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PE/Health Education, & The Winning Attitude: Recognition for Behavior & Effort (not for performance)

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Estacada, Oregon, United States
I am 23 years old and I am engaged to the most amazing woman in the world. The wedding date is coming up, July 18th, but it seems like an eternity away. I currently teach physical education at two different elementary schools (both in the same day) in the Sherman County School District, located in Oregon. I recently graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical activity and health with three areas of concentrations: Exercise Science, Health & Wellness, and Physical Education & Sport. In July I will graduate from Eastern Oregon University with a Masters degree in Education.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Recognition for Behavior & Effort (not for performance)

For every class I teach, I recognize one or more students for their ability to follow behavioral expectations or for doing something above and beyond what I expected in terms of effort or participation. The student(s) I choose stand in front of the class at the end of the day and I explain why I chose those student(s). I then have a clapping, jumping, and stomping routine that all of the other student(s) do with me to congratulate the recognized student(s).

In addition to being recognized that day, those student(s) who were chosen are responsible for leading stretching the very next day and for presenting an interesting fact (related to health/PE) before leading the class in stretching.

I would like to make one suggestion for those of you who may use this method in your classes. Whenever I recognize a student who may be uncomfortable with being in front of the class, I will make sure to pick at least one other person to be recognized in addition to this student. This cuts down on the one student being singled out.

I also keep a roster of all the students in my class with me each day. When I recognize a student, I put a check mark by their name. By keeping track of what students have earned that honor, it allows me to be aware of the students who may be getting lost in the mix. This doesn’t mean that one student can’t earn this honor 2, 3, or 4 times before another student earns the honor once. What it means is that I can see which students have not been recognized or have not been recognized in a while and make sure to watch them to see if I can find anything positive worth recognizing.

"Don't worry when you are not recognized, but strive to be worthy of recognition. "
- Abraham Lincoln
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3 comments:

  1. OregoncornhuskerMarch 1, 2009 at 8:36 PM

    Public recognition can be a sticky subject for many kids, but it sounds like you have devised a plan for dealing with those feelings. Do you see improved behavior as a result of this mechanism? Or, does it become commonplace and unimportant to the majority of students?

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  2. Todd SwanMarch 1, 2009 at 9:56 PM

    Well, a couple weeks ago I received a report saying that student referrals were down 70% since I have been employed at the school (December). I am not sure if this has anything to do with it, but the students have seemed to respond positively.

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  3. SteveMarch 2, 2009 at 2:13 PM

    I think going out your way to recognise poeple is great...I think to often we focus on who is not doing things correctly and those that strive to do things right rarely get noticed..this is a neat way to incorporate recegognition into a daily routine...keep it up!

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