Idea: A coin for good behavior
Pupils who behave well have a chance of a day out. The Twents Carmel College in Oldenzaal tries to stimulate awareness with these types of actions.
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
The bicycles were neatly stored in the garage for at least three weeks and the canteen was tidier than ever. “We can look back on a successful campaign,” says Henk Winkelhuis, junior teacher at Twents Carmel College in Oldenzaal.
The VMBO location on Potskampstraat has 1350 students who could all earn a coin if they showed good behavior. This gave them a chance to win a day in Amsterdam. The idea arose in consultation with the municipality and environmental education center De Höfte. “We wanted to broaden their campaign 'litter in the school',” explains Winkelhuis. “Of course you want to keep the canteen as tidy as possible, but the main issue is how we can change the attitudes of students. We focus on awareness: how do you deal well with each other and with your environment? "
Of course you want to keep the canteen as tidy as possible, but the main question is how we can change the attitude of students
Eager
So students could earn a coin if, for example, they didn't cycle in the schoolyard, put their seats in the canteen and clean up the mess. Each teacher was given ten tokens to hand out and in the end 339 tokens were handed out. Winkelhuis: “In the beginning, pupils were a bit hesitant, but the further time went on, the more eager they became. "Sir, sir, look what I'm doing," you would hear some say while throwing out garbage. It became a bit of a game, but in the meantime they are working on it. They also eventually did it on their own. For example, I gave a girl a coin who walked all the way across the schoolyard with the bicycle in her hand, while no one else was around. ”
After three weeks, prominent Oldenzalers, such as referee Björn Kuipers, were allowed to draw the prize winners from a large pot of names. A delegation of 45 students and a few employees then left by bus to Amsterdam. Under the guidance of the Plastic Whale organization, they fished waste from the canal in boats in the morning. As many as 21 full bags of rubbish was the result. “Students were really impressed with what they got out of the water in one hour, and that in winter,” says Winkelhuis. "They saw for themselves that something really needs to change and that means we have 45 new ambassadors."
Rust
All in all, the campaign has yielded a lot, he says. According to him, there is more peace in the school and it is cleaner than before. Another result is that much discussion has arisen. The local press paid attention to it, for example because some people see such a reward system as patronizing. “Yes, I understand that”, says the teacher. “Some also wonder whether it is necessary to pay attention to this. It should go without saying that you clean up the mess, but come and see for yourself how well rewarding works. The fact that the action brings about a lot is just beautiful, then life goes. I was even approached about it at the football club: Gosh Henk, I see a wad here, will I get a coin from you? That's laughing. ”
Clearing up the mess should go without saying, but come and see for yourself how well rewards work
Moreover, the school already has more experience in rewarding students. Every autumn, students who have their bicycle lights well organized are 'thrown on the coupon'. “The concierge always chooses a student who receives a cinema ticket of thirty euros. This promotion is also paid for by the municipality and takes place at all locations in Oldenzaal. These kinds of actions are a simple, fun and effective way to stimulate awareness among students. ”
Positive way
In the basement, the school works according to the principles of positive behavioral support, whereby the students are approached in a positive way. Winkelhuis: “The promotions tie in nicely with this. Rewarding positive behavior is not a goat's woolen sock thing. We don't just turn a blind eye to everything. But instead of focusing on things that are not going well, the trick is to look at what is going well and hold on to it. This makes pupils and teachers a lot happier. The canteen still looks fine to this day, but I also know that if you want to change the culture, you have to pay permanent attention to it. So we are now thinking about how we can continue this. ”
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