Every teacher has had that moment: you notice a small act of kindness or effort, name it out loud, and suddenly the whole energy of the room shifts. One student straightens up. Another leans in. The tone softens.

That isn’t just good vibes. It’s neuroscience in action. Our brains are wired to pay attention to recognition and to repeat the behaviours that bring it. For principals and teachers trying to build positive behaviour and sustainable teacher wellbeing, understanding this is a game‑changer.

In this article, we unpack what happens in the brain when students (and adults) experience genuine recognition, and how schools can turn that science into simple, repeatable classroom practices – without adding more to an already overflowing plate.

What Happens in the Brain When We’re Recognised?

Reward circuits and dopamine

When a student hears specific, sincere recognition – “I noticed you helped your classmate get started, that showed real initiative” – the brain’s reward system lights up. Studies show that perceived rewards activate regions such as the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex, releasing dopamine and strengthening the association between a behaviour and a positive outcome.

This isn’t limited to money or prizes; social rewards like praise and appreciation can engage the same circuitry. That means the way we talk to students (and colleagues) has a direct impact on what their brains learn to value and repeat.

Positive mood broadens what students can do

Neuroscience research also shows that a positive mood doesn’t just feel pleasant – it changes how the brain processes information. Positive mood has been found to enhance reward‑related neural activity and support more flexible, exploratory thinking.

In classroom terms, that means:

• Students are more open to challenges.
• They’re better able to see options instead of feeling stuck.
• They’re more likely to persist rather than shut down.

Recognition is one of the most reliable ways to create these small positive shifts in mood throughout a lesson.

Why “how” we praise matters

Of course, not all praise is equal. Cognitive science and education research warn that vague or ability‑focused praise (“You’re so smart”) can backfire, making students more risk‑averse and less resilient when they struggle.

The brain pays closer attention when feedback is:

• Specific (what exactly did I do?).
• Linked to effort, strategy, or values (not fixed traits).
• Timely (as close as possible to the behaviour).

This combination helps students build accurate mental maps: “When I persist, collaborate, or show kindness, good things happen.” Over time, those maps become the basis for habits.

From Recognition to Habit: Making Positive Behaviour Stick

Reward and habit formation

Habit research suggests that repetition alone is not enough; the behaviour needs to be experienced as rewarding for it to become automatic. When students feel a small sense of pleasure or satisfaction after a behaviour – through internal pride or external recognition – the brain is more likely to “save” that behaviour for future use.

In schools, this means:

• Quietly doing the right thing but never being noticed can actually slow habit formation.
• Small, frequent, meaningful recognitions are more powerful than occasional big rewards.

The role of predictability

Brains love patterns. When students can predict that certain behaviours (helping others, being prepared, focusing quickly) often lead to recognition or progress, those behaviours become easier to choose next time, even when no one is watching.

That’s why whole‑school consistency matters. When only some teachers notice and reinforce positive behaviour, the signal is noisy. When recognition is more consistent, the signal is clear.

What This Means for Principals and Teachers

For principals and school leaders

If you’re leading a school, the neuroscience points to a few key levers:

• Invest in a culture of recognition, not just a policy of consequences. The brain science sits comfortably alongside evidence on PBIS and positive school climate improving behaviour and learning.
• Make recognition systemic rather than incidental. When only a few teachers “happen” to be good at it, students get unequal access to the motivational benefits.
• Track positive behaviour data, not just incident data, so you can see which strengths and habits are growing over time.

Recognition is not about ignoring problems; it’s about making sure your systems are just as good at catching students when they’re doing the right thing.

For classroom teachers

Teachers are already doing a huge amount of emotional work. The goal is not to layer on more, but to make the recognition you’re already giving more brain‑aligned and sustainable:

• Shift from generic (“Good job”) to specific (“You stayed with that task even when it got tricky – that persistence is going to help you in maths and beyond”).
• Look for small wins, especially from students who are often corrected. Even a brief, quiet recognition can disrupt a negative pattern in the brain.
• Use recognition to highlight soft skills – collaboration, initiative, resilience – not just compliance or grades, so students’ brains learn to value those behaviours too.

Over time, this doesn’t just change behaviour; it changes how students see themselves.

For parents and carers

Parents often ask, “How can I support what school is trying to do?” The same principles apply at home:

• Be specific about what you’re proud of (“You really stuck with that homework even when it was frustrating”).
• Focus on effort, strategies and kindness, not just marks.
• Try to make sure children hear more positive, specific recognition than criticism – not to shield them from reality, but to give their brains reasons to keep trying.

When home and school use similar recognition patterns, the brain’s learning about “what matters” becomes even stronger.

Bringing the Science to Life with Superbly

At Superbly, we built our platform around these psychological and neuroscientific insights, not the other way around. A few design choices reflect that:

• Instant, specific recognition: Teachers can capture “in‑the‑moment” behaviours quickly, so the timing lines up with the reward circuits that help habits form.
• Focus on strengths and soft skills: Schools can tag and track traits like kindness, persistence, teamwork, and leadership, signalling to students that these behaviours count.
• Whole‑school consistency: Because recognition travels through one system, leaders can see where positive behaviour is flourishing and where students or staff might need more support.

Crucially, Superbly is designed to be supportive, not punitive. It doesn’t watch or judge students; it helps teachers notice and share the moments that matter, in a way that protects privacy and honours the realities of busy classrooms.

Turning Insight into Tomorrow’s Lesson

You don’t need a neuroscience degree to use this research. You might start with three small shifts this week:

1. Choose one behaviour you want to see more of (e.g. “starts work within 60 seconds”). Notice and name it every time you see it, for a week.
2. Swap one generic praise phrase for a specific, effort‑focused one in each lesson.
3. If you’re using a tool like Superbly, log at least one piece of positive recognition for a student you usually correct, and send a short note home so their family sees it too.

Each of these is a tiny nudge to the brain’s reward system. Over a term, those nudges add up – for students, for teachers, and for the overall feel of your school.

Related Articles

Neural correlates of positive emotion (overview) Kragel, P. A. et al. A systematic review of the neural correlates of positive emotions.

Reward, pleasure and habit formation Gardner, B. et al. Exploratory study of the impact of perceived reward on habit formation. BMC Psychology (2018).

Exploratory study of the impact of perceived reward on habit formation Imperial College London record of the same study:

Motivation and brain architecture (education‑relevant overview) Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation.

Willingham, D. T. Ask the Cognitive Scientist: How Praise Can Motivate—or Stifle—Student Motivation. American Educator, American Federation of Teachers.

Underwood, M. The Right Kind of Praise Can Spur Student Growth. Edutopia (2020).