Why do teachers use lotteries!?!?

mha3484 ↓

Yesterday at 4:11 pm

The raffles don't bother me at all. I guess I am the odd one out here. Maybe this is generational (I was raised in the 80s and 90s) but this idea that my kid works so hard and therefore must get the prize really rubs me the wrong way. It feels a lot like the idea behind everyone gets a trophy that ruined a whole generation of kids.

I think its okay for a kid to understand that you can work hard at something and not get the prize. If at some point in their childhood/teen years they don't learn this we are setting them up for a very rude awakening as adults.

↑ keym ↓

Yesterday at 4:38 pm

mha3484 wrote:

I actually think real life usually works this way
You do your work, you collect your paycheck.
Imagine if every week your boss held a raffle to see who would get a paycheck that week, we would be up in arms

A program that states "whoever participates gets a very nice reward" and then at the end, 1 kid gets a bike and everyone else gets a donut is not fulfilling the terms.
It's no different than your boss raffling off 1 paycheck a week.

↑ mha3484

Yesterday at 4:45 pm

But plenty of us work hard and still don't get the outcome we want in life. You can graduate first in your class and not get the job you want or the promotion you want or into the schools you want. Working hard does not always lead to our desired results. A whole generation of kids got trophies for just showing up and it did nothing good for any of them.

↑ keym ↓

Yesterday at 4:52 pm

I don't know.
Raffles for small things don't bother me. Avos Ubanim raffles if everyone also gets a snack or something, I'm ok with.
I just don't like this thing of encouraging kids to do something big. Like learn the parsha for 12 weeks. Or fundraise a significant amount of money. Or come to minyan every day for a month. And only reward 1 person.
It strikes me as wrong and unfair to a child.

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Yesterday at 6:06 pm

keym wrote:

I don't disagree with your premise, but at the end of the day, who is paying for these big prizes for so many kids? If teachers are expected to do so, that's just not happening. Understandably.

And yes, it bothers me that teachers who've been paying out of pocket for whatever prizes they do provide are being viewed as being lazy or not doing enough to get kids motivated. Where is the appreciation for the fact that they are spending their own money as it is? It's a form of entitlement to complain they aren't willing to spend more, imho.

↑ keym ↓

Yesterday at 6:16 pm

amother Linen wrote:

I still agree with other posters that then it's on a teacher to figure out a reward that doesn't cost money.
It's not ok for a teacher to shrug and say that they don't have the money for prizes and therefore they're just going to continue rewarding in a way that hurts many kids.

My kids have gotten so many rewards- extra recess, game day in school, teacher Playing at recess, morah for a period.

It's hard to be ok when teachers say "yeah, we should stop the raffles, but it costs too much so oh well". I have seen kids crying, losing trust, lose their motivation because of raffles.

amother

↑ Daphne ↓

Yesterday at 6:34 pm

keym wrote:

Some of your description of reactions sound a bit extreme.
Crying because of losing a raffle- kids should understand that it’s disappointing not to win and it’s ok to be upset- ideally tears are not the healthiest reaction.
Losing trust- the inherent rules of a raffle are that not everyone wins but all participants have a chance to win. So why would they lose trust?
Lose motivation- how about try again for next time, how to be happy for a friend, how about to put in effort because it’s the right thing to do, even if you don’t get the bonus.

Also I feel like teachers have multiple incentive programs so even your child doesn’t win one raffle, odds are there are opportunities to win at other times.

I really feel your portrayal of the teacher, that’s she’s just shrugging and saying oh well while your child is broken because they didn’t win, is unfair and inaccurate.

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Yesterday at 6:39 pm

keym wrote:

I really doubt older kids are going to get excited by those rewards. I also doubt you'll get boys excited enough to do huge extra projects that take a lot of learning for those type of rewards, either--not those that are old enough to do that sort of studying on their own.

If kids are coming home crying, why not reach out to the school and ask how you can help them change this?

amother

Dill

Yesterday at 6:40 pm

Sheesh everyone who works should get a prize! Thats what wrong with the world today.. nothing wrong with a raffle if you don't work you dont stand a chance but no guarantees to win. Thats life. Better learn it now kid. Stop coddling all kids today maybe we would have a more resilience generation.

