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  • Support for early career teachers
  • Teach First
  • Year 1: First half-term: how can you create an effective learning environment?
    • Autumn week 3

    Mentor materials

    Observation discussion - giving precise praise and acknowledgement to pupils

    Teaching techniques to focus feedback on

    Interaction:

    Observation

    Outcome:

    To have planned and practised giving precise praise and acknowledgment to pupils.

    Stimulus:

    Observe your teacher using precise praise and acknowledgement. When doing so consider whether they:

    • Use acknowledgement rather than praise when recognising pupils are following their expectations
    • They use precise praise when rewarding a pupil by linking it to the task or learning e.g. “That’s a great expanded noun phrase, well done Kathy.”

    Praise, probe and set precise actions

    The following practise should be focused around the outcomes of the probe and precise actions, so that it is specific to your teacher’s developmental needs. However, below are some practise ideas based on the online study content to support you if needed.

    Plan and practice ideas

    Work with your teacher to plan and practise giving precise praise and acknowledgment and discuss scenarios that would require each based on the lesson you observed.

    Key questions and talking points

    1. Why is praise so important in the classroom and what makes it effective?
    2. What is the difference between acknowledgment and praise?
    3. Discuss the school’s policy regarding contacting parents and carers as part of praise.
    4. What strategies could you use to share pupil’s success with their parents? What impact might this have on both the parent’s engagement with the school and the pupil’s motivation?