As educators, we all want classrooms and schools where students feel safe, motivated, and ready to learn. It’s no surprise, then, that many Tier One behavior systems rely heavily on rewards and incentives—from token economies and behavior charts to pizza parties and treasure boxes. These tools are easy to implement and often produce short-term results.

But when we look at the research from brain science and child development, a clear message emerges: external rewards may undermine long-term behavior growth and intrinsic motivation, especially when used as the foundation of behavior expectations across classrooms and buildings.

Before reinforcing your Tier One system with extrinsic motivators, it’s time to ask: Are we shaping compliant behavior, or are we teaching students how to truly regulate, reflect, and grow?

The Research: What Science Says About Rewards

On the surface, rewards appear effective. Students behave, teachers breathe easier, and the day moves along. But evidence from neuroscience and psychology paints a more complex picture:

• Rewards can reduce intrinsic motivation. Studies by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan (Self-Determination Theory) show that when we reward behaviors students might do on their own—like helping a peer or showing persistence—we may accidentally decrease the likelihood that they’ll do it again without a reward.
  
• Dopamine drives short-term compliance. The brain responds to rewards with a hit of dopamine, but this effect fades quickly. Over time, students can become dependent on the “what do I get?” mentality rather than developing internal reasons for making good choices.
  
• Rewards bypass skill-building. When we reward students for sitting quietly or finishing work, we might miss an opportunity to teach them how to manage attention, why focus matters, or what strategies help them succeed—especially for students with self-regulation challenges.
  

For students with trauma, rewards can backfire. Children with a history of trauma or adversity often struggle with emotional regulation. When rewards are withheld or inconsistently earned, these students may feel shame or anxiety, increasing dysregulation instead of reducing it (Desautels, 2020).

A Brain-Aligned, Whole-Child Approach

Both classroom teachers and school leaders must consider the whole child—socially, emotionally, and developmentally—when designing Tier One systems. Here’s what that means in practice:

1. Focus on relationships before rewards. Strong student-teacher connections are more powerful than any incentive. A child is more likely to meet expectations when they feel safe, respected, and understood.
   
2. Teach skills explicitly. Behavior is learned. Just like reading or math, students need instruction in self-awareness, regulation, empathy, and problem-solving. This is especially important in the early grades and in environments where students are still learning to manage emotions.
   
3. Promote intrinsic motivation. Highlight effort, persistence, and growth—not just results. Celebrate how a student solved a problem, helped a peer, or bounced back from a tough moment—not with a prize, but with authentic recognition.
   
4. Support autonomy and student voice. Involve students in setting class norms and reflecting on behavior. When they co-own the process, they’re more likely to invest in it.
   
5. Create safe, predictable environments. Consistency, clear expectations, and restorative practices foster a climate where students understand the why behind behavior expectations—and how to recover when they make mistakes.
   

What Teachers and Leaders Can Do Instead

If you’re a classroom teacher:

• Replace reward charts with daily check-ins, classroom circles, and reflective conversations.
  
• Use behavior-specific praise (“You showed great focus during that tough task”) instead of general stickers or points.
  
• Build in brain-aligned transitions and movement breaks to support regulation throughout the day.
  

If you’re a school leader:

• Prioritize professional development on trauma-informed practices , executive function, and social-emotional learning.
  
• Audit current Tier One systems: Are they equitable? Are they teaching or simply reinforcing?
  
• Encourage building-wide alignment around shared values, student voice, and skill-building instead of relying on prize-based programs.
  

Build Capacity, Not Compliance

Rewards are easy. But long-term change? That requires something deeper.

By grounding our Tier One behavior systems in brain science, relationship-based practices, and a whole-child lens, we move from simply managing behavior to truly supporting development. We stop asking “How do I get them to behave?” and start asking “What do they need to learn in order to thrive?”

Let’s shift from quick fixes to lasting foundations through connection and compassion, rather than control and compliance. Our students—our classrooms—and YOU, deserve it.

Bethany