Encouragement statements
Purpose of encouragement statements
To foster personal growth and help individuals take control of their own behavior with the long-term goal of achieving self-efficacy.
With encouragement, people reveal a positive disposition about people, and more importantly, about the nature of personal control and empowerment, that invites students to view themselves, others, and the world as challenges they can enjoy and surmount.
Example
Bob, yesterday you got to work and completed the entire assignment. Sometimes it is difficult to get to work and stay at it. Yesterday, you did.
Describe the situation so the student knows exactly what behaviors are being referenced and tie that behavior to the positive results. May want to add to the description a feeling. You should feel good by your accomplishment. Or may ask, how did that make you feel?
Comparison of Encouragement and Praise Statements.
- Praise is restrictive.
- Encouragement opens the door for self-evaluation.
- Praise makes the students' worth dependent on doing what the educator wishes.
- Encouragement describes and lets the student conclude it is the desirable thing to do or not.
- Praise statements promote competition. Competition can make winners feel good at the expense of the looser.
- Encouragement statements promote the potential benefits of cooperation.
More about praise ...
More Encouragement and Praise Statements
- Praise: Melanie, I am so happy that you got 100 on your spelling test for the sixth week in a row.
- Encouragement: Mel, so what do you think about getting 100 for the sixth straight time?
- Praise: I like the way you are sitting in your seat and waiting your turn.
- Encouragement: It looks like you are thinking while other members of the class are sharing their ideas.
- Praise: I am glad that half of the class got a perfect score on the test.
- Encouragement: You all worked together preparing for the test and the scores were better than those on the first test. What do you think about that?
Historical reference
William Watson Purkey in 1978 described invitational discipline:
- Optimism: views individuals as able, valuable, and capable of self-development.
- Intentionality: maintains that an intentional pattern of individual behavior based on publicly affirmed ideals is the foundation for respect and trust, both for oneself and others.
- Respect: appreciates the rich complexity and unique value of each person.
- Trust: Recognizes the importance of human interdependence which generates patterns of actions represented by openness and involvement.