[Julie3Girls]

I also think this trend of making sure every student receives an award is pointless. It raises expectations from the children and some will then whine about why they have not received one yet. I think awards should be for significant achievements that a child has worked hard for, whether it is academic, sport or being a good citizen.

But how do you define a significant achievement? By sharing the awards around, the teachers are able to recognise "significant achievements" on an individual level.
If you are only giving awards to the top achievers in the class, then you are totally ignoring the achievements that the kids at the lower end of the class might be making.

Some kids work really hard to be at the top of the class. Some kids work really hard to just make some small step, that has come easily to everyone else.

And do you really think that only giving out awards to the very top is going to stop other kids whining about not getting one?
,

[runlikethewind]

I think that students need to learn to be happy for others and to wait their turn. I also think parents need to realise these awards are not just for the top academic students. They are for everyone. Even Joe Blow, who might struggle with every area deserves one if he makes a minor improvement that may be huge for him.
As a teacher if I have a student with a bad attitude, who does not contribute positively to the class IN ANY WAY and has no value for education then no, they don't get one just because their mum might be in the audience tapping her foot.
And what many parents may not realise is that their little darling who excels in the classroom is also the little darling in the class who is spiteful and mean towards other children. Again, not a top priority for an award.

[OTP]

I think they are creating a generation of sooky kids and overbearing parents. Why do kids need awards when they should be happy to simply achieve for the sake of it. So happy that it is not something we have at our school.

[BronR]

I find the system at our school confusing for the child.

DS is in year 1. This year he has received 1 from the music teacher and 1 from the drama teacher but none from the class teachers (he has 2 teachers) even though they gushed about him at parent teacher interview. Last year in the first 2 terms he got in trouble a bit for behavior but got lots of merit awards. When his behavior improved significantly in the second half of the year he didn't get a single merit. So to me it's clear they are not merit awards but encouragement awards. However, a 5 year old who worked really really hard to improve his behavior couldn't understand not receiving an award even once. I think at least at our school they need to address the balance between using them for encouragement and for true achievement (in any area not just academic). Or perhaps even call them encouragement awards and merit awards so the kids really know wat they are for.

That said, I don't envy the teachers with every parent thinking their child deserves a merit every week.

This post has been edited by BronR: 19/03/2012, 09:24 AM

[Mummalovin]

Our school has a card system for both good and bad behaviour. Yellow, Orange and red cards for differing levels of negative behaviour bringing with them varying degrees of punishment (No playtime etc)

The other cards are Blue cards and they are given to students for posiitve reasons. These cards are saved and 10 are traded for a White card which is presented by the principal at assembly. Once they have 10 White cards you trade them in for a Gold card and lunch with the Principal, which is the childs choice within reason

[serenitylisten]

The awards our school gives are not so much for the best at things, but usually for those who try. The ones who are consistently doing their best are the ones who get the medalions at the EOY assembly.

The one I hated sitting through until they started just giving the teacher the awards to give to the kids whilst sitting down, was the attendance one. The school used to have a high absentee rate. Until they started issuing certificates at the EOY assembly to kids who had only had 1 or None days off school during the year. The 1st year there was only about a class full that got them. Now there is at least half if not more of the school. So they worked.

[qak]

Rosie the Cow has come home today! Apparently she likes to watch movies

[It'sallgood]

Our school seems to give out and endless number of these "awards". Frankly, I think 95% of them are totally pointless and mean very little to any of us, kids or parents
I see it all as a waste of time.
I know tha tin the younger grades, the teachers make sure every kid gets an award through the year......which proves how meaningless and stupid it all is.

I'd much prefer that ANY award given was given for a really solid reason and the kids truly had to do something quite spectacular to recieve an award.

Heck, they even give out participation in sports day awards Ridiculous.

Tamm

[mumto3princesses]

I said before that I hate the merit awards. But I was talking about the Primary School.

The High School however seem really good. (So far anyway) At least they get them for real reasons and they do seem to notice the kids who try hard and just do their work which are the ones that seem to get ignored at Primary. Primary seem to give them out all the time to the kids that behave badly the minute they behave themselves or the really smart kids will get them. While with the High School it's all about their work or how hard they try. It does help them to know their efforts are recognised by their teacher.

eta: And they don't waste time at assembly's giving them out. They get them at their next class with that teacher. And they don't hand them out all the time.

This post has been edited by mumto3princesses: 02/04/2012, 06:42 AM

[BadCat]

Our high school system is funny. You get merit tags which you can save up to buy certificates, bronze, silver, gold.... or you can use your tags to buy chocloate. Oddly enough DD didn't get any merit awards in assembly last year (I'm sure she ate plenty of chocolate though ) but still managed several major awards at the end of the year.

I asked her about the bronze and silver awards and she said "Why bother? Even the most annoying and disruptive kids get those, they mean precisely nothing". Speaks volumes to me.

DS is still in primary. He doesn't even bother to tell me when he gets a merit award anymore. He thinks they are a joke.