Students Perform Better in School When They Are Rewarded Rather Than Punished – IELTS Writing Task 2

Students perform better in school when they are rewarded rather than punished. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Outline

Essay Type

Opinion Essay (Agree/Disagree)

Introduction

Sentences 1, 2 & 3: Introduce the topic.

Sentence 4 – I agree with the notion of the essay.

Body Paragraphs

Paragraph 1- Scolding in front of peers may traumatize students

Paragraph 2 – Rewards make them feel loved and responsible

Conclusion

Sum up and state the final opinion.

Sample Essay

Rewards and punishments in schools and colleges play an important role in imparting lessons and galvanizing students to study. In recent times, an agenda among parents and intellectuals have been doing rounds preventing educators from chastising their pupils. Accordingly, motivating the young ones with different rewards have been accepted to encourage them to become responsible. In this essay, the upsides of the notion will be discussed to show why I agree with the notion.

In a classroom, there are different kinds of students whom the teacher has to preoccupy in various ways. That is where the efficiency of the teacher comes into question. But some students are mischievous enough to pester everyone present. Unfortunately, correcting young students in front of their peers may demotivate them to work. Some students are mature and are not able to handle the teacher scolding them. Sometimes, they may become victims of bullying as their classmates agitate them by repeating what the teacher had said. All these factors may develop a sense of insecurity and fear in their young minds.

Due to the above-mentioned effects, the teacher has to be careful about the way he/she treats each pupil. One of the ways is rewarding good deeds. When the teacher begins to bestow different kinds of ways to make the student valued, he/she will stop creating nuisance in the classroom. Students will develop a sense of competition as they keep count of how their classmates and friends are awarded. Rewarding can be in various forms of small gifts, responsibilities they like, playing games, etc. It will not only make the classroom activity stimulating for them but also distract them from creating disturbances in the classroom.

However, naughty students or ones not interested in studying, force the teacher to take strict steps. So, punishment helps to maintain discipline and help the students realize their mistakes. The teacher has to penalize the students in such a way that they get motivated to work for good. Shouting and beating them sometimes does not work. As a result, apart from innovative teaching methods, the teacher has to come up with a range of methods to involve them and not give them time to disturb others.

In conclusion, I would say that I agree with the approach of the topic as nowadays it is a healthy approach to help the students in a way that they realize their own mistakes and improve themselves rather than punish them and discourage them from learning.

Vocabulary

• Galvanize

Meaning: to cause them to take action
Eg: Only accidents galvanize the workers to protest against their owners.

• Doing rounds

Meaning: to go from person to person or place to place
Eg: Many rumours of his firing are doing rounds in the office.

• Chastise

Meaning: to speak to them angrily or punish them for something wrong that they have done
Eg: Her parents chastised her brother in front of the guests.

• Comes into question

Meaning: to cause doubts
Eg: Our sense of responsibility comes into question when we do not take our duty seriously.

• Pester

Meaning: to behave in an annoying manner towards someone by doing or asking for something repeatedly
Eg: Mannu and his team pester the neighbours daily.

• Bullying

Meaning: the behaviour of a person who hurts or frightens someone smaller or less powerful, often forcing that person to do something
Eg: The Principal suspended him as he was accused of bullying.

• Agitate

Meaning: to make someone become nervous because of worry or fear that is difficult to control
Eg: The loud noises of the birds agitate him while calculating.

• Bestow

Meaning: to give something as an honour or present
Eg: The Chief Guest will bestow the medal on the soldier.

• Stimulating

Meaning: to encourage something to grow, develop, or become active
Eg: “Did you find his lecture stimulating?”

• Penalize

Meaning: to punish someone, esp. for breaking the law or a rule
Eg: “Wear the helmet or the police will penalize you.”

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• Discipline is An Ever-Increasing Problem in Modern Schools
• Pollution due to Urbanization