Sophomore year of college, I had a scarring experience rewarding students for practicing.
I was teaching five classes of saxophone students on Tuesday and Thursday mornings as part of a class. The famous ED 500 class. The trial-by-fire, "let's see if you really want to do this with your life" class.
All five classes were terrible at practicing. Some students couldn't even get a sound out of the instrument after two months.
Out of desperation, I told the students that next week, I would bring candy as a reward for practicing.
It worked. I felt proud of myself. I had finally done it.
Except.
Now, there was no going back. Once you start paying children, there's no getting them to practice just because it's a good thing to do.
Every week, I had to spend my own money to bring bags of candy to lessons. It was like I was in debt with the mafia. Should I show up without my weekly tribute, there would be hell to pay.
The students weren't even practicing that great anymore, yet they were demanding their reward.
And then the week came that I forgot the candy.
It was anarchy. I assured the students I would have it the following week.
Then next week arrived. I had forgotten again.
It was a total madhouse. I found myself wondering if thirteen 5th graders could actually kill a grown man. Out of complete desperation, I made them a deal. A really, really stupid deal.
I told them that if I forgot next week, I would give each of them ten dollars.
That shut them up.
I figured I definitely wouldn't forget, so there shouldn't be an issue.
Imagine how far my gut sank through the floor on the van ride to the elementary school when I realized I forgot yet again.
I resorted to lying and told the children that, as it turns out, it's against the rules to give out candy to students.
Therefore, because of the "unforeseen loophole," I was under no obligation to pay out regardless of any aforementioned promises.
The candy rewards were over. And so was the practicing.
Ever since then, I have never been a fan of keeping a prize chest for students for practicing. But, at the same time, the idea of internal rewards is hard for young children to grasp.
I came to a philosophical middle ground that I think satisfies both needs. For the students who need an external reward, something cheap and symbolic of the achievement is fair game.
Something like stickers that say, "You practiced this week!"
Over time, most students grow out of needing a sticker to celebrate the obvious, and the rewards can transition to being internal.
Rewards that are more substantial turn into paying the students. Then, students aren't practicing to practice. They are practicing to earn something. Take away the payment, and the practice disappears.
So, think twice the next time you think about rewarding a month of practice with a new pair of designer pants.
You just might be indebting yourself to the mob.