I got one graded by Princeton Review (a measly 3), and I'm trying to improve to atleast a 5.
ISSUE: The best way to teach is to praise positive actions and ignore negative ones
Teachers play a key role in the development of a person. There have been numerous schools of thought regarding the best way to teach, one of which promotes the use of positive feedback. In the course of my essay, I will seek to disprove this assumption.
Positive reinforcement is a tried and tested psychological tool for learning, proven in the 20th century by BK Skinner. We are pleasure-seeking beings, and our actions are often motivated by the need for praise. There is no denying that praise promotes performance. However, Skinner also found that negative reinforcement is often more powerful than its softer counterpart. Given the same action, a person is more likely to perform better if there are negative stimuli involved. While it may be argued that the aim of teaching is not to push a person to their breaking point but rather to promote holistic growth, negative feedback is just as important as positive feedback. I would use the term “constructive criticism” to describe the balance between praise and rebukes. Praise may encourage a person to continue performing, but ignoring negative actions would be detrimental. If the aim of teaching is indeed holistic growth, the shearing away of imperfections is crucial to the same. Thus negative actions must be noted and acted upon. I would, however, caution against nitpicking on every flaw as the excess of anything (both good and bad) is not desirable. I would also caution against using a blanket style of teaching on different individuals. Understanding a person’s context should be included in the approach one takes in teaching them.
In conclusion I say that the key word in the practice of teaching is balance. A person is the sum of experiences both the good and the bad- and all experience is enriching in its own way. To ignore the negatives and to focus only on the positives would not help them grow.
In conclusion I say that the key word in the practice of teaching is balance. A person is the sum of experiences both the good and the bad- and all experience is enriching in its own way. To ignore the negatives and to focus only on the positives would not help them grow.