As primary educators, we often rely on traditional reward systems to engage, motivate and manage student behaviour. However, my journey in teaching has led me to question the effectiveness of these conventional methods. In this session, drawing from years of transformative teaching practices and extensive research, I explore the impact of behaviour management systems on the well-being and social-emotional learning (SEL) of young students. Informed by Alfie Kohn's work, the session explores alternative approaches to conventional reward systems while prioritising intrinsic motivation. The interactive session with online polls and a digital collaboration board aims to empower educators to create a positive and growth-oriented classroom that encourages a love for learning beyond external incentives. Participants will be able to explore and implement alternative approaches to rewards that align with a nurturing classroom.
