Positive Phrasing
Being positive and looking at the glass as half-full can be a challenge! One way to sound more positive (and therefore eventually become more positive) is to use positive phrasing whenever possible.
Pointing out what needs to be done is always more effective than stating what has been done incorrectly. Stating what is being done wrong actually focuses an individual more on the mistake, making it even harder to correct. Stating what needs to be done allows the participant to focus on exactly what needs to be changed, rather than dwelling on an error and not knowing how to fix it. Telling a child on a high branch "Don't look down! Don't fall!" is more likely to result in the student looking down (and falling!) than if the parent called out "Look straight ahead! Focus on where you want to go!"
Using positive phrasing in your feedback and in your posts can make a world of difference in the way the participant feels about the feedback and also the overall tone of the course.
Examples of Negative/Positive Phrasing:
| Negative Phrasing | Positive Phrasing |
|---|---|
| Don't post things with so many typos. | Spell-check carefully before submitting your post. |
| Stop using all caps in your posts. | Please use upper and lower case in your posts. |
| You didn't post in forum 2.4. | Please add your comments to forum 2.4. |