Most students are praised too much.

They’re praised too often, too public, and too over-the-top. They’re praised for things any reasonable person would conclude are simply not worthy of it.

And as the bar of excellence drops lower and lower, it squeezes the work ethic right out of our students.

Sure, they smile and blush over their teacher’s enthusiastic backslapping. They hold up their pretty certificates for the camera and smooth stickers on the bumper of the family car.

But unless the praise was earned, it means nothing. And deep down every student knows it.

For every time you praise students for something that didn’t involve hard work or a certain mental toughness to accomplish, a sliver of their dignity is taken from them.

A soft, sinister voice whispers, “Pssst! Hey, you in the third row. Yeah, you with the smiley face sticker. You know you didn’t really earn it, don’t you? Your teacher just gave it to you because average is all you’re capable of.”

When a teacher refrains from giving praise for doing what is expected, however, and instead keeps her eyes pealed for true accomplishment, she adds a jolt of fuel to her students’ intrinsic motivation.

For this kind of praise feeds the churning, unstoppable force that resides in each student and spurs them on to become more than they thought they could.

A triumphant voice then shouts from the mountaintops, “You did it! And you’re capable of so much more!”

Here are eight ways to give your students intrinsic power through your effective praise.

1. Make it deserved.

Unless the praise you offer is based on achievement, which is defined differently for each student, then it will hold no meaning or have lasting effect. This underscores the importance of knowing your students and their unique abilities—so that when you see something praiseworthy, you can pounce.

2. Make it subtle.

Small, subtle gestures of praise are among the most effective. Mere eye contact from across the room, carefully timed, one-word recognition, a single nod of the head—they can send a student’s internal motivation into hyper drive.

3. Make it private.

Make your praise a privately shared moment between you and the student. It may seem counterintuitive, but you’ll find exclusive praise to have more intrinsic value and greater motivational effect on your students than the over-the-top, public, cheering variety.

4. Make it silent.

You don’t always have to make your praise wordless, but doing so can make it especially effective. Quiet applause, fist pumps, winks, knowing smiles, and good old-fashioned handshakes are all wonderful and inherently genuine ways to jump-start your students’ intrinsic engines.

5. Make it written.

A stationery note, written in your careful hand, folded over and stuck to the inside of a student’s desk is perhaps the most effective form of praise you could ever use. If your note is written from the heart, the student will cherish your words—not sharing it with a soul and saving it for years.

6. Make it belated.

Effective praise doesn’t have to come immediately following the accomplishment. Sometimes it’s best to wait until your praise can be more confidential and unexpected. An out-of-the-blue compliment about which the student didn’t even know you noticed can be especially impactful.

7. Make it on potential.

Praise based on untapped ability can provide a much-needed kick in the shorts. When you know a student can perform better than he is showing, give it to him straight. “As smart as you are, you should be getting A’s on your math tests.” Coming from a trusted source like an admired teacher, he’ll believe it—and be changed by it.

8. Make it joyous.

Yes, there are times that call for joyous, enthusiastic celebration. But the key here is that it’s genuine and that it fits the situation. These spontaneous moments are also best shared with a group of students or, better yet, your entire class.

Not Without Praise

Just as important as it is to eschew false praise, it’s equally important not to let a good work pass without your acknowledgement. Worthy praise is the answer to motivating individual students and getting them to move in the direction you want.

But you can’t withhold it.

If you witness them stepping beyond what are common expectations and into the realm of true accomplishment, don’t let them hang there on the vine unnoticed, where the fruit of excellence withers and dies.

Let them know you noticed. Give them your authentic, intrinsically targeted approval. You’ll be amazed at what they’re capable of.

More than you ever dreamed.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Do you hide the truth from difficult students?

Do you give them false praise?

In the name of encouragement, most teachers do.

But if you want lasting improvement in their behavior, then you have to be brutally honest with them.

Difficult students don’t benefit from being coddled or having smoke blown in their ears.

Yet, few teachers actually tell it like it is.

