Praise and Criticism both help us in a way. We all love praise, it is great to get complimented and acknowledge something you did. However, is it possible that being criticized makes us improve more? That small part of us wants them to see we did achieve it, that we did prove them wrong. So which pushes us more? Which makes us the better version of ourselves? How does teacher involvement impact how we learn and adjust to real-world problems?
Praise:
We all love to be told we are doing good, that we are achieving what we need to achieve. That we reached the top and won’t be taken down. But is that what is taking us back to rock bottom?
There are three different types of praise that are often used in the classroom setting. The source that I used The power of effective praise: A guide for teachers states the three different types of praise. Personal praise is having a personal level of knowledge of the person. Saying things that are personalized to said person. Effort-based praise is something that the student or person can control. Being praised for the effort they put forth rather than being praised for something they can’t control and didn’t put as much effort into. Behavior-specific praise is praising their behavior and how they acted in the classroom. Reforming that behavior and having them know this is how I should act to get the praise and compliments that I want.
The difference between praise and compliments is often confused and misused. Source I used “Praise” vs. “Compliment” says compliments are generally based on statements of admiration and appreciation for the person or the subject. Compliments are used for many reasons and are mostly used to boost one confidence, along with only being used in a social setting rather than in a classroom or work setting. Praise is focused on specific achievements, not an overall purpose. Along with giving that response to an excellent performance on something rather than putting that effort into it. And finally, it is used in a work setting along with a classroom setting rather than it being a social norm.
Overall, if used correctly praise is a great way to push and further us as humans and students. However, is often overused or used a compliment rather than being a way to help someone improve.
Criticism:
Criticism is often something we think is bad, awful. It is a terrible thing to be criticized because that means we are doing something wrong along with having some type of error about us. But is it the fact that it was one piece of criticism that made us think that way? When in fact we need criticism to grow and to improve rather than have it being used as a way to tear down our self-esteem.
Criticism is not an overall thing; it also has subcategories the same as praise. Based on the source Criticism: Destructive, Constructive, or Instructive, there are overall three main types of criticism. Destructive criticism is the criticism that we often use and this is where we tear others down. It comes off more as an insult and degrading to someone. Constructive criticism is the one we use most often in school or work settings. It is criticism that is used to address a situation and build from it. Unlike destructive where it is used to tear down, this type is essentially used to build up and build character. The last type of criticism is instructive which is very similar to constructive, however it is more of a teaching experience rather than telling. It can be used in situations where something was done wrong and the person teaches them how to go about it from their experience or something they learned.
Based on a source I used, Praise and Criticism l Lead Today the author said they often take all criticism as constructive. If they didn’t, there would be times where they were hurt and always being criticized. Is that how we should view our criticism―that all the criticism we get isn’t an insult or used to degrade us, but that person’s way of trying to improve us? Perhaps we are just people trying to help improve others, but don’t go about it in the right way.
The Teacher View:
Since the topic is being talked about, why not ask our teachers how they feel about both? Asking Mr. Doty, a chemistry teacher here at Legacy, if having a personal relationship is worth gaining with a student, he said yes. Asking if that relationship can help the students improve their performance in the class, he brought up the “individual approach”. By knowing the students better and having that personal relationship, they are more likely to be able to help you better and know your learning style better than a teacher who only knows your grades.
We asked (Doty) if there is a difference in how students work when being praised despite having other solutions. The answer was students want to have that right answer to form and work off of their own ideas. “Are more afraid of getting something wrong, are waiting for someone else to present the correct answer and point of view. To mold to themselves” Said Mr. Doty. Does this sum students as a whole? We are so afraid of having a wrong answer that we search for that praise when we finally get it. Or is it the fact that we don’t want to get criticized or told we got the wrong answer, something that we don’t want to improve on because we should’ve known it from the start?
I asked Mrs. Secor a 10th grade English teacher her viewpoints on this subject. Her answers didn’t stray too far from Doty’s answers. However, I would like to bring up one thing she said. ” It really depends on the student – some latch onto the compliment and forget the next steps, some only hear the false steps and are closed to the things they did correct.” Said Mrs. Secor. This is interesting because it explains more about how students take the compliments and take the criticism. It is a great way to show how people can only focus on one thing when it is brought up. Perhaps we should focus on improving rather than what someone said to us.
Now the main question is if students work better when they are being praised versus having constructive criticism he said, every student is different. There will never be one way we learn or we improve based on others. We all learn and adapt differently to different situations. However, Secor did bring up the fact that tone does have a big impact on how the situation is turned about.
Is it the fact that praise is used when criticism should be or is it we are using criticism when we should be using praise?
Sources Used:
“Praise” vs. “Compliment”: What’s the Difference?
The power of effective praise: A guide for teachers:
