Awards and recognitions

Every great work of men deserves to be praised, recognized, and awarded. International actor Bruce Lee said, “Give recognition where it is due. Compliments stimulate more effort and desire to improve. Be generous with honest praising.”
In the academe, recognition of students’ achievements is a long time practice. It is commonly done during recognition programs, moving-up ceremonies, and graduation exercises.
The Policy Guideline on Awards and Recognitions for K to 12 Basic Education program emphasizes that awards were designed to value the outstanding performance and achievement of learners in various areas, which include academics, leadership, and social responsibility, among aspects of student progress and development.
It is important to recognize and award learners’ efforts and accomplishments. Researchers have proven that this makes them feel appreciated, confident, motivated and happy.
Recognition and awards serve as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. For instance, a consistent honor student will strive harder. He is determined to finish his studies with flying colors.
According to Adelman and Taylor, the presence of intrinsic motivation produces many behaviors that result in school success like sustained interest in tasks, risk taking, and conquering of new challenges.
On the other hand, American author Paul Chance states “To teach without using extrinsic rewards is analogous to asking our students to learn to draw with their eyes closed.” He also noted that praise from the teacher was a common yet effective extrinsic reward.
Awards and recognition provide better opportunities to learners. They can use them to avail scholarships in higher educational levels. In our school, some of our former students who completed their junior high school with excellence award became scholars in the senior high school, while those students who were ranked number 1 during the previous school year received incentive from the special education fund at the city government of Baguio.
Recognition and awards are more than just a piece of diploma, certificate, ribbon, medal or trophy. It is considered as a precious jewel to poor but deserving students. They will fulfill their ambitions through the aid of academic scholarship.
Moreover, an organization or institution is appreciated and commended through awards and recognition it received. This signifies that employees render outstanding services or performance. It also connotes that they have exemplary practices or programs that made their agency number one or top listed.
I was once and honestly still a dreamer of awards and recognition. Luckily, I already received some. This made me realize my worth as a person and an employee. It also gave me reasons to believe in my abilities and helped me to overcome my insecurities and weaknesses.
Awards and recognitions have great impacts to workers. These can motivate them to work more effectively and efficiently.
Recently, the Department of Education-Division of Baguio City recognized outstanding public and private employees including schools through “Pammadayaw,” a search that aims to praise exceptional accomplishments and contributions of personnel and schools. This contributes to the improvement of employees’ performance. Everyone will aspire and strive harder. Hence, this is helpful in the improvement of academic performance of students particularly this crucial stage of pandemic.
In the longitudinal, quasi-experimental field study of Steven E. Markham et al., they found out that recognizing or awarding good attendance effectively decrease employee absenteeism from 52 percent to 29 percent in a manufacturing plant.
People are like cars that need to be conditioned in order to function well. They should be inspired to shine and become the best of whatever and whoever they are. Hence, it is always right to recognize and award a person’s major or minor success or achievement. This may sound silly to others but surely it brings joy, hope and pride to the concerned individuals. (JENELYN J. AGAYO)