Use of Praise-Worth It or Too Soft and Fluffy?

The idea of praise “for everyone and for everything” detracts from the need to (apologies to Bill Rogers) to “be caught doing good.” The manner in which acknowledgement/praise is delivered would seem to be critical to its success. I have experienced young people who would rather chew broken glass coated with cyanide than be singled out for praise-however this does not mean that they are incapable of or unwilling to respond when their achievements are acknowledged in a manner consistent with their wants and need. Maybe like criticism, praise sometimes needs to be softly spoken.
I despair of the rose tinted rear-view mirror view of the past. Forty years ago I attended a Birmingham Comprehensive school that had its fair share of staff that would use this approach regularly and often. It achieved absolutely nothing. Staff who gained respect gained it because of their ability to create and work within clear boundaries that included a proportionate response to challenge in the context of a firm, fair and friendly approach to the pupils.
Like it or not, the use of praise needs to figure on a continuum of approaches that acknowledge both wanted and unwanted behaviour,
Our company delivers esteem raising programmes to learners who may have “slipped below the “praise radar”, have low aspirations and are achieving below potential. The proportionate use of praise combined by work with and support of the workforce (Learning Mentors, Behaviour Managers) has made an impact-sustainability is a further and different challenge.
I welcome approaches that allow us to “build up credit” in the learner’s emotional bank and model relationships that recognise the importance of calibrating success and confronting unwanted behaviour.