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Still Use Stickers? Watch Daniel Pink’s RSA Presentation on Motivation

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Do you or your child’s teacher still use sticker charts?  Do you pay kids to make their beds or give them a smiley face on a chart for good behavior?  It’s hard to persuade parents that this is not a good approach, so let me leave it to the master: Daniel Pink and his book “Drive – The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”.  Here is a short RSA animated summary that is a must-see.

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Alyson has been blogging parenting advice for over 15 years. She has been a panelist at BlogWest, Blissdom, #140NYC and more. Her content appears on sites across Canada and the US, but you can read all her own blog posts right here.

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7 Responses to “Still Use Stickers? Watch Daniel Pink’s RSA Presentation on Motivation”

  1. Irene

    Excellent video!

    Reply
  2. Lisa Tabachnick Hotta

    Ack! In a way I don’t even want to watch this video. We parents are pulled in so many different directions – what’s good for your child to eat/do/watch/wear/think about/enjoy/feel, etc. that it can be overwhelming to hear about something that seems so innocuous yet, apparently, is not.

    Reply
  3. Alyson Schafer

    I know the information out there is overwhelming. I think that is partially why people like to find a filter – someone like me – or another expert of mother hub/ portal etc.. that you feel a trusted like-mindedness with. That said – trust your heart and instincts too. And don’t sweat the small stuff as they say.
    Alyson

    Reply
  4. Laure Cohen van Delft

    Fine theory!
    But how complicated is making your bed, helping out in the house, saying thank you etc?
    Therefore, the video shows that for non cognitive tasks, money rewards, (stickers, carrots, etc ) DO work.
    I actually don’t use them with my kids. Seeing this video makes me feel …wrong for not doing so!
    Where is the fine line?
    Laure Cohen van Delft

    Reply
  5. Alyson Schafer

    Hi Laure,
    I have read the whole book so maybe I should point you there instead of short clip here. But the idea is, that we need to stimulate intrinsic motivation. Why do you say thank you ? make your bed? Social behaviours will be adopted by people wanting to contribute positively to a groups functioning – and children will do that if they feel a sense of belonging and affiliation / acceptance and appreciation in the home.
    Alyson

    Reply
  6. Kristen Tame

    Great, great video. I always love what Daniel Pink has to say. I haven’t read this book yet, but it’s in my amazon shopping cart!

    I was a fourth grade teacher for 9 years here in Florida, and I can’t help but hear this and think of what the system is doing wrong for teachers (and then of course the students, too). Everyone keeps saying we need to throw more money at the education system and at teachers specifically, but it isn’t (only) money that teachers are frustrated with- it is the fact that most teachers want to make a difference in a child’s life and they want to do it in the way they feel is right for their specific students. That is not what the school system’s idea of teaching is anymore, so there is a huge disconnect. More and more every year teachers are being told when, how, and what to teach so students can show “high achievement” on a standardized test. So teachers don’t feel that they are positively impacting a students real life, and they aren’t allowed any self direction AT ALL. Exactly what Pink says in his video! So these two problems coupled together make being a teacher nowadays pretty frustrating.

    I am a huge proponent of democratic parenting (thanks to you and your great book Honey I Wrecked the Kids!), and positive discipline and used these techniques when teaching. They are so authentic…. and so is what Pink is saying in this talk. We are missing authenticity in education and we need it back desperately. I have gone on to start my own business and I hope to support the students, parents, and teachers who want a new way of thinking about education. Authenticity, passion, and inspiration create a powerful elixir!

    Reply
  7. Alyson Schafer

    Kristen,
    Thanks for taking the time to post that comment. I hear that sentiment from so many teachers. I hope we create a movement big enough to make real changes to education!
    Alyson

    Reply

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