I’ve been teaching for a few years now and I’m trying to figure out the best ways to use praise with my students. I know praise can be really powerful for motivation, but I’m not sure I’m doing it right. Sometimes I feel like I’m just saying ‘good job’ all the time and it doesn’t seem to have much impact anymore. Other times I try to be more specific but I’m not sure if that’s actually helping or if I’m overdoing it. What approaches have worked for you? Are there certain types of praise that work better than others? I’d love to hear about any strategies or techniques that have actually made a difference in your classroom.
The teachers who really made a difference with my kids didn’t praise everything - they saved it for real achievements. One teacher would quietly point out specific improvements she’d noticed over time instead of giving constant feedback. Both my kids responded way better to that than teachers who praised every little thing.
What works in our house is being genuine about praise. My kids can spot fake enthusiasm from a mile away. When I catch them doing something helpful without being asked, I make sure to acknowledge it. Like when my younger one actually did the dishes without me nagging - I told her how much I appreciated not having to ask.
I’ve learned delayed praise sometimes works better than immediate praise. Instead of jumping on every little thing, I pick moments that really matter. My older teen responds better when I recognize their problem-solving or when they handle tough situations well.
The tricky part is knowing when to pull back. Both my kids went through phases where too much praise made them roll their eyes. Now I mix it up - sometimes it’s a quick ‘thanks for taking care of that’ and other times I explain why what they did was helpful. They prefer when I treat them more like partners than little kids who need constant encouragement. 
Timing matters most with praise. I call out thoughtful behavior or hard work the second I see it happen. Like saying ‘I saw you cleaning up your toys without me asking’ - my son lights up way more than if I just said ‘you’re tidy.’ Specific feedback hits different. We’ve got a points system going where good choices earn rewards like picking the family movie. They love seeing their good choices turn into something fun. Keeps them motivated and makes everything more exciting!
With my 5-year-old, I’ve found praising effort beats praising results every time. When they help sort laundry, I’ll say ‘you worked really hard matching those socks’ instead of ‘you’re so smart.’ They definitely try harder next time. Still figuring out the right amount though - don’t want to overdo it. Do your students get tired of constant praise, or is it more about how you say it?
My kid’s teacher last year had this awesome approach. She’d leave handwritten notes calling out specific things kids did well. Instead of generic ‘good job’ stuff, she’d write things like ‘I saw you help Sam with that math problem’ or ‘you really pushed through that tough paragraph.’ My daughter would get so excited getting these notes. The teacher actually noticed when kids were being helpful or sticking with something hard - way more meaningful than the usual praise.