THE INSTITUTE for Learning Centered Education NEWSLETTER
TOPIC: Validating Students to Raise Achievement
Date:August25, 2008Newsletter Edition: Volume 9, Issue 35
Many years ago, when the Niagara Falls’ District was conducting training in Deming’s “Total Quality Management” (TQM) as a means of restructuring its schools, a principal asked the trainer, “What is the role of the administrator in this process?
The response: “School reform is difficult for everyone. What your staff needs most is for you to be a cheerleader; encourage and support them.”
A few years ago, I was discouraged with the progress and attitudes of some of the university students in my three hour evening class. It seemed I was frequently motivated to compliment the students in my am class that met for 90 minutes twice a week – they were more energetic and responsive. One morning, as the entire class became deeply involved in a student presentation, I praised the presenters and the audience; they lit up and performed even better as the class continued.
As I thought about the three hour class I would teach that night I cringed, knowing I’d be scolding and scowling more often. But I decided to try a different approach. I didn’t praise anyone for anything that was not truly worthwhile, but I decided to look for that moment when most of the class really was performing well and to let them know it. Fortunately, the opening presentation by a group of three students was superlative. It showed hard work and excellent research. The other students became thoroughly engaged, asked good questions and participated in the activities led by their peers. It was not unusual in a three hour class to have some really good moments, but it was also typical to have some low points. However, I seized the moment and was glad it came early in the evening.
“That was a terrific presentation,” I said with a smile, “and I also appreciate how well you all became involved. You folks are terrific and I’m enjoying the chance to work with you every Tuesday evening.”
The rest of the evening, the student responses to my lesson were greatly improved over the norm and student engagement, discussion and performance exceeded anything that had occurred earlier in the semester.
Hopefully, my message is clear: I am not suggesting that we praise students for work that is not worthy of praise. I am suggesting that each student in the course of a lesson does something worthy of praise and we need to look for opportunities to praise our students if we want to motivate them to achieve to their potential.
To be an effective teacher I need to be alert to problems involving student discipline and achievement and I need to address them. However, these kinds of problems diminish to some extent as I increase the number of times I praise and validate my students when they have done something praiseworthy and I can seize the moment.
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Please know that your work in the field of education is as meaningful to our society as anything anyone can possibly do. Thank you for caring about the future of our children!!!!
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The Institute is currently registering teams for the 2009 summer constructivist conference, July 20-24, at St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York. Don’t miss the opportunity for this unique conference that models the constructivist behaviors that teachers are using increasingly in the classroom. Check out the website of The Institute for Learning Centered Education:
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