Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Taipingdi Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Chifeng Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
As we know, now a days, we live in a modern education where the teacher can´t strike students regardless of their inappropriate behavior and the teacher is no longer in control of the academic curriculum. Throughout the time that education started until today we all have evolved in the way we teach along with the Secretary of Public Education, Comprehensive Reform of Upper Secondary Education known people, and other instances have developed what we know as the magic of teaching. The famed behaviorist, B.F Skinner, developed “Operant Conditioning” which known as Positive Punishment vs Negative Reinforcement. Positive Punishment is the opposite of reinforcement since it is designed to weaken or eliminate a response rather than increase it. It is an aversive event that decreases the behavior that is follows. Punishment can work either by directly applying an unpleasant stimulus like a shock after a response or by removing a potentially rewarding stimulus, for instance, deducting someone´s pocket money to punish undesirable behavior, while negative reinforcement is the removal of an unpleasant reinforcement that can also strengthen behavior. This is known as negative reinforcement because it is the removal of an adverse stimulus which is “rewarding” to the animal or person. Negative reinforcement strengthens behavior because it stops or removes an unpleasant experience. For example, if you do not complete your homework, you give your teacher $ 5. You will complete your homework to avoid paying $ 5. Thus strengthening the behavior of completing your homework. In my 6 year experience of teaching English as a second language in Mexico, I can honestly say that Skinner´s theory does work. I have come across different groups and courses varying from basic to intermediate and advanced levels as well as kindergarten, middle school, high school, college and university where I practice gaining a reward vs not gaining a reward. Some people may take it as spoiling the students when offering something when doing an excellent work where I take it as a motivation. There are tons of things that you can offer to raise their motivation; such things can be treats, free time, games, use of technology, leave early from the class, extra points, and honor roll awards. It is the teacher´s obligation to stand to what he/she states. Whereabouts must be taken in serious consideration as to rules, regulations, time, and place to do a specific type of work. Just as there are many different kinds of rewarding motivations. There can also be many different kinds of class work; such class work can differ from class to class. In kindergarten, the class work may be spelling. The rewards may include, a game table, snacks in general, drawing, free time, handcraft, eat and drink in the class, play with their own toys, a physical game at the court such as basketball, soccer, or volleyball. In middle school the class work may be Math. The rewards may include, the use of cellphone, free time, extra points, watch movies, a physical game at the court such as basketball, soccer, volleyball, or leave early from the class. In High School the class work may be English. The rewards may include, the use of cellphone, free time, leave early from the class, extra points, or watch movies. In College/University the class work may be History. The rewards may include, leave early from the class, extra points, use of cellphone, laptop or tablet, free time, go to a very near corner store to purchase a snack or beverage, or watch movies. References Simplyphychology.org/operant-conditioning.html McLeod, S. (2015). Skinner-operant conditioning.
