I do not know the principal who stopped the honors program lest it cause emotional pain to kids who do not make it. I do not know anything about his educational preparation but he must have skipped class the day when behavioral modification was taught in his developmental psych classes. I assume he as an educator took developmental psych but I am wondering how he and other principals who do these things got through school without a basic understanding of rewards and punishments.
Any behavior we want to continue and get stronger we reward. The reward can be hugs, praise, notes to parents, candy, good grades, attention, etc. Those rewards keep the behavior going even in the midst of strong resistance.
Punishments are any interventions designed to cause a behavior to lessen in frequency, strength, etc. A punishment can be ignoring the student, a confrontation, detention, removal of privileges, etc.We have a small dog and we can see how quickly she responds to rewards and punishments. Our daughter kept her while we went on a cruise for a week. We have trained the dog to do her business by giving her a treat. Our daughter thought it was time to withdraw the treat because she had learned to go outside on her own. By the time we returned our dog was retrained.
From this point so far what have you concluded about healthy caring and unhealthy caring? What is healthy and what is unhealthy? How will you know what to do?
Imagine this scenario. Your son has a drinking problem. He comes home broke and wanting a drink. He tells you he wants to buy food and asks for $20.00. Your give it to him and he uses it to drink. The next time he asks for $20.00 you say OK____ or NOPE FOR DOPE____?
What did the Massachusetts Principal do? Healthy or Unhealthy? Why?
Give me some examples when you have attempted unhealthy caring.
See my web page and buy a book or two. Start with Hope and Change for Humpty Dumpty and go immediately to the chapter on Respect. What is the Golden Rule? The Lead Rule and the Stone Rule?
Gary Sweeten
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