Example:

David has been a behavior problem all year for Ms. Smith, but today he’s better. He hasn’t bothered his tablemates as much, he’s been relatively quiet, and he hasn’t been sent to time-out.

Just before lunch Ms. Smith pulls David aside, drapes her arm over his shoulders, and says, “Hey David, great job today! Way to go, buddy! Keep up the good work!”

Huh? Say what?

Was David really doing a great job? Do you think Ms. Smith would describe David’s behavior to a colleague as being “good work?” Of course not—not when measured by a standard of behavior that is required for success in school.

False Praise Is A Bad Classroom Management Strategy

Encouraging difficult students is important, but if the encouragement doesn’t jibe with the truth, then it won’t be effective. It can’t be effective because there is no meaning in puffery—and deep down students know it.

Further, praise that isn’t based on the truth…

Lowers the bar.

It tells students that mediocre is not only good enough, but it’s celebrated. When the standard for earning praise is down around their kneecaps, what motivation do students have to go any higher?

Says they’re not good enough.

Receiving empty, dishonest praise communicates to difficult students that they’re incapable of behaving in a manner equal to their well-behaved peers.

Encourages them to manipulate.

If they can get a pat on the back from you for minimal effort, they’ll work that knowledge to get attention whenever they need it—making them feel special, haughty even, in front of their classmates, encouraging even more devilish behavior.

Doesn’t improve behavior.

False praise contributes nothing to real, sustained improvement. It merely nudges students to make a temporary bounce from where they are… to slightly, tantalizingly, better. When the buzz from meaningless praise wears off, they’re back where they started.

But What If That’s The Best They Can Do?

If the thought ever enters your mind that some of your students aren’t capable of becoming well behaved, push it aside.

Because it isn’t true.

All students have the capacity to change, to overcome, to reinvent themselves. It’s never just “the best they can do.”

A teacher’s limiting beliefs not only deeply affect students, but they also affect what the teacher is capable of.

Be A Straight Shooter

A wonderful gift you can give your students is an honest assessment of where they are—behaviorally and academically—followed by a clear vision of how they can climb their way up.

Telling difficult students they’re doing well when in reality they’re not, lightens their load and eases the burden of disrupting your classroom, breaking your rules, and interfering with learning, making it a virtual guarantee that such behavior will continue.

Being straight with them ensures that there is no confusion: poor behavior is not welcome in your classroom. The days of being pleaded with to behave and praised for minimal effort are over.

This commitment to being honest with students has a powerful and influential side effect: it adds meaning to praise and encouragement.

Truth Provides Meaning

If you’re always honest with difficult students, they’ll learn quickly that when you praise them, they can take it to the bank.

If David really did have a good morning, and Ms. Smith is in the habit of giving only worthy praise, a simple and sincere “Hey David… good work this morning” will have him walking on clouds.

Praise based on truth will mean something to your students. Deep inside. Where real change takes place.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Most teachers talk to difficult students—those with a proclivity for misbehavior—way too often. If you’re spending more time on these students than others, it’s a sign you’re not curbing their behavior.

It’s also not fair to the rest of your class.

There is a correlation between the amount of time spent on difficult students and a worsening of their behavior.

The reason is simple. By giving difficult students more time and attention than others, you’re telling them that they’re different, that they can’t control themselves and thus need your constant attention.

You’ll often hear teachers say, “Oh my gosh, I have Anthony on my roster. It’s going to be a long year. He needs so much attention!” The fact is Anthony doesn’t need any extra attention.

Though now he thinks he does.

Every teacher he has ever had has spent precious minutes of every day cajoling him, admonishing him, lecturing him, getting angry with him, and indulging in his ever-growing need for attention.

The solution is to simply cut difficult students like Anthony off from any extra time and attention (from you). Instead, let your classroom rules speak for you. If you treat difficult students like everybody else, they’ll start behaving like everybody else.

