The Smallest Bit of Praise: Jennifer Gonzalez on Pausing Helpful Suggestions and Just Appreciating

Jennifer Gonzalez on Pausing Helpful Suggestions and Just Appreciating

In this Cult of Pedagogy article, Jennifer Gonzalez says she recently had a conversation

with a teacher who sometimes feels inadequate reading all the ideas Gonzalez shares on her

website and podcast – and with well-meaning suggestions from her principal, PD workshops,

articles, and material on social media. To a hard-working teacher, the message that comes

across is, Do more!

  Looking back on the material she’s shared over the years, Gonzalez hears this teacher.

“While I fully believe it’s all good, useful stuff,” she says, “I get how it could be

overwhelming…” especially when higher-ups are pushing teachers to implement this and adopt

that and get better.

“So right now,” says Gonzalez, “I want to pause my usual stream of ideas and

suggestions and talk to those administrators, to principals and superintendents and instructional

coaches and anyone else in a position to tell teachers how to do their jobs. I have no new

strategies or tools or books to share with you this week. Nothing new to implement. My only

message for you is that your teachers need a win, and they need it now.”

“When a person receives criticism,” Gonzalez continues, “– direct or implied – and no

praise, they’re drained of motivation. And this is especially true when that person is doing

something difficult. Something like teaching. Without any feedback about what they’re doing

right, it becomes easier and easier to give up. The opposite is also true. Sometimes even in the

toughest situations, the smallest bit of praise can give a person enough confidence, enough of a

dopamine hit, to keep going and keep trying. But to work, the praise needs to be specific.

Generic praise does no good at all.”

Gonzalez suggests that this week administrators choose ten teachers and make a point

of giving each one of them specific, positive feedback – either for something you know they’ve

been doing well, or for something you observe in a short classroom visit. Maybe ask them to

invite you in to see something they’re pleased with. Some possible areas for praise:

- Relationships and rapport with students;

- Conveying excitement and interest;

- Clear and engaging explanations and examples;

- Well-chosen curriculum materials;

- Checking for understanding and wait-time;

- Providing tools students need to manage their own learning;

- Smooth classroom management and making good use of unexpected leftover time;

- Nimble decision-making.

This is not a checklist, says Gonzalez. “It’s not a walk-through sheet.” Just a list of possible

areas for appreciation. “Every teacher is good at something, and they need to hear about it – the

more specific, the better.”

Having given compliments to ten teachers this week, she urges, pick another ten (or

five, or two) for the following week, and keep it up. “My guess is that once you’ve done just a

few, you’re going to want to do more, and it’s going to get easier. Because the person receiving

the compliment isn’t the only one who gets a dopamine hit. The giver gets one too.”

“Your Teachers Need a Win” by Jennifer Gonzalez in Cult of Pedagogy, October 22, 2023;

Gonzalez can be reached at gonzjenn@cultofpedagogy.com .