Does bribing a lazy student help boost grades?
Giving a bribe is negative reinforcement and teaches the student to expect a treat for doing minimal effort. When you begin bribing, the student becomes even lazier because they will refuse to do anything at a later time if they do not recieve and incentive. However, rewarding a student can be looked at as positive reinforcement. The difference is that bribing happens before the action, and rewarding happens after. If a student goes above and beyond the call of duty, then they deserve a reward. For common occasions it should simply be in the form of a compliment or “great job!” This often means more to students than teachers realize. If you’re going to do a reward like a party or food, I would do it sparingly so it does not lose its value.