Following your classroom management plan every time a student breaks a rule frees you from being forced to use your words to get students to behave as you desire, which not only doesn’t work, but is also a major cause of teacher stress.

As soon as a student like Anthony realizes that you’re going to treat him like everyone else, his behavior will change.

Part of the reason for this change is because he is being held accountable for his actions without the added commentary from the teacher—which makes him resentful (see article on lecturing). The other part is because he’s thrilled to finally not be treated like an outcast.

If Anthony is new to your classroom, the change can happen quickly. If, however, he has been in your room for a while and has grown accustomed to your frequent conferences, reminders, warnings, and the like, it may take awhile.

Cutting difficult students off from the attention they’ve been receiving doesn’t mean you should ignore them. It means that, when it comes to behavior issues, they should be treated the same as anyone else who breaks a rule. However, you must go out of your way to let them see this new reality for themselves.

Let difficult students see you enforcing rules for every student, regardless of who they are. Let them experience the same level of praise as other students. Much too often, difficult students are praised for things that aren’t worthy of it, which hurts your cause and is detrimental to them.

If a difficult student does something well, let them know in the same manner you would all of your students. And when they break a rule, tell them what rule they broke and then enforce a consequence.

And if they keep breaking rules, keep enforcing consequences.

Lasting improvement doesn’t come from frequent pow-wows, lectures, or feel-good pep talks. Difficult students improve because of the lessons learned from being held accountable for their actions.

Focus your attention on creating an enjoyable classroom experience for your students, and refrain from speaking to individual students about their behavior or giving more attention to those that misbehave more often.

Instead, follow your classroom management plan and heartily let your students know when they’re doing well.

Your most difficult students will appreciate being treated the same as everyone else and, as a result, seek to be a contributing member of your classroom rather than the outcast “behavior problem” they’ve been in the past.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Much of your classroom management success is dependent upon your ability to avoid making big mistakes. Make them often enough, or repeatedly, and you’ll lose control of your classroom quickly.

Before long, you’ll begin to believe teaching in a chaotic environment is just part of the job.

It’s not. At least, it doesn’t have to be. The truth is, you have the power to create the class you really want, regardless of where you teach.

But classroom management must be a daily commitment. It must be your top priority if you hope to build a classroom of happy, well-behaved, and motivated students.

Use the following list as a way to evaluate how close you are to reaching your classroom management goals. When you’re finished reading, you can score yourself on a five point scale.

Some of these items have been covered in previous posts, so if you’re interested in more complete explanations, I’ve included a link.

1. Not enforcing classroom rules 100% of the time. This is by far the biggest mistake, and it’s a common problem for a majority of teachers. For every time you let something go, you create more misbehavior in the future.

2. Lecturing, pleading, scolding, and reminding students instead of letting your consequences do the job they’re intended to do. Lean exclusively on your classroom management plan, and you will eliminate the need to use these ineffectual methods.

3. Taking poor student behavior personally. Revenge isn’t sweet, it’s self-sabotage. Letting your emotions get involved in classroom management will cloud your judgment, make you do things you will regret, and alienate your students.

4. Yelling at students. Raising your voice creates tension and ruins rapport. It also provides a poor model for your students by showing them the wrong way to behave when things don’t go their way. Most important, it communicates to your students that you only mean what you say when you raise your voice.

5. Preaching your classroom management plan instead of teaching it clearly through detailed modeling, role-play, and practice, practice, practice.

6. Not smiling or showing your personality the first month, semester, or, for some, the entire school year. Likability is the key to building rapport. And rapport makes everything easier, especially classroom management.

7. Praising students for what is a common expectation or praising them in order to influence other students (i.e., caught being good). These are dishonest methods. Teachers who rely on false praise typically do so shortsightedly to get through the day, the week, or the year. But false praise doesn’t change behavior; it’s a momentary fix devoid of meaning. Students are perceptive and see right through inauthenticity.

