When we are working with students who are engaging in meaningful research, we want to praise their successful moments and support their struggles.  How often have we uttered words like, “That’s really smart thinking!” instead of rewarding their effort? According to Stanford professor Carol S. Dweck in “The Perils and Promises of Praise,” (Best of Educational Leadership 2007-2008) we do studnets a disservice when we praise intelligence over effort.  Gulp.  This is a must-read!  Here’s an excerpt: �

Praising students for their intelligence, then, hands them not motivation and resilience but a fixed mind-set with all its vulnerability. In contrast, effort or “process” praise (praise for engagement, perseverance, strategies, improvement, and the like) fosters hardy motivation. It tells students what they’ve done to be successful and what they need to do to be successful again in the future. Process praise sounds like this:

• • You really studied for your English test, and your improvement shows it. You read the material over several times, outlined it, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!
  • I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies on that math problem until you finally got it.
  • It was a long, hard assignment, but you stuck to it and got it done. You stayed at your desk, kept up your concentration, and kept working. That’s great!
  • I like that you took on that challenging project for your science class. It will take a lot of work—doing the research, designing the machine, buying the parts, and building it. You’re going to learn a lot of great things.

What about a student who gets an A without trying? I would say, “All right, that was too easy for you. Let’s do something more challenging that you can learn from.” We don’t want to make something done quickly and easily the basis for our admiration.

What about a student who works hard and doesn’t do well? I would say, “I liked the effort you put in. Let’s work together some more and figure out what you don’t understand.” Process praise keeps students focused, not on something called ability that they may or may not have and that magically creates success or failure, but on processes they can all engage in to learn. 

Food for thought as fall’s “research season” revs up.   

Maybe you’re looking for some vintage spooky Halloween goodness for your school library? Try these printables form Matthew Mead Style.   Mwah-hah-hah.

Has anyone used VisualThesaurus.com (limited free access) or Visuwords.com (free)?  If so, my pals and I would love to know how your students are using it and whether or not you find it beneficial.

Screenshot: Visuwords.com