ABSTRACT
Praise is one type of extrinsic rewards, but one that most teachers find effective. Through positive, appropriate, sincere comments that reinforce high expectations and promote independence and effort, we can make a difference with our struggling students. Praise can, if used appropriately, improve the relationship with students. Praise can motivate students, particularly for the short-term. It should always be positive. It was done in a sarcastic manner, with the corresponding body language. Alfie Kohn, author of Punished by Rewards, is well-known as an opponent of praise and other rewards. Kohn points out that praise can steal a child's pleasure because people are telling him or her how to feel about what they have done. Praise, especially when it is excessive, can create praise junkies. Lavoie points out that praise is conditional; people receive it when they have done something. Encouragement, on the other hand, is unconditional and can be used even when a student is unsuccessful.
