Comments on: Daniel Pink on What Drives Us. http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027 Ramblings of a South Dakota School Board Member Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:36:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Don Watkins http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027&cpage=1#comment-375 Don Watkins Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:53:33 +0000 http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027#comment-375 I like your thinking and I really enjoyed what I've read of Daniel Pink. I think you're on to something and I'm grateful that you share your thoughts in this blog for other people to read and reflect. That's a blessing and a gift. I like your thinking and I really enjoyed what I’ve read of Daniel Pink. I think you’re on to something and I’m grateful that you share your thoughts in this blog for other people to read and reflect. That’s a blessing and a gift.

]]> By: What Drives Us? | Kimberly Moritz BlogPosts http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027&cpage=1#comment-363 What Drives Us? | Kimberly Moritz BlogPosts Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:40:48 +0000 http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027#comment-363 [...] Go read Fred’s whole post for more information. The first two levels are certainly nice, but the third is what pushes me to do my best every day. How about you? How about our kids? As a teacher, don’t you strive to provide learning opportunities to students that are interesting or that help them see their place in the world or that allow them to improve with 21st century skills? Aren’t those the lessons that most “grab” every kid, pushing him to learn more intensely? [...] [...] Go read Fred’s whole post for more information. The first two levels are certainly nice, but the third is what pushes me to do my best every day. How about you? How about our kids? As a teacher, don’t you strive to provide learning opportunities to students that are interesting or that help them see their place in the world or that allow them to improve with 21st century skills? Aren’t those the lessons that most “grab” every kid, pushing him to learn more intensely? [...]

]]> By: Mike Hasley http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027&cpage=1#comment-355 Mike Hasley Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:25:10 +0000 http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027#comment-355 I don't think performance pay for high test scores will work. What do you do for teachers who don't teach the 4 core classes that this counts for? Why do we want to turn teachers into test taking coaches? It absolutely rewards the wrong type of teaching and learning that should go on in a school. I'd rather see a merit pay system that ALL teachers can work toward that rests itself on the idea of a teacher trying to better themselves and being innovative in the classroom, not test scores...especially state mandated tests scores. I don’t think performance pay for high test scores will work. What do you do for teachers who don’t teach the 4 core classes that this counts for? Why do we want to turn teachers into test taking coaches? It absolutely rewards the wrong type of teaching and learning that should go on in a school. I’d rather see a merit pay system that ALL teachers can work toward that rests itself on the idea of a teacher trying to better themselves and being innovative in the classroom, not test scores…especially state mandated tests scores.

]]> By: caheidelberger http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027&cpage=1#comment-353 caheidelberger Mon, 01 Feb 2010 13:18:10 +0000 http://www.school-of-thought.net/?p=1027#comment-353 I have always in my gut resisted giving rewards for performance. The only rewards I give students I teach are praise and, as I like to tease them, "the inherent satisfaction of knowing stuff." Mr. Pink makes sense: we see the narrowing of focus even with a rewward as flimsy as grades: students concentrate less on the learning and more on figuring out the specific and minimum actions necessary to obtain the desired grade. I balk at teacher pay for similar reasons. If you impose a performance pay system, you'll see a flurry of activity and paperwork, as teachers focus with laser-like intensity on the specific documents and activities they are supposed to produce to demonstrate they are meeting the performance benchmarks set. You'll get more busy-ness. You'll get more arguments at the end of the year as teachers argue their "grades" to prove they followed the letter of the performance rubric and "deserve" the extra pay. You could invest a whole lot of effort in creating an equitable and practical performance pay scheme. You could make your staff jump through hoops in hopes of motivating them to become better teachers. Or you could just hire good people, pay them all a good salary, monitor them closely, and replace the underperforming teachers with better people. Which is easier for a principal and a school board? I have always in my gut resisted giving rewards for performance. The only rewards I give students I teach are praise and, as I like to tease them, “the inherent satisfaction of knowing stuff.” Mr. Pink makes sense: we see the narrowing of focus even with a rewward as flimsy as grades: students concentrate less on the learning and more on figuring out the specific and minimum actions necessary to obtain the desired grade.

I balk at teacher pay for similar reasons. If you impose a performance pay system, you’ll see a flurry of activity and paperwork, as teachers focus with laser-like intensity on the specific documents and activities they are supposed to produce to demonstrate they are meeting the performance benchmarks set. You’ll get more busy-ness. You’ll get more arguments at the end of the year as teachers argue their “grades” to prove they followed the letter of the performance rubric and “deserve” the extra pay.

You could invest a whole lot of effort in creating an equitable and practical performance pay scheme. You could make your staff jump through hoops in hopes of motivating them to become better teachers. Or you could just hire good people, pay them all a good salary, monitor them closely, and replace the underperforming teachers with better people. Which is easier for a principal and a school board?

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