--- title: "200 Words: Praise | Blog" description: A short blog on how the importance of praise. Teaching and Learning. image: https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/200%20Words-%20Praise.jpeg --- [Skip to content](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/200-words-praise#main-content) [![DouglasWise_Logo2026 (1)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/DouglasWise_Logo2026%20(1).png?width=500&height=144&name=DouglasWise_Logo2026%20(1).png)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/) - [KS3 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks3-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS3 Resources - [Prose](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/prose) - [Poetry](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/poetry) - [Drama](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/drama) - [Non-Fiction](https://douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/non-fiction) - [Resource Bundles](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [KS4 Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks4-teaching-resources) Show submenu for KS4 Resources - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/english-teaching-resources-ks3-ks4-teaching-resources-douglas-wise/macbeth-teaching-resources) - 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[An Inspector Calls](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [A Christmas Carol](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Power and Conflict](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [Literacy](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/teaching-resource-bundles) - [PREMIUM](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/premium-english-teaching-resources) [PREMIUM](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/premium-english-teaching-resources) 19 June, 2022 # 200 Words: Praise ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/200-words-praise) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/200-words-praise) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/200-words-praise) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/200-words-praise) **We chronically underestimate the influence we have on those around us**.  In a [study](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/53dd6293e4b0d1d6aa7a2e72/t/60661c40dbd33071630c981e/1617304640953/Boothby+%26+Bohns_Compliments.pdf) conducted in 2020, the psychologists Erica Boothby and Vanessa Bohns found that we tend to misjudge how good a simple compliment will make the recipient feel.  And connected to this, we tend to believe that others pay less attention to us than they really do; Boothby calls this the [Invisibility Cloak Illusion](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27977221/) because of how we freely observe others, but then don’t feel like we’re being observed ourselves. **The point is that influencing people is far easier than we think**.  Mostly, our students are fairly inscrutable during lessons and they’re usually pretty swift to disappear when the bell goes.  One of the quirks of the profession is that we actually receive relatively little direct feedback.  However, that doesn’t mean that our words and actions go unnoticed.  Indeed, far from it.  Thanks to the work of Boothby and Bohns, we can sure of two things: 1. Students are highly receptive to praise, assuming it’s sincere and deserved 2. Giving praise is a powerful way of shaping positive norms and influencing student behaviour Thanks for reading – Doug ![Form CTA](https://hubspot-no-cache-eu1-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/cta/default/143698377/interactive-87581475011.png)   [Blog](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/blog) ## Related posts [![](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Macbeth-Common-Misconceptions-800x445.jpg?height=200&name=Macbeth-Common-Misconceptions-800x445.jpg)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-macbeth-common-misconceptions) [KS4](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/ks4), [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/macbeth) ## [Common Misconceptions – Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-macbeth-common-misconceptions) ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) 26 March, 2019 What follows is an overview of some of the most common misconceptions (or over-simplifications)... [Read more](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-macbeth-common-misconceptions) [![](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Macbeth-KS4-Teaching-800x445.jpg?height=200&name=Macbeth-KS4-Teaching-800x445.jpg)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/one-pagers-context-macbeth) [KS4](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/ks4), [Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/macbeth) ## [One-Pagers on the Context of Macbeth](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/one-pagers-context-macbeth) ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) 1 April, 2022 Click above to access a series of one-pagers on the context of Macbeth. There are eight in total: [Read more](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/one-pagers-context-macbeth) [![](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Teaching%20and%20Learning%20Bulletin%20(1).jpg?height=200&name=Teaching%20and%20Learning%20Bulletin%20(1).jpg)](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-and-learning-bulletin-2-feb) [Teaching and Learning Bulletin](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/tag/teaching-and-learning-bulletin) ## [Handwriting Not Typing, Breaking Down Barriers, and More...](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-and-learning-bulletin-2-feb) ![Picture of Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Profile/douglas-wise%20(2).jpg?width=50&name=douglas-wise%20(2).jpg) [Douglas Wise](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise) 2 February, 2024 Here is the Teaching and Learning Bulletin for 2nd February: [Read more](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/teaching-and-learning-bulletin-2-feb) [facebook-f icon](https://www.facebook.com/DouglasWiseUK/) [linkedin-in icon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wisedouglas/) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.instagram.com/revise_gcse_english/) [X Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/DoWise) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/@Douglas_Wise) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.tiktok.com/@revise_gcse_english?lang=en) - [KS3 English Teaching Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks3-teaching-resources) - [KS4 English Teaching Resources](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/ks4-teaching-resources) - [Sign-up to the Newsletter](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/subscribe) - [About Me](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/professional-development) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/privacy-policy) --- [![Douglas-Wise-Logo](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Douglas_Wise_Logo.jpg?width=150&height=150&name=Douglas_Wise_Logo.jpg "Douglas-Wise-Logo")](https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/) Copyright © 2026 ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Douglas Wise", "url" : "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/author/wise" }, "dateModified" : "2024-01-13T19:04:00.005Z", "datePublished" : "2022-06-19T17:50:00.000Z", "headline" : "200 Words: Praise | Blog", "image" : [ "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/200%20Words-%20Praise.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/blog/200-words-praise", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.douglaswise.co.uk/hubfs/Douglas_Wise_Logo.jpg" } } } ```