Building children’s self-esteem in the classroom
It is widely recognised that a child’s self-esteem is a contributing factor to their progress at school and their behaviour in the classroom and so it is vitally important that staff in school aim to build and develop positive self-esteem wherever possible. There are a number of ways in which this can be encouraged in the classroom and in the wider school community.
Firstly, the whole ethos of the school should be one of mutual respect where every pupil is valued. The idea that every child has the potential to excel in something is an important one and children should be encouraged to explore lots of different avenues to find their niche not just the academic routes that so often are prevalent in school.
Giving children small responsibilities in the classroom is one way that self-esteem can be boosted as often this gives children the opportunity to feel important amongst their peers. The roles can be allocated on a rota basis so that all children get the chance to take part.
The effect of giving praise to children cannot be emphasised enough as this is a powerful motivator. Pupils can be praised for lots of different aspects of their work and behaviour such as kindness to others, tenacity when attempting a complex task or academic achievement and this praise undoubtedly builds their self-esteem enormously.
