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Originally Posted by Sake Sipper  Well, that's where I leave this discussion, because I find this attitude absolutely offensive. Bordering on immoral. Feh. |
I'm sorry you are insulted. How is encouraging improvement bordering on immoral?
Maybe I need to clarify...
My opinion is shaped by my surroundings. I work almost exclusively with young children. The aim of such consolation prizes, even if it is just a verbal congratulations, is to recognize the effort put forth and turn a loss into a learning experience and a motivational force. Failing to recognize effort on the part of a child is an extreme discouragement for a child.
Now, don't get me wrong. I am not one of those hippies who says that tag should be banned because it isolates one child as 'it' and could damage their self-esteem. Rather, I would want to structure such activities so that the child will come away saying, "I will get you next time" as opposed to, "I always lose, what is the point?"
For high school ages and above, I wouldn't encourage any kind of consolation prize. They are mentally tougher and instead you could simply tell them what went wrong and look to improve them in those areas. But again, the goal is a long term one. We are looking for students to improve irregardless of them taking home trophies.