[LIT] detentions

[Bill IVEY]

"A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades."
<lit at literacyworkshop.org> on Sunday, September 30, 2007 at 8:00 PM -0500
wrote:
>Can you give me an example from adult life (not school) when your #3 is
>true?  I do not feel consistently rewarded for proper behavior.  I behave
>in a way that I think is right because it is right, but I often notice
>that people who take short cuts or do not behave "properly" seem to get
>more rewards.

Hi!

That's a good question, and I guess I have to concede that adult life is
not always fair (nor is kid life, for that matter, even at the best of
schools). I guess I do think that virtue is its own reward, and in that
sense #3 is always true for those who would agree. I would also agree (how
could I not?) that sometimes improper behavior leads to stronger immediate
external rewards. But I also believe that "what goes around comes around,"
and that in the end good people come out on top. In the end, I can control
my own self-judgment, but I can't control what others think. Hmm, so maybe
#3 needs to be rethought...  *can* we teach that "virtue is its own
reward"??? Hmmm....

For the record, my own schools have certainly not been perfect in this
regard. I have had years where I felt one little trip-up might cause me to
be unceremoniously tossed out on my ear, and I have had years where it
seemed the people who were truly student-focused and full of integrity and
dignity were being just dumped on. I think I know what you're
experiencing, and it truly stinks. 

Take care,
Bill Ivey
Stoneleigh-Burnham School