8. Having weak consequences. This is often dependent on who the teacher is and the amount of leverage he or she wields with students (i.e., likability, orderly room environment, honest and direct classroom management, exciting lessons, and many others. See Dream Class). This is one reason why time-out works well for some and not for others.

9. Talking too much. Having clearly understood routines and procedures is critical to effective classroom management. Not having enough of them results in constant explanation and a boring, teacher-centered classroom. Your students should know exactly what to do, and be busy doing it, every minute of the school day. Otherwise, their eyes will glaze over, and they’ll grow tired of you and your shtick. Inattentiveness and troublemaking will ensue.

Avoiding these nine mistakes will help you attain the classroom you’ve always wanted. A worthwhile exercise is to rate each one on a scale of 1 to 5.

A score of 1 = The mistake is a daily occurrence.

A score of 5 = You never make this mistake.

Work on raising each score to a 5, and I think you’ll be a happier and more successful teacher.

If you’re new to this site, I invite you to have a look around. The article categories are listed along the right side of the page. Before you do, however, please sign up to receive future articles delivered directly into your email box. Just click here and enter your email address.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Many years ago, on a whim, I wrote a short note to a student named Joanna to let her know how much I appreciated her leadership qualities. I wrote the note before school one day and left it folded over and taped to her desk.

When the students entered the room that morning, I watched her as she discovered the note and then sat down to read it silently. After she finished, a broad smile spread across her faced. She was delighted. She looked over at me, and from across the room, we shared a special moment. I smiled and nodded my head, and she did the same.

Later that morning, shortly after I released the class for recess, Joanna approached me to thank me for the note. I smiled and said, “You’re welcome,” and then turned to walk to my desk. As I did, she grabbed me and hugged tightly around the waist.

I was a bit surprised because, up until that moment, I had made it a priority to offer an assortment of incentives in support of my classroom management plan, including stickers, stamps, pencils, colored beads, and other rewards for positive behavior, and nothing had elicited such a heartfelt response.

I’ve since learned that stickers, stamps, and the like are mostly ineffective. They’re fun to give out and students like them, but I don’t believe they make much difference; they don’t have any real meaning attached to them.

More than two years later, Joanna called me over to her desk (I kept the same students for three years as we moved up in grade levels together). She pulled out a pencil box to show me where she had kept every note I had ever given her. They were stacked from oldest to newest, and at the bottom of the stack was my first note to her.

She said to me, “I’m going to keep these forever.”

I was glad my notes had made an impression on her, but by then, I wasn’t surprised. These little gems, taking just minutes to compose, had proven their weight in gold long before. Her reaction was typical. I could tell story after story of similar interactions with students.

Personal notes from you can be a powerful incentive.

I was hired for my first teaching assignment at a job fair. I met with several principals from schools located in wildly divergent neighborhoods, but one principal stood out among the others. Her name was Judy and she had been a teacher and administrator for 35 years.

Judy was the principal of an inner-city school and was on a mission to create the best possible educational environment for her students. She greeted me with warmth and spoke passionately about her school. Within minutes, I knew I wanted to be part of it. Despite the school being located over 100 miles from my home, I moved into a neighborhood closeby and began my career. It was a perfect choice for me.

Although the students were challenging at first, Judy was remarkably supportive, open to new ideas, and willing to let her teachers do what they did best. She did one thing in particular that was a great motivator for me. She left wonderful and eloquent notes in my mailbox, praising my work. They were private, handwritten transcriptions on various styles of stationery, folded over and taped to the side of my mailbox.

As a new teacher, shaky on confidence, her notes meant the world to me. There was no earthly way I was going to let her down or prove her positive words wrong.

Do you get notes of genuine thanks or praise in your mailbox? They mean so much more than a candy cane attached to a computer-generated holiday card and more than 10 teacher appreciation lunches. Don’t you agree? Yet it seems that such lovely dispatch is a dying art.

Because of the reliance on email, text messaging, and other forms of communication, the old-fashioned handwritten letter has become a relic of the past. But the emergence of such technologies has also made letter writing that much more poignant and meaningful.

