Positive Framing Phrases

Technique: Right is Right

Objective: PWBAT craft positive phrases that encourage their students to add to and
develop their answers.

Description of Activity: A Planning Activity in which participants will use a worksheet to

consider the reasoning of Right is Right and brainstorm positively framed phrases that
teachers can use to respond to answers that are almost right. If possible, facilitate this
activity before the other Right is Right activities.

Estimated Time: 35-45 minutes

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 Positive Framing Phrases
Participant Copy

Do Now:
1. Why are we, as teachers, sometimes inconsistent about holding out for right answers?
What incentives make us vulnerable to letting almost right slip past us?

2. How can we address and overcome these challenges? How do the teachers in the video
weve seen do that?

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 Positive Framing Phrases (Contd)
Participant Copy

Directions: Brainstorm your Right is Right phrases in the table below. Remember to generate
at least one phrase per type of Right is Right (e.g., Answer the Question, Hold out for All the
Way, Use Technical Vocabulary, Right Answer/Right Time).

Your Right is Right should be:

Positive and upbeat about whats been accomplished
Clear and honest about the fact that more work is needed
Useful when an answer is 80% right, not when its just wrong

You can also incorporate the following elements of Positive Framing:

Challenge! Appeal to students desire to prove that they can get the answer
entirely right.
o Example: You got the first half of the problem correct. Lets see now if you
can seal the deal.
Talk Expectations and Aspirations: Empower students to provide answers that are
all the way right by reminding them of who they are becoming and where they
can be going.
o Example: Youre on the right track, but can you refine that answer using
our college-level word for a storys ending?
Build Momentum/Narrate the Positive: Build momentum toward an answer thats
100% correct by narrating what you like about the students initial effort or
answer.
o Example: Youre using the rules we talked about. Who can finish what
James started?

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 Positive Framing Phrases (Contd)
Participant Copy

Positively Framed Right is Right Phrases Brainstorm

Hold Out for All the Way:

Example: You got the first half of the problem correct. Lets see now if you can seal the
deal.

Answer the Question:

Example: Youre doing a great job supporting your answer with the text, but I want you to
listen to my question again.

Use Technical Vocabulary

Example: Youre on the right track, but can you refine that answer using our college-level
word for a storys ending?

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 Positive Framing Phrases (Contd)
Participant Copy

Directions: Select one question that matches up with the content area you teach and plan a
Right is Right response using one of the positively framed phrases you brainstormed on
page 5. At the facilitators signal, you will then deliver this Right is Right response as the
teacher with your partner playing the student.

Reading/Writing

Question Student Answer Right is Right Answer Right is Right Prompt

What is a simile? A comparison A comparison

between two unlike between two unlike
things. things, often using
the words like or
as.

Read the first word Long ago, a girl Long

in the story for me named

What type of Main character. Holden Caulfield is

character is Holden the protagonist.
Caulfield?

What do you first You can add a You first have to

have to do to prove conjunction and a find a subject and a
that a sentence is a comma or a period to predicate.
run-on? form two sentences.

Math

Question Student Answer Right is Right Answer Right is Right Prompt

Whats the first step Add 7 and 5. Divide 49 by 7.

we should take to
solve this problem?

49 7 + 5.

What is the area of The area of the The area of the

a square with a side square is 49. square is 49
of 7 centimeters. centimeters
squared.

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 Positive Framing Phrases (Contd)
Participant Copy

Math (Contd)

Question Student Answer Right is Right Answer Right is Right Prompt

Can you find the I actually need help The sum of 35 and
sum of 35 and 43? with question 4. 43 is 78.

Can you tell me Its the amount of Volume is the

what volume is? space something amount of space an
takes up. object occupies.

History

Question Student Answer Right is Right Answer Right is Right Prompt

Name 3 causes of Three effects of the 1. Tensions over

the American Civil American Civil War the slavery issue
War. were 2. Debate between
states versus
federal rights.
3. Election of
Abraham Lincoln
Once a bill has been It is sent to the The bill must be
drafted, what is the president for introduced by a
next step that must approval. member of
be taken to ensure it Congress.
becomes a law?

What cultural Europe went through Europe experienced

movement did a golden era a Renaissance
Europe undergo between the 14th between the 14th
between the 14th and 17th centuries? and 17th centuries.
and 17th centuries?

What continent is America. The continent that is

located in both the located in both the
northern and northern and
western western hemispheres
hemispheres? is North America.

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 Positive Framing Phrases (Contd)
Participant Copy

Science

Question Student Answer Right is Right Answer Right is Right Prompt

Whats the first step Test the The first step of the
of the scientific hypothesis. scientific method is
method? to ask a question.

What is Its a process where Its a process where

photosynthesis? plants and other plants and other
living organisms living organisms
convert sunlight into convert sunlight into
food. chemical energy.

What is the function Its the brain of the The nucleus stores
of the nucleus? cell. genetic material.

What is the An element is gold An element is made

difference between and a compound is out of one type of
an element and a salt. atom and a
compound? compound is made
up of two or more
different types of
atoms.

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 Positive Framing Phrases Feedback Cheat Sheet

Success Points (focus on the mastery of these points first):

1. Participant delivers Positively Framed phrases with a positive or upbeat tone.
2. Participant uses phrases only when answer is almost right, not completely wrong.

Constructive Feedback
Next time try
Deliver phrase in a more upbeat tone
Deliver phrase in a more positive tone
Tone Deliver phrase in a more neutral tone

Using nonverbal or verbal cues to acknowledge compliance with

Build the direction (e.g., giving a thumbs up, smiling, positively
Momentum/Narrate narrating compliance, etc.)
the Positive

Maintaining eye contact with the student while you deliver the
Positively Framed phrase
Body Language Leaning in or crouching when delivering your Positively Framed
phrase

Delivering your positively re-framed direction in fewer words

Economy of Eliminating some of the following words or phrases
Language