Affirmations V Commands

Peer observation is a proven strategy for increasing your effectiveness as a teacher. Research has shown that focused, specific, data-rich feedback and collegial conversations lead to real improvement in practice.

Each App in this suite is designed to give teachers feedback on one element of their practice. By inviting a colleague to observe your use of affirmations and commands in the classroom you’ll be best able to strategically utilise this classroom strategy.

Affirmation v Commands: Dot chart survey

What this App measures
This App measures the number of times in a defined period that the teacher issues a command or provides affirmation to students.

Why that matters
An affirmation is praise for students; a command is generally an intervention in the learning process. Affirmations and Commands help shape student behaviour in the classroom. See more on the video.

What you need to know to use this App effectively
An Affirmation can be praise, using student work as a model, thanking a student for what they are doing, endorsing student behaviour
A Command is intervening to guide student behaviour, re-directing work, any intervention in which you have to say ‘do this rather than that’.
Tap on Affirmation or Command each time you observe a colleague implement that strategy.

What does the data show
The completed data will provide a ratio of the number of times the teacher issued a command or provided praise to students. The ratio of Affirmations to Commands is likely to shape student behaviour. Increasing effective praise can increase student learning. See more on the video.

How the data can be used in teacher coaching
If student behaviour is a problem in a classroom, a coach needs to diagnose what has gone awry. The use of praise or lack of it is one possible problem. When every Affirmation or Command is captured and represented visually, the teacher has a clear view of the message that is being communicated to students.