Technique 44: Precise Praise

(Part of chapter 7, "Building Character and Trust")

We have all heard that positive reinforcement is stronger than negative reinforcement, in the classroom (and in the home).  "Most experts say it should happen three times as often as criticism and correction." (p 210)

Doug Lemov offers four guidelines for using Positive Praise:

• Differentiate acknowledgement and praise.  The best teachers differentiate expected work from exceptional work.  Expected work is acknowledged, while exceptional work is praised.  Describing what the student did or thanking the student are good ways to acknowledge the student's work.  Students who do exceptional work deserve to be praised.  "Praising usually carries a judgment in addition to a mere description: 'Fantastic work, John!'  'Shayna's really done something amazing!'" (p 211)
  
  The author argues that conflating these two circumstances is counterproductive.  When you praise a student for just doing what is expected of everyone, then you lower the standards in your classroom.  You cause students to wonder if one student is less capable than others, so that he gets praised for doing what is expected of everyone.  Finally, you devalue the times you do offer genuine praise.

"Recent research demonstrates that students have come to interpret frequent praise as a sign that they are doing poorly and need encouragement from their teacher.  They see cheap praise as a marker of failure, not success." (p 211)

• Praise (and acknowledge) loud; fix soft.  Correct less-than-exception behavior quietly -- even non-verbally, if possible -- but acknowledge correct behavior openly.
• Acknowledge and praise hard work, not being smart.  Working hard is something everyone can do.  Being smart isn't.  If you acknowledge and praise hard work, you encourage all students to strive for that praise.
• Praise must be genuine.

My response:

This is good stuff.  I need to work more on distinguishing between acknowledgement and praise.  I don't think I have ever praised someone for being smart, but I do something praise students for just doing what is expected of them.