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Use Pause, Prompt & Praise

Tags

^21st Century Skills Social-Emotional Learning All Ages Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking Self-regulation Verbal Reasoning Abstract Reasoning

Use Pause, Prompt & Praise

If your student responds impulsively or gets upset if he gets upset if he gets stuck on a problem

How To Apply It!

  1. Pause, Prompt & Praise is an easy-to-remember strategy to help students step back, regroup and solve the problem with guided support.
  2. Pause. The adult reminds the student to stop and take a deep breath. When we are upset, we can't learn. Relaxing and realizing the need to re-set is essential.
  3. Prompt. Ask the student to reflect on his work. The steps he took and where he thinks he went off course. Based on the student's reflection and your observations, offer a specific strategy or suggestion. Don't provide the answer, but instead provide guidance on how to pivot. Depending on the student's reflection, you might need to point out the mistake so he knows where to re-start. Aim to give the minimum guidance that puts the student back on track but still enables him to solve the problem independently.
  4. Praise. Be genuine. Praise the student's ability to re-group, the effort, or the outcome. Your praise should be specific and dependent on what the student did well, rather than a simple "good job". Your specificity will help the student self-monitor and do better the next time.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

When we are emotional, we cannot think clearly. Adults want to help frustrated or struggling students find their way with care and guidance. Using this easy-to-remember strategy can keep everyone calm and enable the student to receive the guidance he needs to solve the problem independently so he has the confidence for the next challenging problem.