Are Bonuses the Key to Motivating Teachers?

[bryanmaviss]

A December 2011 article in the New York Times highlighted teachers in Washington, D.C. who were rewarded with large cash bonuses and significant pay raises. One teacher received an increase from $63,000 per year to $87,000. That represents an almost 35 percent increase. Over time, it has become clear to me that some educational standards have declined in the United States and one theory is linked to the motivation of teachers. Since America believes in capitalism, it has not been uncommon to use financial rewards as a way to motivate workers. Teachers and other workers certainly aren't going to complain if they get more money, but one has to wonder if this is a long-term solution.

Self-motivated?

I am certainly fine with giving teachers incentives to improve their performance in the classroom. However, I wonder if the money will lead to true motivation. Teachers should expect to get compensated fairly, but many quality teachers that I have known over the years understand that they have a greater calling to improve society. Education can be a thankless industry. If cash becomes the goal, will teachers simply focus on the metrics needed to meet the incentive thresholds? Or, will they remain committed to the development of students even if they are not compensated fairly compared to other industries?

What happens next year?

There is also the challenge of long-term incentives. It makes sense that money would motivate people to reach short-term goals that are on the immediate horizon. I am skeptical that it is a long-term motivator if the increases are not regular, and large enough, to change a person's lifestyle. In the article, one teacher received bonuses of $30,000 over two years. The teacher stated that they felt valued. What happens when that teacher does not meet the requirements for a bonus in the future? Will they still feel valued? In addition, will teachers that receive bonuses and large raises expect those rewards every year in order to maintain motivation?

Job security

It is also interesting to read in the article that teachers had to sign away some of their job security protection in order to be eligible for the bonuses. Some teachers turned down opportunities for bonuses in order to keep those protections in place. This remains an area that garners very little sympathy from me. As an educator, I have no job protection and I must simply maintain the hope that my performance will keep me employed. If all educators lost the protection of their union contracts, it would be interesting to see what would happen to their job motivation.

[~DJ~]

In my opinion, yes.

[chin.democ.]

Teachers should be motivated by their subject and thus motivate the kids to learn, if teacher's need money to motivate them then there are clearly in the wrong job.

[Mastakilla]

I agree with Chin.

Not getting paid enough is a demotivating factor, but giving out bonuses for high grades will probably lead to some teachers handing out higher grades just for extra pay. That won't really do any good.

[~[FGS]SaSQuATcH~]

That actually happens in Hungary quite a lot lol

[Mastakilla]

Is the topic starter a spambot? LOL

[anihex]

Is the topic starter a spambot? LOL

You just noticed? LOL!

But even so ...
Like chinny said, teachers motivation should be the joy of teaching and sharing wisdom with juniors. Not money alone.

[~[FGS]SaSQuATcH~]

Might sound surprising but an average teacher in Hungary earns approximately 500 euros a month. No wonder our education is bad.

[[FGS]Chees]

My x girl friend was a year 7 teacher she moaned about pay aswell, enough said!

[~DJ~]

BITCH SPAMTOPIC CREATED BY SPAMBOT WHY ARE YOU GUYS BEING SERIOUS????????????

[Mastakilla]

Is the topic starter a spambot? LOL

You just noticed? LOL!

But even so ...
Like chinny said, teachers motivation should be the joy of teaching and sharing wisdom with juniors. Not money alone.

I only noticed after posting a serious reply... XD

Spambot starting a decent topic, wow.

[~][FGS][Nobody~]

Impossible things sometimes happen.
So agree.. the REAL motivation can't ever be instigated by money.
In my opinion, MANY teachers aren't capable of being teachers.
I still remember my physics teacher from my education.. it was an almost 70 year old woman.
She managed to be relaxed and to make an interesting lesson and at the same time she managed to keep the casual trouble makers under control.
She was the chosen one, I say... unfortunately she went into retirement.
This requires A LOT of social and pedagogic skills. Many teachers can't provide that... unfortunately.

[ShadowRunner]

It doesn't matter how good, or how well-paid and motivated the teacher is, if the rest of society is failing to teach a good example, then you are screwed, totally... and in fact re-inforces the apparent irrelevancy of the teacher to the kids.

Es spielt keine Rolle, wie gut oder wie gut bezahlte und motivierte Lehrer ist, wenn der Rest der Gesellschaft nicht gelingt, ein gutes Beispiel zu lehren, dann sind Sie verschraubt, komplett ... und in der Tat wieder verstärkt die scheinbare Belanglosigkeit des Lehrers zu den Kindern.

I taught in Chinese schools, English colleges, but not really much inside English schools. My experience of English schools is that a shocking number of the teachers were not worth their money and lacked basic education themselves. Particularly I found race is a massive issue in schools. Black kids and white kids both are suffering as a result of political bs.

The whole system of removing naughty kids, before they take exams, in my opinion fails. I've seen situations where some kids were removed, not because there was no hope, but because the teacher failed.

They are not the only public servants who disgust me, by asking for more money, while actually failing in their basic duties.

[chin.democ.]

Because teachers can't handle trouble makers they are the ones who fall through the net, with class numbers around the thirty figure you can understand the frustrations of the teachers. It only takes one or two trouble makers/slow learners to affect a whole class so it's a tricky one for sure.

[Mastakilla]

I agree some schoolteachers just can't handle a classroom. I had a math teacher literally CRY when I let off a paper plane that accidently hit him. I felt bad for him, must've been under alot of stress for him to react like that. Or he was just a dramaqueen. Regardless, some students obviously really take things too far. I was probably one of them, but my grades were good, lol.