Rethinking Rewards

One of the things that I cherish about my work with Responsive Classroom is the opportunity to write. We have a fabulous publications department that I have learned a lot from and hope to continue learning!


The use of rewards is a topic that often comes up when speaking to educators and parents about discipline. It's a topic that I happen to be passionate about, and feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to write about it.

Can I say how excited I was to learn that the article I wrote - Teaching Without Rewards - was the most read, commented on, and shared article for the organization! This piece shares my experience of replacing rewards as a way to recognize positive behaviors and efforts.

I was also pleased to discover that the next blog post I wrote - Public Discipline Systems - was another highly read, commented on, and shared piece. Whether you use rewards to recognize positive behavior and/or penalize negative behavior this post has suggestions for you!

Both pieces provide practical strategies for replacing rewards in your classroom and helping students become intrinsically motivated learners and community members.