How to boost children’s self-esteem, and how to recognise signs of struggle in the classroom
Low self-confidence among students is a very common problem in classrooms across the country. For many pupils, they dread having to stand at the front of the class, answer questions on the spot or read a snippet of text out loud. So, what can you do to help students who are lacking in self-confidence and create a safe classroom environment for them to flourish?
1. Praise and acknowledge accomplishments
Students who don’t have a lot of confidence tend to focus on only the negative aspects of what they are doing. Make it a point to praise and acknowledge students when they do something correctly, both in private and in front of their peers. Specific praise helps students know that you’re paying attention and helps them acknowledge their own small wins. Giving short feedback on an exercise done in class and praising their word choice or having the class give a round of applause for fellow students can make a world of difference.
2. Create realistic expectations
Be realistic about what your students can accomplish. Have students create their own set of goals and things they would like to accomplish during the school year, and then sit down and review their lists with them. Setting goals that are manageable and reasonable for your students can help them see how much they’ve grown.
3. Embrace a growth mindset
Those with low confidence may focus on their failures and not see the progress that they’ve made. Use mistakes or failures as teaching moments for students. Remind them that they are not defined by their shortcomings and reassure them to keep moving forward in their studies.
4. Increase sense of ownership
Urge your students to take ownership of their learning by providing them with opportunities for decision-making when it comes to assignments or classroom rules. Ask for ideas on homework or in-class activities. Allow students to set their own pace and create open-ended projects on topics they feel passionate about.
5. Don’t compare one student to another
Your students have their own sets of unique strengths, talents, and needs. Accept that some students will have strengths where others don’t, and don’t treat them as one group. Differentiated learning can help students identify how they learn best. When students feel like their needs aren’t being met in the classroom, they may feel like they’re not welcome. Take notice of the different strengths and learning styles your students have and create a classroom environment that fosters the unique abilities of individual students.
