«Help, our children's teacher is using a smiley face system!»

In our twins' first class, the teacher works with a smiley face system. If the children behave well, they get a smiley face. This is displayed on the table for all to see. If a child has ten smiley faces, they get a certificate. My son already has eight, my daughter only four; three smileys were taken away again because she was disruptive in class. Now she is sad to death. What do you think of this system? Should I speak to the teacher?
This is what our team of experts says:
Nicole Althaus: Ich erinnere mich gut an die «Bätzli», die runden Kleber, in der Primarschule. Eine Sonne hiess «sehr gut». Eine Spinne das Gegenteil. Man kann sich fragen, wie ein solches Belohnungs- bzw. Bestrafungssystem didaktisch zu beurteilen ist. Und warum die nützliche Spinne für das Schlechte steht. Aber das gilt für alles im Schulzimmer. Mich haben weder die Spinnen noch die Sonnen langzeitgeschädigt. Und wenn Ihre Tochter im Unterricht stört, hat sie doch die Konsequenz zu Recht zu tragen, nicht? Offenbar funktioniert das Belohnungssystem, wenn sie betrübt ist. Reden Sie also nicht mit der Lehrerin, sondern mit der Tochter: Wenn du bis zu den nächsten Ferien nicht mehr störst, bekommst auch du eine Urkunde!
Nicole Althaus
I well remember the «Bätzli», the round stickers, in primary school. A sun was called «very good». A spider the opposite. You might ask yourself how such a system of rewards and punishments should be judged didactically. And why the useful spider stands for the bad. But that applies to everything in the classroom. Neither the spiders nor the suns have caused me any long-term damage. And if your daughter is disruptive in class, she has to face the consequences, doesn't she? Apparently the reward system works when she is upset. So don't talk to the teacher, talk to your daughter: if you don't disturb her again until the next holidays, you'll get a certificate too!
Stefanie Rietzler: Wie fänden es wir als Erwachsene, wenn unsere Chefin durchs Grossraumbüro stiefelte und für alle sichtbar Brav-sein-Kleberli im Team verteilte? Wahrscheinlich lächerlich, vielleicht sogar entwürdigend. Bei Kindern werden solche Systeme aber häufig genutzt, um sie zur Anpassung zu bewegen. Die Lehrerin handelt sicherlich in der besten Absicht, für eine ruhige und lernförderliche Arbeitsatmosphäre zu sorgen. Das Problem ist: Diese Systeme mögen Kinder motivieren, die sich ohnehin gut steuern können und denen die Schule leichtfällt. Für alle anderen bedeuten sie Frust und Blossstellung – und verfehlen damit ihren Zweck.
Stefanie Rietzler
How would we as adults feel if our boss walked through the open-plan office and handed out good behaviour stickers to the team for all to see? Probably ridiculous, perhaps even degrading. However, such systems are often used with children to get them to conform. The teacher is certainly acting with the best of intentions to create a calm working atmosphere that is conducive to learning. The problem is that these systems may motivate children who are already able to control themselves well and who find school easy. For everyone else, however, they cause frustration and embarrassment - and therefore defeat their purpose.
Peter Schneider: Das können Sie tun. Und ihr erklären, was Sie von diesem bescheuerten Bonussystem für die Kleinen halten. Sie wird Sie gross anschauen und nicht verstehen, was Sie da reden. Denn der Smiley-Unfug ist in den Schulen offenbar schon so verbreitet, dass Sie schon sehr grundlegend argumentieren müssen, um dem etwas entgegenzusetzen. Was freilich auch nichts helfen wird. Haben Sekten nämlich erst mal eine kritische Grösse erreicht, wird man selber zum Sektierer, wenn man gegen den Irrwitz anzustinken versucht.
Peter Schneider
You can do that. And explain to her what you think of this stupid bonus system for the little ones. She'll give you a big look and won't understand what you're saying. Because the smiley nonsense is apparently already so widespread in schools that you have to argue very fundamentally to counter it. Which, of course, won't help. Once sects have reached a critical mass, you become a sectarian yourself if you try to counter the nonsense.


Our team of experts:
Nicole Althaus, 50, is editor-in-chief of magazines and member of the editorial board of "NZZ am Sonntag", columnist and author. She initiated and managed the mum blog on "Tagesanzeiger.ch" and was editor-in-chief of "wir eltern". Nicole Althaus is the mother of two children aged 19 and 15.
Stefanie Rietzler is a psychologist, author ("Clever lernen", "Geborgen, mutig, frei") and runs the Academy for Learning Coaching in Zurich. www.mit-kindern-lernen.ch
Peter Schneider, 62, is a columnist, satirist, psychoanalyst, private lecturer in clinical psychology at the University of Zurich and visiting professor for the history and scientific theory of psychoanalysis in Berlin.
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