distraction, made a sensible behaviour choice, put their hand up if they're usually reluctant, etc. All of those things are just as important as academic achievement - for ALL children.

gingerbiscuits

Yes, exactly.

Homework, spelling and reading are standard things. Not additional things. So I don't see how that's not an even playing field

Said the parent of a non dyslexic child

Our school do badges for attendance. Fair enough there’s no rewards just a badge for Mam to sit and sew on (they also do good behaviour badges too)
My friend’s kid goes to another school and constantly gets left out of end of year trips/discos/gifts because of poor attendance. The child is unwell, she’s got an autoimmune disease Ffs! So even though it’s not our school I don’t sew the attendance ones on out of silent protest for my friends poor little girl

Gingerbiscuits - you sound like a lovely teacher. My dd once got rewarded for carrying on doing what she was asked to do, whilst those around her were messing about.
Greentulips - I agree. My dd has just started 1 to 1 lessons outside school as we think she is dyslexic. She could try really hard to learn spellings. She would be able to write them really neatly, but half the letters might be missing.
Same could be said for other children trying to learn times tables. They could try really hard and just not be able to remember them.
You can't always use the end result to measure the amount of effort put in.

To be honest, I think Teachers are so frazzled dealing with the badly behaved kids that they haven't got time to praise the well behaved ones. It's not fair at all, but it's life.

My kids’ school does wonderful awards for things like integrity, Caring and respect as well as academic achievement. Yes the difficult children get more of them - but aren’t they the ones who need them the most? I think it’s a lovely system and on the rare occasion we’ve had one home we make a huge fuss of the recipient.

I work in 5 different primary schools. House points are given for all sorts of things, as I expect they are in most schools. Good work, good effort, being helpful, improved behaviour, increased participation etc etc.

Some people who have bright/well-behaved dc always complain that the 'bad' kids get all the points. Some people who have lower ability kids always complain that the able kids get all the points regardless of effort, just because they are clever. Both can't be true at once. As usual, schools can't win.

I absolutely detest attendance awards, how they are still allowed is beyond me. Punishing the child who has medical appointments, the child who has a complex condition, the unfortunate child who got D&V and parents followed the 48 hour rule, GAH, hate hate hate them!

My eldest told her teacher (aged about 8) "what's the point in behaving when I never get noticed because I am always good, yet X always gets a treat because he is mostly naughty and has a treat when he behaves"

I don'tcthjnk it matters what schools do it will be perceived as unfair by someone.
My personal peeves:
Class attendance awards....even less control than your own sickness/hospital appts/disability, the pot luck of who else you have in your class, whether their parents choose term-time holidays & encourage attendance.
It has to be 1 boy & 1 girl getting x or y regardless of effort/achievement/number of each in the class.

I was just coming along to say that @Muddlingalongalone !

Class attendance awards

Oh yay, DS's class mates must love having him in their class. Not only does he have " special treatment" due to his disability/illness, his mostly weekly hospital visits mean his class never get the 100% attendance award for the week. It's hard enough for him without having that weighing on him too.

I do think a lot of children end up falling under the radar even though they always do their best.