Want to Teach?

School was once a place of education, but over time the expectation of parents and the needs of students have changed. Now schools and teachers must provide their children with a sense of importance, security, and self-worth because more often than not teachers are the only ones prepared to meet these basic human needs. So now, not only must a teacher be well versed in their curriculum, but also how to recognize and repair low self-esteem in a world that prizes possessions and images over individuality and intelligence. As televisions broadcast war overseas, and at times in our own schools, teachers must provide a sense of security in their classrooms to facilitate learning. Students must also have instilled in them a sense of pride; a belief in that they can achieve anything with hard work and perseverance. The reality of teaching is that is encompasses far more then just educating children. Still want to teach?

Self Esteem

Increasing and maintaining positive self-esteem is a struggle, especially when outside factors can cause a student's day to turn to mush before it can even begin some days. There are several ways that a teacher can make a student feel important from the beginning and all day long. One of the best ways to foster a child's self-esteem is to get them to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for their experiences. The child needs to help the child develop a personal and vested interest in their own activities. One way to foster their self-esteem is to give the child the freedom to make his or her own mistakes. Give the child a chance to contribute to their learning and education by allowing them to opportunity to make choices. (Davis, 2002) This type of recognition is important to the child because it makes the child feel as though they are able to have some control over their already chaotic life. Some children have already been conditioned to expect and/or believe the worse of themselves and this makes them feel demoralized and less than acceptable to the world around them. (Winslow, 2006) A person, a child or adult, develops from the inside out. Children that come to school already suffering from feelings inadequacy make it difficult for teachers to make a difference in the education and the well-beings of the children that they come into contact with everyday.

An important step in attempting to raise and maintain a student's self-esteem could be as simple as recognition. If the child is already suffering from these feelings of inadequacy, it will be a difficult task for anyone to make an immediate change in these feelings. If the teacher begins from the moment that the student walks into the classroom to the moment he/she leaves for the day, that child, or all children, could benefit from the feeling of being seen as somebody rather than just one in a group of many. Recognition can be done in a variety of manners; it can begin with a simple "Hello Susie" to a "Great Job" to "We'll work on that together for next time." Constant and positive feedback is important to the building of a strong and confident student. Focus on positive comments even when the student has had a difficult go of something. Let the student know that mistakes are a normal part of life and that it will be fine; that mistakes are something that the student and the teacher both need in order to build a stronger and more solid foundation in life.

Teachers are an important part of the lives of children and many children do realize this. It has been proven time and time again that children are usually more receptive to the ideas and opinions of the people that are important to them. So, when a child feels appreciated by the adults in their lives, for their actions and efforts, the child is more receptive to feeling good about themselves. Children are not always accepting of themselves all the time and everywhere they happen to be, reassuring and recognizing this is important to foster the feelings of self-worth and self-being in children. If we show the children that we appreciate them rather than just praise them, the children could eventually learn to develop and respond to their growing level of self-worth. If the teacher asks for the children's views and opinions; takes those views and opinions seriously and then gives open and meaningful feedback to the children, the chances are higher for self-esteem and self-worth to be fostered in the children. (Winslow, 2006)

Another way to foster feelings of growth and adequacy in children is for the teacher to help the child deal with defeats and disappointments. Not focus primarily and constantly on all the successes and triumphs of that child or others. Realizing that not all children/people are perfect and helping the children understand this is a hard and tasking venture for a teacher to deal with. The teacher needs to re-support the affirmation that we all learn from mistakes, whether they are our mistakes or those of others. (Nave, 1990) Mistakes can make us stronger and help us understand as to what we need to work on make things right or even better. Showing the children that the teacher is concerned about them is one of the strongest and probably most influential aspects of the teaching profession. Showing that there is undying support and strength from the teacher can deepen the child's self-esteem and provide a strong base for the children to use to deal with and cope with new situations that may arise in the future, as well as know that they have someone to turn to should they need someone.

A Sense of Security

Security is a big deal in the world that we live in today, and maintaining that valued sense of security is an even bigger deal. After the tragic events in the recent past and the current state of affairs that everyone must live with right now, a strong of sense of security is important for us all whether we are at home, at work or at school. This sense of security does not fall on the shoulders of adults only, it has its effects on the children as well. Many of our children have family members that are out there somewhere fighting to maintain our security and well-being, but at home we must also do our part. Whether we are protecting ourselves from a national enemy or a classroom bully or even from ourselves, the ability to feel safe is extremely important for us all.

