#2 Acknowledgement with Behavior Specific Praise
Learning is nearly impossible without feedback. Being acknowledged for doing something well is always appreciated, but if you aren’t really sure what exactly you did that was so great, it’s very hard to replicate or do it again. When educators give feedback along with the acknowledgement, this allows the learner to understand what was done well, what could be improved, and what not to do. There is a great difference between “good job” and “I can tell you worked really hard on using commas in your compound sentences in your last paragraph!” As another example, rather than “don’t do that” try, “next time you enter the room, please use walking feet and a lower voice.” Praising a learner for doing something well, while pairing it with specific feedback, is where growth happens. If the feedback is observable (elementary and high school video examples), then learners can also look around and observe others modeling this same behavior. When the behavior is measurable, learners can also monitor their own progress when adjusting their behavior. This practice is imperative, not only with teachers giving feedback to students, but also to administrators or coaches giving feedback to staff. View this page to access module 8 for a more robust understanding of this practice and the one-pager for a comprehensive overview of this practice.
References
“Behavior-Specific Praise: Elementary School Example & Non-Example.” YouTube, IRIS Center, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijV6FkDWLAs. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.
“Behavior-Specific Praise: High School Example & Non-Example.” YouTube, IRIS Center, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCnZu8sqWhA. Accessed 7 Mar. 2025.
“VTSS Resource Hub.” Resources VTSS-RIC – Virginia Commonwealth University, Old Dominion University TTAC, vtss-resources.vcu.edu/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
“Virginia Tiered Systems of Supports: Foundations of Student Success.” CIEES OSEP LMS, VTSS, osep.cieesodu.org/videomodule/virginia-tiered-systems-of-supports-foundations-of-student-success/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
