From the RREI Partners Update (DECS, 21CP & Sound Supports), October 2026.
A two-minute habit for the hardest month of the year.
By November, most classroom corrections are on autopilot. So is most praise. “Good job” and “nice work” are easy to say and easy to ignore, because they do not tell a student what to do again.
The fix is small. When you see a behavior you want more of, name it. “You let him finish before you jumped in.” “You put the materials back without being asked.” The student hears exactly what worked, and so does everyone within earshot.
Researchers call this behavior-specific praise, and it is one of the most consistently supported teacher practices in the literature, in general and special education classrooms alike. It works because it is specific and because it follows the behavior closely. It is not flattery, and it is not a sticker chart. It is information.
Find out your own rate
- Ask a colleague to tally for ten minutes while you teach.
- Mark a seating chart each time you name a behavior, and see who never gets marked.
- Set a target for one class period, then compare it to what you actually did.
Most teachers find they correct far more often than they name what is going right, and that the students they correct most are the ones they praise least. That second finding is worth sitting with, especially for students who are Black and have disabilities and students with IDD, who are over-represented in every removal statistic a district keeps.
This month’s challenge
Choose one class period. Name three specific behaviors you want more of before the period ends. Notice who you chose, and who you missed.
Questions, or want help putting this into practice in your district? Email connect@dec.solutions.
