Good Job?

I was really puzzled and curious a few weeks ago in class when Dr. Koppenhaver mentioned the possibility that we say Good Job! and give other verbal praises way too often. I began to question how that could be such an awful thing. I thought kids needed to be praised. I thought that they, or anyone else for that matter, needed to know when someone else liked something they did and wanted to tell them that they liked or enjoyed it. To find out more, I took Dr. Koppenhaver's suggestion and read the article, "Five Reasons to Stop Saying "Good Job!". Now that I have read the article and understand the point of view, I will have to say that I really agree with the points that are being made. However, I must admit that I was still a bit skeptical even after reading about 3/4 of the article. It wasnt until I read the last quarter of the article that everything started coming together and making sense.
The first part of the article that really struck me was the part which suggests that telling kids they've done a good job has more to do with our convenience and less with their emotional needs. As I read that, I began thinking back to all the times I have done some kind of teaching. I came to the conclusion that every time I taught, I had told someone they were doing a good job when they did something correctly. Then I tried to think back to the thought processes I went through as I taught. It suddenly dawned on me that Kohn hit the nail on the head with this one. I realized that my "good job" responses were simply an expression of my relief at not having to deal with correctly correcting an incorrect response. I imagine most other people find themselves in the same situation as me. No one ever seems to think it important to plan for those things. We'd rather just fall back on "No, not quite." and "Good job!". Life is much simpler that way.
Another thing that really hit home with me in Kohn's article is when he says that praise makes kids less secure instead of more secure. Just as before, I had to reflect back on my own experiences to connect with this point. And yes, my parents are guilty of being "good job- sayers". And yes, now that I have read this article, I do think I am less secure because of it. Even today, I find myself consistently thriving on someone telling I have done a good job with something. If I dont get a good job or some sign of approval, it disappoints me and I begin feeling like my work wasnt good enough.
How much breath could I save if I would just stop giving out "good jobs" when they aren't necessary? This is one thing I hope to work on during practicum. "Good job" really doesnt even mean anything anymore. It is just a response that comes out of the mouth without thought. What if I actually gave my approval(or disapproval) of a students' work by conversing with them about it- by making them feel that they and their work are valued, rather simply giving them the two word response that everyone gets no matter what the teacher really thinks? It is really going to take some hard work to change the responses I give students. How much do I really want for my students to be self-motivated though? My "good jobs" certainly aren't going to help them be proud and motivated. I want my students to know that their hard work and efforts are appreciated by the time and effort I put into talking with them about it. I want my classroom to be a place where motivation comes from being pleased with yourself, instead of coming from two simple words that are now meaningless. I need to start thinking through exactly how I will repsond to the things I like and dislike in my classroom. Otherwise, I am afraid I will just rely on the old fallbacks and once again become a "No, not quite." and a "Good job!" sayer. I really, REALLY dont want that in my classroom. After reading this article, who would? Who wouldn't want to have a healthier classroom environment such as this one, where "good jobs" are no longer spoken unless they are really meant?