Little Phrases, Big Impact

My seventh-grade math class was particularly chatty and off-task one day. It was midyear, and it seemed they all had forgotten our routine of sitting at their assigned table and taking their homework out to be ready for discussion. Frustrated, I scanned the room to see if any students had remembered the routine, and lo and behold, I saw one table group with their work out and ready to learn.

That’s when I discovered a magical sentence: “This table has their work out.”

It took only one simple six-word sentence to change how quickly that class started. Once I said it, they all looked at the table I was referring to and hustled to follow suit.

Research Backs Me Up

Why did this sentence have such an impact? Oddly enough, the answer lies in a study on hotel bath towels.

To save water and energy, many hotels encourage guests to reuse bath towels rather than having them washed and dried every day. Some hotels place a simple message on a placard in the room asking guests to participate in the water conservation effort by hanging up their towels after using them. Research by Stanford University found that such messages had a powerful impact in influencing guests to reuse their towels.

According to the study, when the placard used social norm messaging such as “73% of guests who stayed in this room, # ___ [researchers wrote in the room number], participated in our new resource savings program,” towel reuse jumped to almost 50 percent. The messaging changed guests’ behavior—they were motivated to meet the social norm.

Applying This in the Classroom

As with those hotel placards, when I mention aloud that some students have their work out, the other students see this as a social norm that they desire to meet: The kids at the other table can do it—well, we can too!

When I was a new teacher, I tried all kinds of methods to motivate my students to get started with class. I tried negative reinforcement: “If you do not get your work out, you will get a grade deduction.” I tried bribes: “If your table group gets their work out before the bell rings, you will get a candy.” (This was not sustainable for many reasons, and I felt like a seal trainer rather than a teacher.) I even resorted to rants: “Why won’t y’all get your work out on time? I am sick and tired of reminding you!”

None of these worked long-term—they didn’t motivate students to do the desired behavior consistently.

Social norm statements work because they are positive reinforcements. You may recall research on positive reinforcement by behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner from your teacher training; he found that offering a reward immediately following a positive behavior increases that behavior. Carol Dweck has taken this further in studying growth mindset, finding that praising effort increases the likelihood of continued effort. As Youki Terada explains in “8 Proactive Classroom Management Tips,” “Instead of focusing on specific students, offer praise for the behavior you want to reinforce. For example, tell students, ‘Excellent work getting to your seats quickly.’”

The Phrases I Find Helpful

Inspired by this research, I use the following positive reinforcement phrases often to redirect or motivate students.

Encouraging positive behaviors

• “Wow, I can tell you really like this topic”: This tells a student that I see their effort and enthusiasm. I only use this when I see a student digging into the content and showing curiosity and enjoyment.
• “I can always count on you to [show your work, or any behavior you want to encourage]”: The student who is doing the positive behavior is motivated to continue, and other students overhear this comment and want to be recognized for the same behavior.
• “Thank you for helping with the spilled lunch tray”: Not only is it important to model gratitude, but pointing out specific behaviors that are appreciated reinforces those behaviors.

Normalizing mistakes

• “That is such a wonderful mistake, let’s explore that”: I use this when I want to discuss a misconception, but only when I know the student feels comfortable being open about their mistakes. Comfort around mistakes is built over time in the class culture. As you celebrate and build off of mistakes publicly in class, eventually other students feel more comfortable making mistakes and sharing them for the good of the group.
• “Don’t worry about messing up—you’re just starting out”: This statement reinforces a growth mindset that it is normal and even expected to make mistakes when trying something new.
• “I see how you might think that”: We all want to be seen, especially when we feel vulnerable after making an error. Such a statement offers feedback while also validating a student’s thought process.

Redirecting through invitation

• “That is a great point. Would you mind saying it again to make sure everyone heard it?”: This statement does double duty because the speaker is praised and encouraged, and students who weren’t listening are gently invited back into the discussion.
• “Interesting approach—will you walk me through it?”: This encourages a student to reflect on their work and communicate their thinking, which is especially impactful when a student has disorganized or disconnected work. Often this nudge to revisit and explain will help them sort it out on their own.
• “I have a different solution—can we compare our processes?”: Keep the possibility open that your answer key is incorrect. Even if you are certain your solution is correct, open the conversation for the student to try to defend their solution.

Closing the loop

• “Look at that—you finished 10 problems”: Even if the assignment contains 20 problems, the student did accomplish something by doing several of them. Everyone wants to be recognized for the work they have accomplished.
• “I want to thank you for such a great class today, especially how well you [worked in problem-solving groups, or any positive behavior you observed that day]”: I aim to end each class with a thank-you to all my students for their work and dedication. I learned this from my teenage daughter. When she worked in a summer camp, her supervisor took time at the end of each day to thank the entire staff and mention specific highlights. The teenage camp counselors left feeling seen, appreciated, and ready to continue doing a great job the next day.

Sometimes educators and school leaders see classroom management as a major undertaking that requires complicated systems. And yes, for extreme situations, having systems in place is necessary. However, in my experience, consistent use of positive reinforcement can prevent many potential problematic behavior issues. If you appreciate a student’s work and effort, tell them. If you see a desirable, prosocial behavior, point it out. We’re never too young or old to be encouraged with positive words.

My seventh-grade math classes do not start perfectly on task every day, of course, but I know I have a small, impactful sentence in my toolbox to nudge students in the right direction when needed.