Home > Teacher Supplies Info Center > Building confidence in children

Building confidence in children

Click here to see our selection of Teaching Supplies.

 

When children are young they seem to need more external validation than adults do. Likely because they also require more criticism, they can easily develop a poor self image when the criticism outweighs the praise he or she gets from the adults in his or her life.

It is our responsibility as teachers to encourage children as much as possible as a method of building confidence in children.

· For example:

With children in the age group between eighteen months and three or four years old, children are scolded for a gazillion different things—they are just barely learning what is ok and what is not ok.

o Kids need to be told what to do and what not to do, especially in this age group. Therefore we say “no, no, no!!!” when the child puts dirt or a small toy in his or her mouth.

By the same token, we should say something like “oh what a good helper!” when the child helps clean the bedroom, or sandbox, or nursery etc.

o Another example:

Try to couple a scolding with an encouragement when building confidence in children. So if the child is making a deliberate mess in his or her high chair, you can tell him or her not to do that.

And, likewise by the same token, by the end of the meal if the child has responded to your instructions—give him or her a great big smile and say something like “good job listening!” and “good job eating!” This way the child does not leave the table feeling bad. But having learned a new way to make mommy, daddy or his or her guardian proud. We all know that kids love attention, and they would much prefer positive attention than negative attention. Believe it or not, if a child receives too much negative attention and not enough positive attention, he or she could end up being the sort of child who cries, fights, pouts, screams or just generally gets him or herself into trouble because negative attention is better than no attention at all!

This weeks top selling teacher supplies

 

Homeroom Teacher has the best selection of Building confidence in children at the lowest prices!

Related information:

Connecting with students
It may be hard connecting with students, especially if those students are in their adolescent phases where all authorities are people at which to thumb his or her nose, so to speak.

Teaching Kindergarten
Longer days filled with less effective activities will yield no educational advantages.

Teaching First Grade
In teaching first grade, your curriculum most likely requires that the children accomplish much through reading.