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“Catch someone doing something right,” said Ken Blanchard, the author of the “One Minute Manager.” Teachers know that a single word or comment has immense power for their students. It can motivate, muster, or move others to action. It can also disappoint, discourage, or distance others from you. A word is a world: a world of meaning and feeling to those who hear it.
Using praise when speaking to students — along with employees, colleagues, children, and significant others — can strengthen relationships and have an uplifting effect on a communication climate. Far from being a fad of positive psychology, praise is backed up by a huge body of research that shows students of all ages need it. Studies show that people need many more positive, confirming messages for every negative message they hear. For example, Vanderbilt University reports that a student needs four or more confirming messages for every disconfirming message. Others put this ratio closer to 9:1.
In my work as both an elementary principal and college instructor of adult students, I’ve found surprising similarities in the power of praise to positively influence both youth and adults. No matter the age of students, both teachers and students can benefit from more praise happening in the classroom.
What is effective praise? Follow these five praise points to improve your teaching:
Praise Effort Over Talent
“You are so talented” can feel positive, but it may also convey to a student that they can simply rely on their natural talent to reach their goals. Some evidence has been found that praising general ability rather than effort can actually lower a student’s desire to take risks. On the other hand, when the work a student puts into a project is recognized, the student will be likely to replicate this effort in the future. A student can’t acquire more talent, but they can always work harder. Try a phrase like, “I can tell you worked really hard on that speech,” or “Your effort was outstanding on this research paper.”
Praise Progress Over Outcomes
Much has been made about having a “growth mindset” for overcoming discouragement and mental illness. Similarly, praising growth is healthier than obsessing about outcomes. Teacher feedback that is immediate, positive, and growth-oriented fuels student desire to continue moving forward. Teachers might say, “Your progress since the last test has been amazing! Keep working hard.”
Be Specific
Behavior-specific praise (BSP) is an approach used with great success in elementary and secondary classrooms. Each time praise is given, it should be attached to a specific observed behavior, rather than a general statement of praise. One researcher found that teachers who write praise notes instead of tardy slips decreased the number of minutes students were late to class and resolved several students’ tardiness issues. For adults, the same principles apply. Specific praise and appreciation are far more valuable than generalities and platitudes. For example, an online instructor might say, “I love the way you responded to that disagreement on our discussion board.”
Be Sincere and Truthful
Hollow or hyped-up praise can be more than unhelpful. It can signal to learners or employees that their teacher is papering over a less positive message or is just plain detached in their work. It’s important to be consistent in the language we use from student to student and across assignments in the course. Comment banks are a great way for online instructors to use consistent levels of language in their feedback.
Use Public Praise Appropriately
Finally, be aware that public praise comes with important caveats. Younger students might enjoy public praise, but by the time students’ social awareness is developed in middle and high school, public praise may actually be detrimental to them. No one wants to be seen as the teacher’s pet. It’s better to praise older students in private. Adults similarly may prefer their praise in private unless that praise serves a larger purpose of helping the class learn a concept together.
Praise is a powerful, shaping tool for teachers and leaders. It only takes a minute to observe and point out the good things others are doing. But that minute may make all the difference for those you teach and lead. What tools, phrases, or methods of praise have you found to be effective?
Disclaimer: HigherEdJobs encourages free discourse and expression of issues while striving for accurate presentation to our audience. A guest opinion serves as an avenue to address and explore important topics, for authors to impart their expertise to our higher education audience and to challenge readers to consider points of view that could be outside of their comfort zone. The viewpoints, beliefs, or opinions expressed in the above piece are those of the author(s) and don’t imply endorsement by HigherEdJobs.
