As
educators, we are all too familiar with the pendulum swing – not what happens
in a clock, but what happens in our schools as the winds of change blow one
direction and then back again. Is it whole language or phonics? Open classrooms
or graded? Creativity or scripted lessons?
The
role of praise has also been victim of the pendulum swing. My sense is that,
with this issue like most others, best practice lies somewhere in the middle.
Aristotle, I think, had the right idea when he suggested moderation in all
things.
The
positive parenting movement of the late 80’s that was supposed to boost
self-esteem has given way to warnings about the evils of praise. And those
warnings have extended beyond parenting to other interactions, like coaching.
We certainly don’t want to create “praise junkies,” but neither do we want to
withhold warranted adulation. We don’t want to reduce internal motivation by
offering an external motivator. We don’t want our praise to feel manipulative,
but neither do we want to pass up the chance to reinforce good things that are
happening. It’s a balancing act.
Research
suggests that not all praise is useful and not everyone reacts positively to
praise. Some who are perfectionists or overly self-critical may not appreciate
being praised when they don’t feel their performance was up to snuff.*
But many will respond gratefully when you notice and acknowledge their
effective efforts. So, as with
all coaching decisions, your judgment is necessary to determine whether praise
will be well-received.
Do you remember doing pendulum problems
during high-school physics class? The exercise was to consider how much the arc
of the swing was reduced on each repetition and how many swings it would take
before equilibrium was reached and the pendulum came to rest. Hopefully it can
be that way with praise, too. By neither avoiding nor overusing praise, we can
find that happy place where over-correction isn’t necessary and appropriate
praise is used as an effective coaching tool.
* Weissbourd, R. (2009). The parents
we mean to be: How well intentioned adults undermine children’s moral and
emotional development. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
This week, you might want to
take a look at:
Interesting thoughts about “Writing
Your Way to Happiness.” So many implications for coaches, teachers, student,
and human beings in general!
How classroom jobs build community:
Quotes
about Revision:
Tips to consider about divided
attention, technology, and note-taking:
Hard is okay: More research about
growth-mindset and STEM
That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!
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