A few words of genuine praise can change a student’s whole day, but are we giving that encouragement to the children who need it most? This Muse helps you identify the students who may be overlooked, choose praise strategies that truly land, and use simple reflection routines to boost motivation, confidence, and connection across your class.

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Even as adults, a gentle comment from someone that shows they’ve noticed what you’re doing, that they appreciate your efforts, or that they’re impressed by you as a human can give our hearts a comforting smile and our motivation the little push it needs to keep going.

When it comes to giving our students this boost, it can be hard to make sure we reach everyone in our class. Some students are easier to praise because they model desired behaviours, some receive lots of praise because of an overactive SEEKING system, but other students can, for many reasons, escape our praise on a daily basis.

Reflection: Consider these questions and thoughts in conversation with a colleague

Your task today is to create a plan to reach a student in your class who isn’t a common recipient of praise. Let's first consider these 3 questions:

  1. Which students do you praise the most?
  2. Which students do you find the easiest to praise?
  3. Which students do you find the hardest to praise?

From question 3, identify a key individual who you believe could benefit from more praise and recognition, consider:

  1. What is their chosen method of interaction?

    It is important to consider this first so that it is in your mind as you give praise. When praise is, in fact, not praise, you need to consider how your individual will prefer to receive this praise. Do they like others to know they’ve done well? Do they need a nod of appreciation and nothing else? Would they prefer a written comment in a book? Will a quiet, individual conversation give them the biggest boost? (keep an eye out for our upcoming blog which will discuss this further)
  2. What are their strengths?

    These will be the easiest to notice and praise and are a great place to start if you think your individual may, for whatever reason, struggle to receive praise. They will be more accustomed to receiving feedback in areas and activities they enjoy and see themselves as being successful at. However, this may not be the most needed area for praise.
  3. What are their weaknesses?

    Once you know how they receive praise and that they feel ready for recognition in areas they may not see as worthy, you can focus on areas of weakness. For example, you may have an individual who always puts in their best effort, gives 100% to everything they do, but just never reaches the place they are aiming for. Although commending their effort won’t result in a negative, this student needs to be recognised when they set themselves achievable goals or when they accept help and guidance with preparation and planning.

Accepting Praise

For individuals who struggle to receive praise, you can try providing it through conversation, getting the individual to acknowledge their achievements first.

Ask how they feel about the work/event/action.
“I feel like this is a step on from what you’ve done before; does it feel like that to you?”

You’re looking to meet them where they are, validate their response, and then, where appropriate, take it further.
“I can see why it would feel like that. Sometimes it’s good to focus on specific areas, and I think it’s fair to say you’ve pushed yourself in *this* today.

You may then, if the conversation continues and feels positive, give a further compliment on top of the discussion.
“It’s been great to see your focus and persistence this morning - seeing you give yourself this chance to succeed has given me a little smile.”

Peer Praise

Praise and recognition improve motivation and engagement by triggering dopamine release and activating our brain’s reward system. This will happen when we receive praise from anyone, but peer recognition has been shown to be more impactful on wellbeing than feedback from perceived hierarchies.

One way to promote this is with a ‘Proud and Proud reflection’. At the end of the school day, students are asked to consider and share 1 reason they are proud of themselves and 1 reason they think someone else can be proud of themselves. You can focus these reflections on friendships, lunchtimes, specific subjects, or any area of your choice. The nominations are always genuine, sincere and individual. They also, when used consistently, have numerous benefits for peer relationships, the classroom environment, and an individual’s executive functioning skills.