↑ keym ↓

Yesterday at 6:45 pm

I have several children.
Many of them have gone through that stage.
Working really hard for something, over a long period of time. And time after time not winning that raffle.
Storming in the house crying "what's the point in behaving for the sub or putting my finger on the place or having my proper seforim on my desk or whatever day after day if I don't even win the prize ever".

I appreciate my teachers and think they work very hard. But it's not fair to shut down a conversation by throwing out "you know how hard they work" or "no one appreciate teachers" when a legitimate concern is being brought up. And my children are not the only ones who struggle. Calling their reaction "extreme" is another way of shutting down the conversation.

If my kid is working on himself really hard for weeks keeping his finger on the place but never wins the raffle, it's hard. Especially if he has hundreds of proofs where the kid didn't deserve it as much as he did.

↑ keym

Yesterday at 6:49 pm

Those who say that kids wanting the prize is whats wrong with this generation.

If I gave out a ticket to each teacher as a Chanukah present and then drew a raffle and one teacher won the $36 check, would you be ok with that?

If you opened the envelope "dear Morah, a freilichin Chanukah. I made a raffle and the tip went to Mrs Schwartz. Use this as an opportunity to be happy for her. Better luck next time".
Can you honestly say that you will continue being as motivated

amother

↑ Linen ↓

Yesterday at 6:51 pm

keym wrote:

It's not a realistic or fair expectation that teacher spend their own money on stuff. Period. What other job are workers expected to pay for office supplies or materials needed to perform their required duties?

amother

↑ Jade

Yesterday at 6:58 pm

keym wrote:

Raffles are used for motivation and teacher tips are for showing gratitude so it's not the same at all.

(Although I agree, that Raffles should be used with discernment)

amother

↑ Daphne ↓

Yesterday at 7:11 pm

Let’s continue the conversation.

If your kid is coming home crying because they didn’t win once again and saying so why should they bother doing xyz, do you think there’s any value to teaching the kids to do xyz, for themselves and not for an external reward, simply because it’s the right thing to do?
If you subscribe that every kid must get a prize, did you consider buying what the teacher is giving out so you can ensure your kid gets what you feel they deserve and have earned?

The mentality of not doing something that’s basic (hw, behaving, etc) unless there’s external motivation is something that I really feel is detrimental to our society.
Take the example of collecting tzedakah in order to win a prize. We’re raising kids who won’t know how to do anything or accomplish unless there’s a physical reward and not only is this the antithesis of our Jewish values, it impedes optimal functionality.

amother

↑ Daphne

Yesterday at 7:14 pm

I want to add, as a kid, I hated that I never won raffles, for some reason it just was never, or rarely, me.
As an adult I realize that it’s ok, some people just don’t win raffles, and my work ethic and ability to internally motivate myself serve me well in life.

amother

↑ Burlywood ↓

Yesterday at 7:23 pm

keym wrote:

So here is the problem. You (and most likely your child) believe that prizes are the payment and currency of school. That for behaving and learning everyone is “owed” a prize the way our boss owes us a paycheck.
That’s not how school works and most teacher don’t use or view prizes that way.
The way I use prizes in my classroom is as a little extra recognition for doing the right thing, but you don’t do the right thing BECAUSE you get a prize.

It’s like if your boss says, for everyone who does their work well this week they’ll get entered into a raffle and the winner gets a special takeout lunch.
If you lose are you disappointed? Sure
Would you have liked to get the lunch? Of course!
But are you up in arms about the injustice of it all? I sure hope not because at the end of the day everyone had a fair chance and okay you didn’t win this week maybe you will another time, or not, but either way you’re not working so you can get a special lunch - that would be extremely silly.

amother

↑ Linen

Yesterday at 8:52 pm

keym wrote:

I have worked at schools that do this sort of thing, actually. Nobody thinks twice.

Tips/teacher gifts don't play a role in my motivation to do my best at my job. I've worked at schools where there were no tips, generous tips, homemade gifts only, no gifts, etc. It has run the gamut. If that was the main motivating factor, I'd have left this field a long time ago, lol.

amother

↑ Burlywood

Yesterday at 8:56 pm

amother Linen wrote:

Completely agree, there is no way I’m working for Chanukah gifts etc
Even my paycheck is barely anything and the real reason I stay is because I know I can make a difference e