Words of Encouragement
by Kate Loehman
Don't forget the encouragement!
Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in showing our students the problems with
their work that our comments discourage them, and our efforts do more harm than
good. One of our purposes as teachers is to improve our student's confidence
in their abilities. In order to do that, we must learn to be conscious of the
state of our students’ morale and then be able to adapt to their needs. We want
to acknowledge their fears and recognize their successes. Ultimately, we want
to encourage our students (to grant them the courage) to learn.
Observe student attitudes
As teachers, our job is to work with our students. Just as we give our students information, they respond by giving us information. Their facial expressions, body language, and verbal comments all convey information about their attitude towards what we are trying to tell them. Effective teachers make a conscious effort to understand these attitudes and to modify their comments accordingly.
Responding to individual students
When working with students individually, we should be attuned to the way that they perceive our comments. If they look increasingly discouraged, be prepared to stop your comments and acknowledge their apprehension. Often, they simply need us to recognize that they are worried about their abilities, and to reassure them that we have confidence in them. I know this sounds like a lot of work, but I know you can do it. At this point, it's a good idea to point out their strengths to convince them that they are capable students. “I observed some of the comments you made on Paul's paper, and they were right on the money.” Or, “I can tell you have put a lot of work into this so far.” If they continue to look downtrodden, you could help them come up with ways to break up their work into more manageable (less-daunting) tasks.
Words of encouragement
Once students have completed a task it is essential that we acknowledge their
efforts. Encouraging words, such as ‘great job’ are often enough to instill
them with a sense of pride. We must take care to avoid making evaluative praise
(This is the best essay, and you are an amazing student!) as it often implies
competition. In order for our encouragement to be meaningful, we must comment
specifically on their successes. “Your organization is so effective now” is
much more meaningful than vague compliments like “You rock!”
Web Sites that Encourage