#Thread on some of the rewards and risks of using praise in the classroom.

*There will probably be gifs*

When we do something well, we like to be celebrated for it. A young child follows their parent’s instruction and immediately looks to the adult for a smile or warm words of approval.

Praise can be a controversial topic amongst educators. I’ve been thinking about how I use praise in my classroom and thought I’d share some of the things I’ve been reading about.

The positives of praise-

‘Enthusiastic exclamations’ such as “Wow!” and “Great job!”, although vague, have been proven to produce positivity in children- and even begin to develop their resilience.

As well as this vague congratulatory messaging, more specific process praise- citing effort or choices made- can really ‘inspire children to keep working at challenging tasks.’

But what underpins process praise is the idea you can better yourself when you put in the effort. The benefits to this positive self-view can’t be overstated. Children who realise they can help change their own futures are extremely powerful.

In EYFS, the encouragement towards prosocial behaviour, ‘Can you help me with this?’ ‘Thank you, you’re a great helper’. can go on to improve the amount a child will help others by 50%.

The pitfalls of praise
But there are dangers to praise too. Praise is tricky to get right and some studies have shown it can impact self esteem and motivation if used at the wrong times or, for some children, in public displays.

So how to get classroom praise right?

1.Children don’t just need praise during moments of success.
Even when angry or overwhelmed, a child needs to know the adult is there. Warmth and support are of equal importance when it comes to building relationships of trust with chn.

2. Insincere praise can damage.

Studies suggest when children can begin to analyse our beliefs and motives, they can also suss out when we are being disingenuous. In turn, the power in our genuine praise is diminished dramatically.

3. Inflated praise can damage.

Heightened language around perfection is extremely dangerous. The standard set is so high, how can a child be expected to maintain it?

4.Don’t praise what’s expected.

As children develop, if they are praised for basic classroom expectations such as sitting quietly, they think two things:
1. This teacher really doesn’t know how easy this is!
2. You expect so little from me.
Both dangerous.

5. Praise things they can control.

When we praise kids for their ability, they become more cautious and avoid challenges. It can also feed the idea that intelligence or talent are things you either have or don’t.

Each child is different, as are their little victories in the classroom. Thos victories will look different for each child, their size should not diminish how we respond to them.

Encouragement can do powerful things and, when used correctly, it can place a child in the driving seat of their future. But our words can also cause long lasting negative impacts when not thought through.

Be mindful of how you praise children in your classroom. Be honest, be observant, be supportive and be consistent.
#EmotionallyHonestSpaces

Sources:
(Morris and Zentall 2014).
(e.g., Kelley et al 2000; Henderlong and Lepper 2002)
(Dahl et al 2017).
(Mizokawa 2018).
(Meyer 1992).

Thanks for coming to my Thread talk.