Alfie Kohn Quotes

Author

Alfie Kohn is a renowned author and educational critic, known for his research on educational psychology and human behavior. His work often explores the power dynamics in education, evaluation systems, and how to create more meaningful learning environments. Born on October 15, 1957, Kohn's career includes educational research and writing, and his books, such as 'Punishment by Myth' and 'The Case Against Reward', have had a profound impact on educational practice and theory.

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All Ifs Children Students School Rewards People Wells Helping Parenting Punishment Should Trying Different Needs Teacher Thinking Way Education Feels Grows

Famous Alfie Kohn Quotes

“You have to give them unconditional love. They need to know that even if they screw up, you love them. You don't want them to grow up and resent you or, even worse, parent the way you parented them.”

Ifs Knows Way Want Needs Giving Grows Parent Growing Up Unconditional Love Screws Unconditional Resent Screw Ups Resent You

Author:Alfie Kohn

“How we feel about our kids isn't as important as how they experience those feelings and how they regard the way we treat them.”

Way Feels Important Feelings Kids Treats Regard

Book:Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason

Source: Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and Reason

“It's not just that humiliating people, of any age, is a nasty and disrespectful way of treating them. It's that humiliation, like other forms of punishment, is counterproducti ve. 'Doing to' strategies - as opposed to those that might be described as 'working with' - can never achieve any result beyond temporary compliance, and it does so at a disturbing cost.”

People Way Doe Might Age Form Results Achieve Cost Strategy Punishment Temporary Nasty Humiliation Disturbing Humiliating Compliance Disrespectful

Author:Alfie Kohn

“Each time I visit such a classroom, where the teacher is more interested in creating a democratic community than in maintaining her position of authority, I’m convinced all over again that moving away from consequences and rewards isn’t just realistic - it’s the best way to help kids grow into good learners and good people.”

“The difference between a good educator and a great educator is that the former figures out how to work within the constraints of traditional policies and accepted assumptions, whereas the latter figures out how to change whatever gets in the way of doing right by kids. 'But we've always...', 'But the parents will never...', 'But we can't be the only school in the area to...' - all such protestations are unpersuasive to great educators. If research and common sense argue for doing things differently, then the question isn't whether to change course but how to make it happen.”