Praise is very important and linked to effort and it is important to praise the correct way. What do we mean by that, how hard could it really be to praise someone? It is more than saying great job, although that is part of this. We need to praise when effort is evident and we cannot use it as a safety device for children. When a student gets something wrong, our automatic response cannot be to say good effort or at least you tried. This will undermine effort, students will see they tried and still failed. Eventually, what is the point of giving effort if you are not getting the problems correct. We need to praise by saying, you tried really hard and did not succeed. That is okay, what do you think our next strategy should be? This sends the message of not being done in our journey to find the solution. Once we arrive at the solution it is important to praise the effort and process of solution, than actually obtaining the correct solution.

Praise can also be a motivator. Lets use a speech therapist as an example. In a speech therapy room, a teacher may say things like, “I love how you’re always up for a challenge! A challenge lets you exercise your brain,” (For the student who has low-self confidence when starting a new speech sound). Another example is, “I love the way you are concentrating,” (For a student who always is asking for a break). The correct type of praise can go a long way for finding success in the classroom with all students.