Hello!
My name is Steve Reifman, and I am a National Board Certified elementary school teacher, author, and speaker in Santa Monica, CA.
SteveReifman.com is a resource for elementary school teachers and parents. My mission is to teach the whole child—empowering students to succeed academically, build strong character, learn valuable work habits and social skills, and take charge of their health and wellness.
Blog
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Chase Manning Mystery Series
Each book in this award-winning mystery series for kids 8-12 features a single-day, real-time thriller that takes place on an elementary school campus.
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Introduction to This Blog Series
Establishing a sense of purpose is one of the most important responsibilities teachers face at the beginning of each new school year. Over the next several weeks I will share a variety of ideas that I have used to help students better understand why it is important to come to school every day, work hard, and learn as much as possible.
Establishing a sense of purpose is one of the most important responsibilities teachers face at the beginning of each new school year. Over the next several weeks I will share a variety of ideas that I have used to help students better understand why it is important to come to school every day, work hard, and learn as much as possible.
Character education has been a very popular topic in recent years. In the noble effort to build character in children and respond to this important societal need, schools have launched a wide variety of initiatives and started a great number of programs. In my experience, the most effective character education initiatives cannot be add-ons.
When I speak of add-ons, I am talking about guest speakers, special assemblies, and other periodic activities that are not part of a student’s core schooling experience. In no way do I mean to put down guest speakers and special assemblies. In fact, I have seen many excellent ones throughout my career. The problem is this: unless character education efforts are embedded in the daily fabric of classroom life, results are likely to be disappointing. Effective character education cannot be “something extra†that we offer our students every once in a while. Results will only be powerful and lasting when these efforts are a consistent component of our classroom experience.
When I speak of add-ons, I am talking about guest speakers, special assemblies, and other periodic activities that are not part of a student’s core schooling experience. In no way do I mean to put down guest speakers and special assemblies. In fact, I have seen many excellent ones throughout my career. The problem is this: unless character education efforts are embedded in the daily fabric of classroom life, results are likely to be disappointing. Effective character education cannot be “something extra†that we offer our students every once in a while. Results will only be powerful and lasting when these efforts are a consistent component of our classroom experience.
This blog post marks the end of my 13-week series on nurturing students’ intrinsic motivation. As I close out my discussion of this topic, I want to distinguish between recognitions and rewards. Many consider them to be one in the same. In fact, I vividly recall a course I taught to a group of teachers where I was pointing out the dangers of using extrinsic rewards and suggesting instead the nurturing of intrinsic motivation based on the ideas described in this blog series. One member of the group, however, drew the conclusion that, because some of the recognition ideas involve notes and certificates, now we are supposed to give students rewards but call them recognitions instead. He saw no clear difference between the two approaches.
In my previous blog post I described how consistent, thoughtful recognition can make students feel valued, boost self-esteem, and nurture intrinsic motivation. In this blog post I will present a list of ways, formal and informal, in which teachers and students can offer recognition on a regular basis. Try as many of these options as you can. You will notice an immediate change in your classroom environment.
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