Guiding Question: Should we commend students’ ability/talent, or should we praise their effort?

Ensure that your curriculum recognizes the importance of effort by allocating time over the academic year to assist students in learning about effort and applying and tracking it. This means bringing attention to effort into curriculum documents, lesson design, and delivery.

Reinforce what effort is and how knowledge about effort translates into success inside and beyond the classroom. This helps students develop a sense of control over their learning.

Keep praise direct and straightforward, using straightforward sentences without gushing or dramatizing.

Specify the particular accomplishment being praised, pointing out any significant effort, care, or perseverance and calling attention to new skills or evidence of progress.

Vary the phrases you use to praise students, and use nonverbal communication and praise to convey warmth and appreciation for students’ efforts and achievements.