Positive Feedback and the Classroom EnvironmentStudent work is usually accompanied by comments from the teacher on a number of important elements, including their results, progress, and skills. How this feedback is structured and delivered is a topic of debate among educators. The method and type of feedback that teachers use in response to appropriate or inappropriate student behavior shapes the classroom environment (Conroy, Sutherland, Snyder, Al-Hendawi, & Vo, 2009). One potential role for administrators is to prescribe and model effective feedback that teachers can use in the classroom. This administrative role raises an important question: what constitutes effective feedback? For each student, teachers actively choose whether to offer criticism or praise, and they must also decide how specific their comments go. An examination of the role of feedback in the classroom was undertaken here with a view to determining how feedback can be provided effectively and what role administrators can play in raising awareness among the faculty they serve. Praise and Student BehaviorTeachers who choose to recognize and value appropriate behavior with positive responses directly reinforce appropriate behavior while indirectly decreasing the prevalence of inappropriate behavior by limiting its attention. Praise has been shown to decrease inappropriate behavior while having a positive impact on concentration, self-esteem, academic achievement, motivation, and teacher-student relationships (Nelson, 2010). When used contingent on observing appropriate behaviors, praise can improve engagement, increase correct responses, follow instructions, and increase levels of work completion and accuracy (Partin, Robertson, M...... middle of article..... .). Effects of differential feedback on student exam performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 15(4), 319-333. doi:10.1037/a001784Nelson, J. (2010). Using praise notes written by teachers to promote a positive environment in a middle school. Preventing Academic Failure, 54(2), 119.Partin, T., Robertson, RE, Maggin, DM, Oliver, RM and Wehby, JH (2010). Use teacher praise and opportunities to respond to promote appropriate student behavior. Preventing academic failure, 54(3), 172-178. Stormont, M. and Reinke, W. (2009). The importance of precorrective statements, behavior-specific praise, and strategies to increase their use. Beyond Behavior, 18(3), 26-32. Tapp, A. and Lively, D.L. (2009). Think twice before you speak: Using effective praise in early childhood and college settings. Journal of Higher Education Research, 31-9.