Power of Praise

Power of Feedback

While this is not a new idea, it's something that may be worthy of a reminder, especially in the middle of January!  Praise is one of the simplest and most powerful tools to engage and motivate your students.  When used effectively, it can positively impact behaviors and attitudes about learning.  It may seem obvious that praise can have a powerful effect on your students, but research shows, it is not always the go-to tool - in fact, it's often underused.  

When praise is effective, it's really effective!  That doesn't mean you should start praising students for every little thing they do, or make this your only classroom management tool you use - but it is a highly effective tool to have in your toolbox.  Here are some helpful reminders about giving praise:

 Effort-Based Praise

Personal praise, which tends to focus on natural talents or skills that come easily to students, may make students feel their abilities are just part of who they are and they don't have the ability to improve.  Personal praise can make them less willing to risk trying new things for fear of revealing just how little talent they think they have.  Instead, focus on effort-based praise, which emphasizes what students can control.  Words like "I am so impressed at how hard you worked to sing that song without the music and lyrics in front of you!" are more empowering than "You have such a beautiful singing voice!"

Behavior-Specific Praise

This type of praise is an evidence-based classroom management strategy that focuses on providing specific feedback that clearly tells students what they've done correctly. An example of behavior-specific praise would be, "Nice work getting your homework out of your folder first thing this morning," to someone who is working on organization.  

Tips for Giving Feedback (download Effective Ways to Give Praise)

1.  Be specific. (Great job! You were quiet in the hallway as we passed other classrooms! rather than You did a good job on the way to lunch today.)

2.  Be clear about the expectations. (Wow! You unpacked your backpack in the first 15 minutes of the day. Well done!)

3. Praise the process and progress, not just the outcome. (You've put so much effort into writing your first draft.)

4.  Be sincere - and don't overpraise. (overpraising can send the message that teachers have low expectations for the student)

5.  Be sensitive, and follow culturally responsive practices.  (identify what's appropriate for individual students - some thrive on being praised in front of the whole class, while others are uncomfortable being singled out)

6. Avoid comparisons to other students. (High five for learning how to spell such tricky words! rather than High five for coming in first in the spelling bee!)

These tips apply to students, but can also apply to our co-workers, families, and those we encounter throughout our daily lives.  While we have Willow WOWs, blue tickets, and thank you notes available to use (and these are great!), sometimes our words can have just as much impact.  And sometimes, it's helpful to be reminded how effective this simple strategy can be.

Have a great week.  I truly appreciate the things you do, above and beyond, to support your students, each other, and our families.  I brag about Willow all the time!

Sue