Dear Parents,
I recently came across this article and it has been on my mind a lot. I'm curious what your thought are on the matter. Please leave me a comment.
Thanks,
Mrs. Staab
Teaching in Progress: Why I Will Never Use a Behavior Chart Again: I know from all the clip charts and behavior charts I have seen on Pinterest that this statement has probably already raised a couple of eye...
Mrs. Staab, thanks for bringing this to our attention and having the integrity to reevaluate classroom procedures for the good of our children. Overall I agree with the observations of this article. I've seen two negative consequences of the charting system: 1.) It seeks to motivate behavior based on rewards and punishments, which is fine for the world, but in the end not a Christian motive for obedience. We want to obey God because he loves us so much in Jesus, not to be rewarded. Let's face it, we are rarely rewarded as adults for our God-pleasing behavior. 2.) (And this is perhaps even more damaging.) This system innately promotes self worth and conditional love based on performance or comparisons with others (i.e. if I clipped down today, or soneone else clipped up higher, I am less or not as good/valued/loved). As Christians that is also not true. We all need to realize, and children especially so, that God's love (and God-willing our parent's also) is UNCONDITIONAL. God and I don't love my daugter more or less based on her behavior, we love the same regardless, and want our child to respond to that love with repentance and willing and joyful obedience. By this I don't mean that discipline/the law should not be used in the home or classroom, but rather that the underlying foundation and rationale for discipline must remain unconditional love.
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