As teachers, the language we use with our students can be very impactful in their education. Using words with negative connotations can have an impact that students take to heart. What about when we use words that are perhaps, overly positive? Might the use of these words set an expectation to students? When we use words to commend good work, I think it is important to promote the effort – “well done!” “good work” “you are getting much better at…!”. These are things that will motivate our students to achieve, it will not cause them to doubt and it will not cause them to plateau or create anxieties of unrealistic expectations. When we see improvement in our students efforts, we must commend their work, it is important that we do. But is it not just as important that we promote growth as well?

This is something I struggle with, I naturally use positive words such as “perfect!” or “amazing!”, and I am conscious of this. One might not think it is a big deal, after all, it is our job to promote achievements. But does language like “perfect” promote a standard or expectation? The expectation is a students’ best, not perfection. Does being overly positive in our language increase anxieties? Do students think we expect amazing work each time? That is an unfair standard. I am working on giving appropriate feedback, providing scaffolding where needed. For students to work towards a standard of perfection is unfair. Even though we may not intend to imply literal perfection, and instead offer praise for a job well done, we must tread lightly when it comes to the language we use in the classroom.