All students come into school with different levels of self-esteem. For some, it is a fragile thing that needs to be built up slowly and carefully. For others, it may be something that needs to be challenged to grow. Whatever way you approach it, building and maintaining your students’ self-esteem is essential for their success in the classroom and beyond. It will make them better communicators and problem-solvers, alongside boosting their emotional resilience.
It’ll be worthwhile to try out different strategies to find what works best for your students and your classroom dynamic.
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Get to Know Them
One great way to start the school year is by getting to know your students individually. You can do this through icebreakers and other activities that allow them to share something about themselves with the class. Some practical exercises include:
All About Me: Students can fill out a worksheet with information about themselves, including their interests, hobbies, and favorite things.
Two Things: Students can share two things about themselves, one that is true and one that is false. The rest of the class will have to guess which is which.
Class Interviews: Students can interview each other, asking questions about their interests, family, and background.
As they open up to you, they’ll feel more comfortable in the classroom and confident. But learning how to unearth students’ potential, boost their confidence, and eliminate shortcomings is crucial to attaining satisfactory classroom performance.
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Encourage Participation
Nobody likes feeling left out. Students may feel like the teacher is biased, which can affect the teacher-student relationship, further affecting grades. So, ensure that everyone feels like they have a chance to participate in class. You can do this in several ways:
- Break students into small groups for activities and discussions
- Call on students by name to answer questions
- Give students enough time to work out their answers before calling on them
- Encourage shy students to participate by asking them questions that they can easily answer
By making everyone feel included, you’ll help them feel good about themselves and their place in the classroom.
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Praise Effort, Not Ability
When students do well, it’s tempting to praise their intelligence or talent. However, this can harm their self-esteem. Instead, try to praise their effort:
“You worked so hard on that project.”
“I can tell you put a lot of thought into your presentation.”
“You did great listening to each other’s ideas.”
Praising students’ efforts will help them see that their success is due to their hard work, not just their natural ability. It will encourage them to keep working hard, even when the going gets tough. You can also set rewards for effort instead of achievement. For example, give a sticker to every student who participates in class that day.
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Set Realistic Goals
As a mentor, it’s essential to set goals for your students that challenge them but are still within their reach. This way, they can feel successful and motivated to keep striving hard.
Individualize goals for each student based on their abilities. It will enhance their sense of ownership.
Develop SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). For instance, “Read one chapter of the novel by next week” is a SMART goal. And when they start performing, track their progress towards the goals to help them see their progress.
Also, encourage students to participate in setting their goals, so they’re more likely to buy into them. When students feel like they’re making progress toward their goals, they’ll feel good about themselves and their abilities.
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Be Available When They Need You
Sometimes a student-teacher bond goes beyond the classroom. If a student is struggling with a personal issue, they may need someone to talk to and share their worries. As their teacher, you can be that person.
Make yourself available to talk to students before or after class. It could be about why they’re struggling with a specific concept or just discussing their day at home to determine if something is affecting their performance. It’ll also help you design targeted interventions to help them academically.
If a student confides in you, don’t break their trust by telling others what they’ve said. Let them know that you’re there for them and that they can come to you for anything.
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Embrace a Growth Mindset
Enabling your students to develop a growth mindset is one of the most helpful things you can do for them. A growth mindset believes in developing intelligence and abilities through hard work, good strategies, and persistence.
- Encourage students to be risk-takers and not be afraid of making mistakes
- Praise their effort and hard work, not just their results
- Help them see mistakes as learning opportunities
- Focus on their progress over time, not just their current achievement
A growth mindset will assist students in seeing themselves as capable and resilient. They’ll be more likely to take risks, persist in the face of setbacks, and ultimately be more successful in school and life.
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Nurture Teamwork and Cooperation
In today’s world, teamwork and cooperation are essential skills. They’ll need to work well with others to succeed in school and their future careers.
As a teacher, you can help nurture these skills by assigning group projects and encouraging students to work together. Give students opportunities to lead and take charge of their groups. It’ll help them develop confidence and learn to work with others.
When students work together, they’ll need to communicate and cooperate to succeed. It will help them develop leadership, emotional intelligence, and people skills.
You can also encourage them to listen to each other’s ideas and devise creative solutions to problems.
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Promote Self-Care
Self-care is the fundamental building block of a healthy lifestyle. It’s essential to encourage students to take care of themselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Teach them the importance of getting enough sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising regularly. Encourage your students to find healthy ways to cope with stress and anxiety. It will mitigate any chances of poor performance or disruptive behavior in class.
You can also help them develop a positive self-image and healthy body image. When the bullies get to them, they’ll be able to brush it off more easily.
Conclusion
All students have unique talents, interests, and abilities. Giving them a voice and choice in their learning will make them more engaged and motivated. Let them choose how they want to exhibit their knowledge through writing, presentations, or art. It’ll allow them to show their strengths and individuality. Remember, you’re not only preparing them to be academically successful, but you’re also helping them develop into confident and capable adults.