In this episode of Empowering Educators, Ben Russell discusses the importance of authentic praise in building relational pedagogy skills for teachers. He emphasises that genuine praise strengthens the teacher-student relationship, while insincere praise can damage it.

Ben outlines some common pitfalls of praise, such as fake praise, sympathy praise, and blanket praise, and provides a four-step formula for delivering effective praise.

He concludes by highlighting the role of authentic praise in fostering trust, belonging, and motivation among students, ultimately enhancing classroom culture.

Keywords: praise, relational pedagogy, authentic feedback, student engagement, teacher-student relationship, motivation, classroom culture, effective communication, educational strategies, trust

Takeaways

• Praise can either strengthen or undermine teacher-student relationships.
• Authentic praise is crucial for building trust with students.
• Students can easily detect insincerity in praise.
• Fake praise can feel manipulative and erode trust.
• Sympathy praise does not provide the honesty students seek.
• Blanket praise can make hardworking students feel unseen.
• Effective praise should be specific and timely.
• Most students prefer one-on-one praise for its authenticity.
• Authentic praise fosters a sense of belonging in students.
• Praise should recognize students for who they are and who they are becoming.

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