Reflection Paper

Students live in an instant gratification world where points are earned, rewards are given, checkmarks are made and stickers are received. These extrinsic motivational strategies may initially increase student performance, but over time research shows it may diminish students’ intrinsic motivation. Educators must be cautious of the rewards given to students. When rewards are over used students tend to want more rewards which decreases intrinsic motivation. In addition, overly rewarding students with positive praise and recognition can cause harm to motiving students to become genuinely motivated. Research states, “Supporting student autonomy in the classroom, by giving them meaningful choices regarding their own educations, and by setting up

During my first semester attending Auburn University, I took an English Composition class. This course taught me many things not only about necessary writing skills, but also many things about myself. The class also showed me how important it is to research and embrace unfamiliar subcultures and communities. English Composition required me to produce three papers –two of them I am very proud of. Throughout the course of writing each assignment, I developed a connection with the subject matter of each piece. I believe I have learned what is expected of a college level writer. All of the skills I have acquired from this course have molded me into an adequate writer and a well-rounded student.

Deci, E.L., Koestner, R. & Ryan, R.M. (2001). Extrinsic Rewards and Intrinsic Motivation in Education: Reconsidered Once Again. Review of Educational Research, 71(1), 1-27.

One benefit of using positive reinforcement in schools includes the repetition of respectable behaviors. A teacher gives rewards for turning in homework and for behaving during class. Also, the sole use of positive reinforcement keeps the classroom a very positive and encouraging place for students to learn. This is beneficial because in a positive and cheerful environment the chances of the student learning increases. According to two leading professors in the School of Human Ecology at Tennessee Technological University, providing a positive learning environment will increase student achievement and will improve student behavior. They go on to explain how a positive learning environment will provide the skills necessary for success in life after high school (Swafford, Bailey, & Beasley, 2014). This demonstrates that a positive learning environment is beneficial to students and that positive reinforcement is also beneficial because it provides a positive learning environment. Some students have limited encouragement at home; the school providing a jubilant and positive environment is vital for kids who just yearn for a smile or

I believe this article helped me understand that extrinsic rewards can be detrimental to a student’s education and motivation. Rewards are a nice touch to use every once in a while, but as a teacher I need to know how to make my student’s rely on being proud of the effort they put forth in an assignment instead of being discouraged about not making a 100. This article also influenced me to understand that “education is not a solitary activity; it’s a team sport.” (2018) I need to remember that working with my colleagues to figure out what certain students like and have prior

A staggering twelve years is spent in school learning about a variety of pertinent subjects. Teachers, the people that work in these learning institutes have used both reward and punishment to guide behavior. For instance, some teachers offer a prize to whoever gets the highest score on a test. While others choose to take away free time to those who do poorly on a test. All those programs are put in place with the goal of improving performance. Unfortunately, not all systems are successful. In fact, some are incredibly more effective than others. Perhaps, the consequences of a behavior dictate the outcomes next time. The question posed by this is, “Do punishment and reward operate as distinct factors in influencing behavior?”

Education in the United States is a continuous source of controversy. How should the generations be taught? This is an extremely important and in depth issue that has many levels. Each level has its own disagreements. One particular level of education that has been researched is whether or not behavioral methods are effective enough to be used in the classroom to improve academic performance. As can be seen in the data included here, there are many forms of positive reinforcement contingencies that can be presented in the classroom. These may include social rewards, like acceptance and encouragement from peers, tangible rewards, like the token economy, or internally motivating rewards, like having a sense of self-efficacy and feeling

It was the start of another day and I was dreading getting out of my mom’s car and walking into my school. I would much rather be at home playing video games than being forced to do mundane work. For the majority of my life, I attended public schools. It wasn’t rare for me to fail a test or even a whole class. It was because of these failures that I would get even more demotivated and threw away the idea of working hard or completing quality work altogether.

It’s hard to believe that it is time to turn in one of these again. It feels like I was just getting back from vacation. During the past two weeks, I participated in my final FTIC orientation session. The session went incredibly well and there were no hiccups throughout the two-day period. I was surprised because we just had two weeks off, but my students adapted and came back ready to roll. I was proud of the team! After spending a summer working in the field, I could see myself pursing orientation in some capacity after graduation. It’s such a fun job. While I’m not sure that I would want to run orientation at Ole Miss – I could see myself working closely with the department or overseeing the whole thing at a smaller school. My type A personality goes well with the position, as there is a lot of small details that need to be worried about. However, there are also moments where I get to relax and enjoy my team and I value those as well. I’m sad that I won’t be able to participate in USFSP’s final FTIC of the summer but I know that my services are needed back in Boone.

Can you recall a time where you faced a challenge, setback, or failure that taught you a lesson in the long run? The consequences we take from the obstacles we encounter, whether good or bad can be fundamental to later success.

4. During my sophomore year of high school, my science teacher told me about the summer program called Cosmos. Upon hearing about this I was immediately interested and looked into the program for myself.

During spring break I decided I wanted to go to Nicaragua with an organization called Christian Activity Center. Last year I wanted to practice my Spanish. They also wanted me to practice, and learn more about networking, business, get new experiences, missionary work, and to compete in MMA. That night I remember not sleeping so I could fall asleep on the flight there, but I fell asleep at two in the morning. I was lucky I set an alarm because my mother was catching up on her rest and was tired from helping me pack. I reluctantly rolled over out off of the bed with crust in my eyes. I woke up that day around 4:00 am to drive to Chicago, but first we stopped at the Christian Activity Center which was ten minutes away. I thought the ride to Chicago was not going to be that bad since we rented a van. I sat down and looked back at my mother as she waved goodbye from the other half of the window. Before we made out of East St.louis I was already asleep, the ride took 4 to 5 hours with one stop. Once we arrived in Chicago, my friend shook me awake. As we stepped out of the car we heard the airplane roaring through the sky like thunder in a storm, but slice through the sky like a knife through butter. Once our chaperones paid for the rental car we headed for a bus that would take us to the airport. Once we arrived we had an issue because the company’s policy changed involving carry on luggage, which almost prevented us from getting on the airplane. Before we headed to the line and

When thinking of things that excite me and make me feel alive, useful, and engaged in meaningful activities several things come to mind. Helping people, volunteering in the hospital in the Dominican Republic, going on mission trips, and making a difference in people lives are just a few to name.

This school year had many concepts for me to learn. I had many ups, and some lows. I believe it will be very hard to top this year off. I had three ways I have improved throughout this year. Here they are.

Motivation and rewards are very important concepts in an effective educational system. Motivation is the driving force a person has to carry out activities and behaviors. Meanwhile, rewards are the benefits that a person receives or hopes to receive in completing the action or behavior thus providing motivation. This is why rewards are often implemented in education in order to motivate students to learn. However, not all rewards are the same as they can be separated into two different categories: intrinsic and extrinsic. In this paper I will argue that extrinsic rewards should not be heavily relied upon in schools as a motivator for academic success.