The speaker suggests that the most effective way to teach others is to
praise positiveactions while ignoring
negative ones. In my view, this statement is too extreme. It overlookscircumstances under which praise might be inappropriate, as well as ignoringthe beneficial value of constructive criticism, and sometimes even punishment.The recommendation that parents,
teachers, and
employers praise
positive actionsis generally good advice. For young children positive reinforcement is critical inthe development of healthy self-esteem and self-confidence. For
students appropriatepositive feedback serves as a motivating force, which spurs them on to greater academicachievement. For employees, appropriately administered praise enhances productivityand employee loyalty, and makes for a more congenial and pleasant workenvironment overall.While recommending praise for positive
actions is fundamentally sound advice,this advice should carry with it certain caveats. First, some employees and older studentsmight frnd excessive praise to be patronizing or paternalistic. Secondly, someindividuals need and respond more appropriately to praise than others; those administeringthe praise should be sensitive to the individual''s need for positive reinforcementin the first place.Thirdly, praise should be administered fairly and evenhandedly.By issuing more praise to one student than to others, a teacher might cause onerecipient to be labeled by classmates as teacher''s pet, even if the praise is well deservedor badly needed. If the result is to alienate other students, then the praisemight not be justified. Similarly, at the workplace a supervisor must be careful to issuepraise fairly and evenhandedly, or risk accusations of undue favoritism, or even discrimination.As for ignoring negative actions, I agree that minor peccadilloes can, and inmany cases should, be overlooked. Mistakes and other negative actions are oftenpart of the natural learning process.Young children are naturally curious, and parentsshould not scold their children for every broken plate or precocious act. Otherwise,children do not develop a healthy sense of wonder and curiosity, and willnot learn what they must in order to make their own way in the world.Teachersshould avoid rebuking or punishing students for faulty reasoning, incorrect responsesto questions, and so forth. Otherwise, students might stop trying to learn altogether.And employees who know they are being monitored closely for any sign of errantbehavior are likely to be less productive, more resentful of their supervisors, andless loyal to their employers.At the same time, some measure of constructive criticism and critique, and sometimeseven punishment, is appropriate. Parents must not turn a blind eye to theirchild''s behavior if it jeopardizes the child''s physical safety or the safety of others.Teachers should not ignore behavior that unduly disrupts the learning process; andof course teachers should correct and critique students'' class work, homework andtests as needed to help the students learn from their mistakes and avoid repeatingthem. Finally, employers must not permit employee behavior that amounts to harassmentor that otherwise undermines the overall productivity at the workplace. Acquiescencein these sorts of behaviors only serves to sanction them.To sum up, the speaker''s dual recommendation is too extreme. Both praise andcriticism serve useful purposes in promoting a child''s development, a student''s education,and an employee''s loyalty and productivity.Yet both must be appropriatelyand evenhandedly administered; otherwise, they might serve instead to defeat thesepurposes
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