Championing the Good: Praising Students in the Classroom - the right way
Classroom behaviour management can sometime feel like a constant tug of war. You correct one student, another pops up. You redirect one group, another drifts off. Before long, you can feel like the classroom police officer rather than the teacher you want to be.
There is a simple strategy that helps you guide behaviour without calling out every misstep. It protects your relationships, keeps the emotional tone calm and encourages students to self‑correct. I call it championing the good.
This approach draws on behavioural economics and relational pedagogy, and it works because it taps into how humans naturally respond to social cues. Instead of naming what is going wrong, you highlight what is going well and allow students to adjust their behaviour without embarrassment or confrontation.
The ‘Why’
If we spend our days pointing out what is wrong, our relational capital with students slowly drains away. Correction is essential, but when it becomes the dominant tone of our interactions, students begin to associate us with criticism rather than guidance.
Championing the good allows you to redirect behaviour while keeping the emotional climate steady. It is subtle, strategic and focused on how people respond to social information.
Students constantly scan the room for cues about what is normal, valued and expected. When you highlight the behaviour you want, you create a gentle pull towards that behaviour. No calling out. No power struggle. No public embarrassment.
The Behavioural Economics Behind It
Championing the good works because it taps into three well‑researched principles.
1. Social Proof
People tend to follow what they believe the group is doing. When you say,
“I love how this group has already started,”
you signal to the rest of the class that this is the expected behaviour. Students who are off task feel a natural pull to join in.
2. Loss Aversion
Humans (and our students!) are more motivated to avoid losing something than to gain something new. When you highlight the students who are on task, others notice the positive attention they are missing. They correct themselves without being shamed.
3. Incentive Alignment
In relational pedagogy, the most powerful incentive is positive teacher attention. When you acknowledge focus, effort or cooperation, you align your attention with the behaviour you want. Students learn that engagement earns connection, trust and warmth.
How to Use Championing the Good in Practice
Championing the good is not blanket praise or cheerleading. It is intentional, specific and authentic. You notice what is already happening and bring it into the spotlight.
It sounds like:
• “Thank you to those who already have their books open.”
• “Really appreciate the focus from the left‑hand side of the room.”
• “Love how the back table has already started.”
If needed, you follow with a gentle nudge:
• “Just waiting on a couple more at the front.”
You have not named the wrong behaviour. You have not embarrassed anyone. You have simply redirected attention to the behaviour you want.
Three Classroom Scenarios as Examples
Scenario 1: Low‑Level Chatter
Instead of:
“Year seven, stop talking.”
Try:
“Thank you to those already facing this way. It helps us get started.”
Pause.
“Just waiting on a few more at the back.”
Most students will correct themselves instantly.
Scenario 2: Slow Starters
Instead of:
“Why aren’t we working yet?”
Try:
“Really impressed with how this group has started. Great focus.”
Then move towards the slower group and say,
“Let’s get going for the rest of us.”
Scenario 3: Group Work Getting Noisy
Instead of:
“Too loud. Keep it down.”
Try:
“Love the way this group is collaborating quietly. Keep that up.”
Then gesture to the rest of the room and say,
“Let’s match this volume.”
You have redirected the whole class without confrontation.
Adapting the Strategy to Your Context
Championing the good works in almost every classroom, but it needs to be adapted.
• School culture: Align your language with whole‑school expectations.
• Age group: Younger students respond to enthusiastic praise. Older students prefer subtle acknowledgment.
• Class personalities: Some groups need explicit cues, others respond to gentle nudges.
• Your personality: It must feel authentic. Students can sense when it is forced.
Why This Strategy Strengthens Relationships
Championing the good is behaviour redirection and relationship building at the same time. You are noticing the students who are doing the right thing, naming it and reinforcing it. Others quietly join in because they want to be part of that positive attention.
It also saves your correction moments for when they truly matter. Students begin to see you as someone who notices their effort, not just their mistakes.
Questions for Teachers and Leaders
For Classroom Teachers
• When do I tend to correct behaviour?
• How often is my correction positive rather than negative?
• Do I intentionally notice and name the good?
• Where could I build this into transitions, instructions or group work?
For Middle Leaders
• How can I model this in walkthroughs or coaching?
• Are our behaviour expectations aligned enough for this strategy to work consistently?
• How can I support teachers who rely heavily on negative correction?
For Senior Leaders
• Does our school culture genuinely value positive reinforcement?
• Are we training teachers in relational pedagogy, not just compliance?
• How can we embed championing the good into our whole‑school behaviour language?
Overall
Championing the good is one of the simplest and most effective behaviour strategies you can use. It redirects behaviour without confrontation, protects relationships and strengthens the culture you want in your classroom.
When you consistently highlight what is going well, students rise to meet the expectation. They feel seen for the right reasons and they learn to self‑correct without fear or embarrassment.
This is behaviour guidance through belonging, not pressure. It is a small practice that creates a big difference in the way your classroom feels and functions