Mr. Gates is a first grade teacher, in my mind.
The first thing I see Mr. Gates having in his classroom is a punishment chart. I imagine him having the "flippy card color chart". For the flippy chart, students would each have their name and then three colored pieces of paper, the first being green, the second being yellow, the last being red. Each time a student misbehaves in a manner that the teacher finds irrational he tells the child to flip his color card. Thus offering the child punishment for their misbehavior. It soon becomes a way of positive reinforcement as well because when students don't change their cards their behaviors are commended. The flippy chart would be refreshed daily to green card in the morning.
The second thing I see in Mr. Gates classroom are centers for games, drawing, reading, role play, etc. where the child can play for an allotted time after doing something exceptionally. These centers refer to the Premack Principle stating that an increase of behavior occurs when students are provided with activities as reinforcement. These such areas give them a sense of freedom and allow them to interact with their peers more than a simple sticker or a stamp on a piece of paper can do.
The last thing I see in Mr. Gates classroom is a "time-out" corner for students to go to. This would be used simultaneously with the flippy chart where once the student has reached their red card they must sit into time out for 5 minutes without interaction with friends. Therefore, each misbehavior after the red card has been received will still remain punished but in a social isolation setting instead.
I like the fact that Mr. Gates classroom has a "time out corner" for the students to go to that interacts with the punishment card. I like the fact that they coincide with one another and show a unified way of stopping the behavior unwanted in the classroom. This makes the students know what to expect, and not have many other punishments. This stays bound with the punishment card, and then the students understand that the time out place will result with the card as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that it was smart for Mr. Gates to use the "time out corner" as a last-resort option. The students first have the flipper chart, and then after misbehaving even more, they are asked to go to the "time out corner." I think this is a smart way to handle misbehavior because the students have many chances, and they know what is expected. As the book said though, Mr. Gates needs to be careful about who he is sending to time out. For some students, time away from other kids is a reward, not a punishment. If that is the case, then these students will continually misbehave to purposely get put in the "time out corner."
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised by (and enjoy) all of the INCREDIBLY specific examples you all come up with. I'm guessing you've encountered a flippy chart before? I think this is a nice example of positive punishment (you should be able to know why it's positive rather than negative). I'm not sure I totally understand it's shift to positive reinforcement. Praise would be an example of positive reinforcement, but I think that the absence of flipping the cards might be negative reinforcement--as we discussed in class. You're presenting the students with a POSSIBLE punishment, but then taking it away (not flipping a card) to increase good behavior.
ReplyDeleteI like how you explained exactly how the second example is an example of Premack--specifics are good. It might also be true that students feel 'free' in such an activity, and you're free to include those opinions, but remember that I'm looking for situations described in terms of behaviorism for class purposes. Is there something about freedom that acts as a reward? Or, are you trying to increase the behavior of good peer/social interaction?
What kind of punishment is the time out example? How does it work?