I'm going behaviorist tomorrow. My class of advanced French learners has been stonewalling me this week as we've been reading through Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I've tried to make really sure that they are understanding as we read along, doing all those literacy development tricks that I've been learning. But it's mostly been to no avail.
So tomorrow, I'm bringing treats. And when a student answers a question with a good answer, *ding*, he gets a treat. That will interest a few at first, and more later. I'm hoping that, by offering students a Hershey's kiss or some other tangible award, they'll learn a little about self-motivation.
But maybe not. It feels super dumb using candy to try to get 10th, 11th and 12th graders to use their brains in class. On the other hand, I totally love candy, and I would answer questions to get candy (I would answer questions anyway, but I guess that's beside the point). I'll let you know how it goes.
It would work for me. Don't worry Meadow, you're doing a great job.
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