Helping to Build Students' Confidence

As a teacher for many years, I have found that students, like us, need to feel confident in what they do. and say.  The classroom is a breeding ground for the building and sadly the destruction of confidence and self worth.   Our students are from different socio-economic background where concepts of school are developed.  as a result, they come with preconceived  ideas as to how learning should be.  Depending on their backgrounds, so come with self esteem that is ideal, but there are others who come as almost empty shells of human beings.   Therefore as teachers we need to be careful in how we handle our students.  We can either make them or break them just be our actions.

As teachers, we should be careful of the things that we say to our students.  We have to ensure that we  study the classroom setting and out for the following:

1. poor eye contact
2. lack of clarity in speech
3. momo-tone in conversation
4. use of lines in drawing (hard or soft)
5. poor interaction in class
6. lack of speed for work
7. silence
8. limited work

These signs and many more are indicators that something is emotionally imbalanced with the students.  Therefore, as teachers, we must recognize these signs and try to rebuild confidence by the way we utilize structures, strategies and techniques in our teaching practice.  Here are some suggestions that were used by other teachers which have yield results in the rebuilding of confidence and self esteem in students:

1. assigning manageable roles
2. errands
3. grade them for class participation
4. use them as positive examples before the class where it is warranted. 
5. mastery learning (to build conceptual understanding of content and skills)
6. rewards for improved work
7. include them in competitions to represent their school
8. ensure visits at their home and talk with parents
9. invite them to church and positive value building functions
10. expose them to a career expo or a college open day
11. field trips

There are more but what is important is for teachers to recognize that students have delicate emotions and must be taken care of by teachers who help to cradle their emotional development.  Our role as teachers is not an easy one and just as we expect other teachers to look after our children, we should do the same for the students we teach!  Watch what we do and say, listen more, notice the signs and act on them after confirmation of a behavioural theory. Let us build a community of confident students so that after graduation they will help to create a workforce with individuals with confidence and self worth.