How do you feel about false praise?
You know, when someone tells you that you've done a great job, when in your heart, you know you haven't?
One time, I was working hard with an exercise video when the instructor said, "Great job!" I remember thinking... how does she know I'm doing a great job? I could be sitting here eating a bowl of potato chips, and that's not doing a good job!
I've also had people compliment me on things that I know weren't my best work. How do I feel about it?
Well, honestly, it makes me lose my trust in that person. And it frustrates me. I'm sure your students feel the same way.
Students absolutely need feedback, and they need to develop self worth. But false praise is NOT the way to get there!
Here are a few suggestions for avoiding praise and giving feedback that matters:
4. Make sure your students trust you! This tip goes right along with #3, making sure they know you, but it goes beyond knowledge. Trust is something that must be earned, so this won't happen the first weeks of school. By the time the initial "get to know you" period is done, the students should absolutely know you can be trusted.
5. Always, always, always be honest! If you tell the students they're good at something, and they know they're not, you've lost their trust. When you give information about something they need to work on, and it's honest, you'll gain their trust. And that's more valuable than anything!
Since feedback is such a valuable part of learning, I've written several other blog posts about feedback. Here are some links.