How would your students feel if they received a personally written note from you? How much more leverage and influence do you think you would have?

Over the years and through experimentation, I’ve discovered a few tricks that make these personal notes more impactful, and I want to share them with you.

• Use stationary that will communicate the specialness of your missive. It doesn’t have to be high-quality paper, but a variety of colorful, fun, and interesting themes is a must. Post-its are a no-no.

• Always handwrite the note. A computer-printed note is cold and lacks heart.

• Write about something you noticed in the student that went beyond what is commonly expected.

• Make it private. Put it in an envelope or fold it over and seal it with tape. Leave it just inside a desk, on a chair, or in the student’s mailbox.

• Be authentic. False or empty praise is dishonest and does nothing to improve long-term behavior.

• Have the note waiting for them when they arrive in the morning. And unlike how I first handled it, don’t watch them as they open and read it.

• Don’t mention the note to them or speak to them about it unless they approach you. Most teachers talk too much.Actions speak louder and more profoundly. Let your note speak for itself.

The most influential incentives are those that aren’t connected to a particular behavior, as in “do this and you’ll get that.” The best incentives are those that arrive out of the blue.

None of us are immune to the wonderful feeling of receiving a handwritten letter or note from someone we admire. Follow the guidelines above and you’ll discover your influence with students, as well as their intrinsic motivation, growing immeasurably.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

I received an email yesterday from a teacher who wondered how I would have handled a couple of her most challenging students. It seems that these two students have caused her nonstop headaches throughout the school year, and she was relieved her summer vacation was beginning in a few days.

She mentioned in her email that she had ordered my book, Dream Class, earlier in the day and was going to read it over the summer.

The book is clear about how I recommend dealing with chronically disruptive students, and I have no doubt it will give her greater confidence and a brand new strategy going into the next school year.

Some of my classroom management solutions run counter to what many teachers are doing, and in the case of students who repeatedly disrupt the classroom, this is also true. For example, I don’t speak more often to misbehaving-prone students or give them more attention than I would any other student.

Dozens of times I’ve heard teachers say that they feel bad for the rest of their class because they spend so much time and energy on just a few students. And they’re right. It isn’t fair to the rest of the class. It fact, attending to some students more than others likely hurts the balance of the class academically.

It’s also detrimental to the very students these teachers are trying so hard to control.

Giving more attention to troublesome students increases the likelihood that their unwanted behavior will continue. Yet, in my experience, this seems to be the preferred method.

Lectures, scoldings, arguments, empty threats, warnings, behavior contracts, counseling sessions, reminders, exhortations, pep-talks, hugs, and hi-fives. When done too often and with the same few students, these time-consuming interactions cause more problems than they eliminate.

When you attend to poorly behaved students more often, you’re communicating to them in a subtle but clear way that they’re different, that they don’t have what it takes to control themselves like other students, so they need extra attention.

This causes them to lose belief in themselves. They think being a troublemaker is just who they are. Many of these students have terrible self-esteem. And year after year, they get the same near-constant attention from their teacher, and it doesn’t work—even for more than a few days.

The goal isn’t to have short-term successes or mild improvements. It’s to change behavior, to turn them around so that they become well behaved, contributing members of your classroom.

So what is the solution? Ignore the behavior and hope it goes away? Tiptoe around the student(s) and hope they aren’t too disruptive? No, the solution is to treat them just like everyone else. Allow your most challenging students to feel what it’s like to be a regular student.

To do this, you must follow your classroom management plan to the letter. Stick to it no matter what, and acknowledge your students when they do something well. Stop pulling them aside to explain this or that, stop lecturing or trying to get assurances from them, and stop telling them how wonderful they are because they sat quietly for 15 minutes during a read aloud.

Simply praise them for the same things you would praise other students for.

And resist the urge to discuss their behavior-related issues with them. If they’re angry or upset, don’t speak to them or let their anger bother you. It’s not personal. They have every right to be angry. It’s not your issue. Otherwise, smile and talk to them about the same things your other students like talking about—sports or movies or whatever feels right.

