Strategy Spotlight: Student Praise
Preface
The message that “You are special” and that “You can be somebody” is not lost on any young person and is even more valuable across our most marginalized student populations.
Why? Because words matter and because these learners are less likely than others in school to receive this kind of encouragement. Blame it on bias or being unaware, but it exists.
And we must change that.
What the research says: The research studies on student praise typically fall under the heading of student “feedback” (see Hattie and Timperley, 2007). This includes feedback on the assigned task and feedback to students on themselves as learners.
While there is little to no evidence-based link between general praise (“Good job!”) and improved learning, there is a correlation between specific praise and positive learning outcomes (“Your thesis statement was right on point because…” OR “Your contributions in class are really helpful to other students because…”).
The key here is helping students connect your feedback as the teacher to their growth as a learner by 1. Improving their habits as a learner (the way they listen or study or practice) or 2. Improving their knowledge and comprehension (their approach to a math problem or their precise dissection of a writer’s skills in a poem or essay).
In the end, all praise is good for kids, but specific praise can increase learning and build confidence.
The ongoing research on self-confidence or self-efficacy connects this notion to something much more significant than a general belief in one’s self.
True self-efficacy requires that our confidence be tied to a belief that we can control our futures, our destinies. That’s more than just simple optimism. It’s operational self-actualization. In short, it is akin to saying: “I got this.”
This is where schools come in. The words that we use to encourage or discourage our students actually mean something and contribute to these beliefs. If supported along the way, a student grows in this belief and feels more empowered that “I can accomplish something,” whether that be a math problem today or becoming an engineer at some point in the future. By the way, the opposite of this is not just pessimism but something even worse. It’s called “learned helplessness,” the idea that I have learned somewhere along the way that I cannot do this. As such, I am not even going to try. (See Bandura’s writings on self-efficacy).
This is a critical step in our pursuit to be teachers of children and not just teachers of subjects. It is not too much to ask that our teachers be mindful and even be purposeful in helping our children find their strengths and build their confidence, especially among our most struggling students.
Remember, false praise is harmful but no praise is life-threatening. The cycle of failure that exists for nearly all struggling kids in all schools is crippling, maybe even life-threatening. It begins early in our school careers and compounds itself to a point that many, many students describe themselves as “not smart,” “not capable,” and “not amounting to much.”
Speaking personally, I feel like I’m an expert on this topic because I was that child. I lived that childhood. No student wants an adult to tell them something that isn’t true. It is neither honest nor helpful to children if we tell them they are “great at math” when they are awful at it. Kids see right through that anyway. Still, for a child who believes he is not good at anything, we must seek to find their strengths and build upon those.
This much I know. We are born equal and with equal potential. It is also true that from the time we are born, we all seek to find our place in the world. We all seek our calling. For most people, the first notion that we are good at something comes from our teachers. I would submit that almost no human being has ever discovered their true strengths without some sort of affirmation from a teacher.
Oh, the threads we weave with the words we use. Through our daily interactions with kids, we create patterns that reveal themselves over time, whether they be sarcastic takes on a child’s clothing or the neighborhood they live in or the colloquialisms they use, or maybe the inspiring affirmations and celebrations that a teacher offers about a child’s artistic talents or social skills or academic insights.
If we plan for each student’s success, we can create schools and school systems that help each child uncover his or her strengths and, in turn, robe them in confidence sewn over many years of purposeful, cultural interactions.
This is my hope for all children. Dan