Celebrate the small things: how to use praise effectively

Exam season is fast approaching and, as tutors, we´re always looking for ways to bring the best out of our students as revision ramps up.

A key part of this is using praise to build confidence, positivity and a sense of progress. This can be challenging when working with students from less-advantaged backgrounds - but in many cases, it is even more important. Many of our students will be facing difficulties in and out of the classroom, which can impact their self esteem and motivation. That’s why it’s so important to celebrate wins and reinforce good behaviour, persistence, effort and progress. It can make all the difference when it comes to exam crunch-time.

Here are a few of our favourite tips on effectively using praise in the classroom:

Focus on what your student wants to achieve

This is about more than just getting to know just your students’ individual strengths. It´s about the students themselves - objectives, areas for improvement and what they’re currently working on. Take the time to understand what your student is trying to achieve, keep areas for improvement at the front of mind, and employ praise each and every time they do something to work towards these (for example, if you’ve asked a student to show their working because they don’t always do it). Reinforcing and personalising praise consistently helps students to get closer to achieving their goals.

Be mindful of group dynamics

In a group scenario, it’s important to be aware of the dynamic and be conscious of the fact that students are likely to compare themselves to their peers. While this is something we might expect from teenagers and older students, it’s increasingly becoming an issue for younger students too and, when receiving extra help with their studies, they may feel more vulnerable and more likely to negatively compare themselves with others.

Although there’s nothing wrong with a little fun competition in the classroom, being aware of each student and ensuring that all of them are receiving appropriate praise and encouragement is vital to help them advance. 

Reflect on progress when things get tough

Students will struggle with material. They will make mistakes. They may come to sessions at times with no energy or little motivation. They may push back. This is all part of the job and the key to navigating these kinds of obstacles is to use positive (and realistic) language and reinforcement. 

If a student is close to giving up on a piece of work, remind them how well they have done with previous activities. Reinforce their personal strengths, the progress they have made, and how proud you are of them. This can make all the difference and, while it might not do the trick every day, over time it will help students to feel more confident.

Praise good behaviour and effort - regardless of results

It perhaps goes without saying that, in addition to praising students for making progress, positive commentary on their behaviour during lessons, and the effort they put in is also important. Outside of your lessons, students may be dealing with an environment in which their effort isn’t always recognised, so this can go a long way to helping them stay on track with their studies.

Celebrate wins, however big or small

All of your students are going to progress at different rates and celebrating any win, however small, is a great way to boost their confidence. This is especially true for students who are really struggling with a particular subject, or with school in general. Celebrating one small achievement and helping them see how they have progressed could be the difference between them passing an exam or not. 

Depending on your group, you can create small rewards to celebrate these wins - whether it’s a specific game or activity to finish a session, or even some sweets or another small treat.

Focus on the journey as well as the destination

Our job as tutors is not a quick fix. It’s a slow, sometimes frustrating, but always rewarding, process, providing vital help and support to young people who need it most. While the goal is usually for your students to pass their exams and it’s important to keep working towards this, it’s also necessary to employ praise at every step of the journey. 

With every small win, every small step forward, you’ll see your students growing in confidence, handling content better and feeling more and more empowered. Keep it up, even if you feel your students aren’t responding in the beginning - you never know what a huge difference you’re making.

If you’re interested in volunteering with us, you can find out more here. You can also read stories from our students and mentors with some of our other blog posts here!