I came across this fascinating article as part of my research on comparing and contrasting general education and special education.
What caught my eye was this quote from Peter Sims (director of Pixar Animation)? I didn’t know that they have the term “plussing” for this particular method.
“The point, he said, is to ‘build and improve on ideas without using judgmental language.” An animator working on Toy Story 3 shares her rough sketches and ideas with the director. “Instead of criticizing the sketch or saying ‘no,’ the director will build on the starting point by saying something like, ‘I like Woody’s eyes, and what if his eyes rolled left?” Using words like “and” or “what if” rather than “but” is a way to offer suggestions and allow creative juices to flow without fear, Mr. Sims said.”
It’s pretty standard in Early Childhood classrooms as well. As teachers, we don’t just say no to what we see in children’s work. We give them AUTHENTIC feedback because this is where they learn from and how they perceive information.
Saying “what if” or “and” also gives learners more room for imagination and creativity, and helps them feel confident in what they do.
So, instead of saying, “Not that way”, “This is not a….”, “I don’t think that is the right way”, maybe we should start using words/phrases like, “I notice that….”, “I like it with…”, “We can investigate more about…” and many more ways to let the children feel that they are part of their learning and not being pushed to the side and losing some confidence that is rightfully theirs.