When you begin using this strategy, the first couple of weeks or so may be tough. One or more of your students may be in time-out a lot, they may act out more than usual and more dramatically, and you may have to spend recess with them more than you would like. But like so much in effective classroom management, a little work in the beginning pays dividends for the rest of the year.

In my experience, those students with disruptive tendencies love this style of classroom management. It’s fair, and because it isn’t arbitrary or based on personal feelings, it completely removes tension between the student and his or her teacher. There is never any confusion. They know exactly what is expected of them.

This strategy of treating your most disruptive students like everyone else only works if you have a solid classroom management plan that you follow precisely and every single time.

If you’re not already a member of our site, I invite you to join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving new articles in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.

Classroom management is more than just rules and consequences. Everything you do as a teacher, from creating your room environment to how you praise your students, affects their behavior.

Recently, I watched a teacher praise a student for the good work he had done on a homework assignment.

He and his classmates were lining up on the playground before school, and while the teacher waited at the head of the line for a few last minute arrivals, he pulled his homework out of his backpack and proudly approached her with it.

The teacher took a moment or two to peruse his work, and then looked up at him. As she did, her eyes got wide, her mouth formed an exaggerated ‘O’, and she yelled out, “This is awesome! I’m so proud of you!”

It was a nice moment, and I admired her enthusiasm—especially so early in the morning. But I’m not sure her praise had the desired effect. As she hugged his shoulders and his classmates looked on, I noticed a subtle but clear look of discomfort on his face. He was embarrassed.

There are times when an over-the-top response to good student work or behavior is appropriate, but it’s not always the most effective way to praise.

Teachers who confuse their level of enthusiasm when praising students with its actual impact will have a more difficult time influencing behavior. Often, the smallest gestures have the greatest effect—a fist bump, eye contact with a smile, a congratulatory handshake. These brief but genuine moments between a student and his or her teacher can have a powerful impact.

The key to offering praise is not the level of enthusiasm you can muster. Rather, it’s choosing the right time to offer a meaningful commendation. If your praise is genuine and comes from your heart, it will have the desired effect.

I had a hockey coach who was masterful at motivating his players. During an important playoff game, the score was tied as the seconds ticked down toward the end of the game. I was on the ice with about 30 seconds left. I wasn’t a star player by any means. But I found myself on the ice at this most critical moment.

The best player on the team was also on the ice, and while he was buzzing around the other team’s goal with the puck trying to score, I decided to hang back to help protect our goal in case the other team gained possession of the puck. I was drifting near the center of the ice when, sure enough, the puck squirted loose and onto an opposing player’s stick. As he began his rush toward our goal, it occurred to me that I was the only one in a position to stop him.

He was highly skilled and blazing fast, and as he made his move to go around me, I turned to skate with him. Before I knew it, he was pulling away from me. I had just one chance to keep him from a golden opportunity to win the game. So while reaching as far as I could with my stick, I dove at the puck with all I had and swatted it away. He fell on top of me and we slid into the far corner of the ice surface and along the wall. In the meantime, our star player scooped up the puck, skated in on their goal, and scored.

The team went crazy. The bench cleared and my teammates mobbed the hero. As I skated gingerly down the ice and toward my celebrating teammates, I noticed my coach standing alone on the bench. He wasn’t looking at the rest of the players. He was looking at me. He locked his intense eyes on mine, pumped his fist ever so slightly, and nodded.

His small gesture, unnoticed by my teammates or anyone else in attendance, meant everything to me, and I would have skated through a wall to please him.

Praise can have a strong impact on your students and the behavior and academic choices they make. But it must be used mindfully—at the right time and with a heartfelt touch.

If you haven’t done so already, please join us. It’s free! Click here and begin receiving classroom management articles like this one in your email box every week.

- Smart Classroom Management - Copyright 2009-2011, All Rights Reserved.