Posted by Victoria Lambertonies on December 01, 1999 at 17:26:57:
In Reply to: Re: Incentives: Money, grade points, or sheer fun? posted by Ted Bergstrom on December 06, 1996 at 18:09:44:
I feel that incentives have worked for me. When I was in school I could care less about what happened in school. I never learned anything in any of my classes. When my teachers, and eventually my school, started the incentives programs I didn't care. I didn't think anything could save me. I was flunking all my classes and there was definitely no hope. Then my teachers urged me to participate in a "money box." A fancy name for a money incentive. To my surprise I actually tried harder to do good and understand what was going on. I tried harder to get the money. Hey, what teenager doesn't want money. My classes did this "money box" quite often, and to my surprise my grades went up. I went D's and F's to B's and C's. I actually made honor roll. I had a lot more self-esteem and confidence that I could do things. The incentives program significantly increased my academic achievement. I no longer had a "I can't" attitude, but I had a "I can" attitude. I no longer would "hang" with the crowd that would get me in trouble. I found new friends that helped me with my problems. Friends that wouldn't just solve my problems with drugs and alcohol. Friends that actually cared. So what I am trying to say is incentives basically saved my life. I have successfully finished high school and i am on my way to college. I actually got a scholarship. I believe that incentives are a very very good thing that could help many people learn and become successful in life.