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A major part of teaching is providing students with memorable praise. When used properly, praise provides students with positive power. He motivates them to learn and take part in class. However, for a compliment to really work, it must be specific.
General vs Specific Praise
General praise is a compliment directed either to no one in particular or if it is directed at an individual, generic in its use.
Example:
- Great job, class.
- It's over, Maria.
- Good work.
In contrast, specific praise is directed at the individual learner and is very specific in what is being praised. Example:
- Good job explaining absolute value, Rita.
- Omar, I can see you have studied multiplication tables. You got all the right answers.
- Amy, I really like how you use deductive reasoning to answer that question.
As you can see, specific praise not only lets students know they are right, but it is also meaningful because it lets them see exactly what you are praising.
How to Give Effective Compliments
- Make eye contact.
- Move closer to the student if he seems natural.
- Smile.
- Give specific compliments based on the type of outcome you want:
- Praise to Strengthen Behavior
Describe the behavior you want to reinforce by telling how you feel with specific comments such as, "Your mind is well organized in this essay," or "I like your transitional phrases." Don't say this is a great paper. The younger the learner, the faster the praise should be. At the high school level, most students can enjoy delayed commendation.
- Praise to Improve Yourself
Tie this compliment to some awesome personality traits. For example, you might say, "It was hard for you, but you kept going, you have great resilience," or "You are an interesting person. Lucky people have you as a friend."
Additional Tips for Giving Effective Compliments
- Effective praise must be given with sincerity and enthusiasm.
- Some phrases that may help are:
- I like it when you...
- Hey, you're really sharp, you...
- I am very proud of you because...
- Thank you for...
- It's a great way to...
- It is important not to combine praise with criticism. To keep praising from criticizing, don't use the word "but" immediately after the compliment.
Reference
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