One way to guarantee a safe learning environment is for rules to be established and maintained in our schools and classrooms. It is important for all students and parents to learn of these rules within the first week of school. Having the students talk about these rules, or even help add to the rules, can give the students, and parents, a peace of mind that rules are apparent and well-communicated. Making sure parents are made aware of the rules, as well as making sure that they are clearly and visibly posted within the classroom, with the consequences, can add to the feeling of security at school. These rules and consequences help to create an environment that can make a student feel comfortable about coming to school each day and produce an environment free of bullying, ridicule, and insults. Student participation in the creation and discussion of the rules aid in making sure that the classroom atmosphere is happy and welcoming for all that enter. Making sure that the students know that it is not okay to be picked on or to pick on someone else let the students know that there is someone in their corner looking out for them at all times and that they need not be afraid at school.

Keeping open lines of communication in the classroom can also aid in maintaining a strong sense of security in the classroom as well. If the student knows that the teacher, the administrator(s) and/or other adults in the school are willing to listen, students will be more compelled to come to school without fear and hesitation knowing that they have the support that they need to feel safe. It is important for students, and parents, to know that they can talk to and rely on the teachers. It is important for everyone to know that the learning environment is safe and secure, from internal as well as external threats. Open communication is also important because some of the students may not have the same sense of security outside of school and for them, this may be their safe haven.

Achievement

Encouraging a student to do their best in school is hard, but encouraging a student to always do their best is vital. Increased and positive self-esteem and a strong feeling of security aid in a child's achievement, personally and academically. Although not an easy task, it is a strong factor in the student's self-esteem and sense of security. A student that is uncertain of themselves and feels insecure in themselves achieves less than the student with the confidence and security to push through the assignments presented to them.

The primary factor in promoting a strong sense of achievement in any student is a clear understanding of what is expected of them; whether in the class, in the assignment or both. To encourage the pride of achievement in any student, the educator must always be clear in the expectations of the students. Students that are clear in understanding that the skill is important to their future success would probably take more pride in their work than the student that feels confused or that it is just "busy-work." In making sure that the understanding is clear, ask or walk around and check on the students just in case they are too embarrassed to ask for help. This way the students that still need that boost in self confidence can have the one on one time that he/she may need or even still, prompt an entire class clarification on a point to avoid that student feeling singled out, but still provide them with the assistance that they need desperately.

Not all children learn the same, not all children develop at the same rate, and this can be daunting to some students. Enhancing the achievement of students is the primary goal of any educator. A good educator realizes this and works with their students to make sure that all students have equal opportunities for their own personal achievement. There are many, many ways that students learn; whether it is auditory, visual or sensory motor. A teacher that opens the doors to various styles of learning that enhances and supports students' learning contributes to the personal and academic achievements of their students.

One form of learning for students is auditory; learning and comprehending through sound. Some students retain information better through the verbal communication of the material. Another form may be the visual method; whether the material is presented through reading or writing, some students just take in the information better, or faster, when it is presented to them in the written word. Then there are the students that seem to grasp onto the information stronger and firmer through the actual actions of doing something that transforms the data into something more tangible and realistic.

Regardless of the type of student learners in the classroom, a teacher/educator that can support and encourage all types of learning and absorption of the materials encourages the students to learn. That educator allows for learning for all learner types and there are less students left behind because each are given a chance to learn as is best for them. (Davis, 2002) Allowing the various learner types to work together to encourage one another can promote a strong sense of achievement in that the student themselves can take pride in not only learning, but aid in the teaching of a peer; expanding their knowledge and skills together. (Lumsden, 2007)

Regardless of whether the glass is viewed as half-full or half-empty, the fact of the matter is that self-esteem, a sense of security and achievement all work hand-in-hand with one another. It is a never ending circle of education, of life. We have to learn to be a teacher, a mentor, a mother, a father, a police officer, a psychologist, a confidant, a friend and so much more to the students that walk into that classroom each and every day, but without a doubt the reason we are there each day is to offer these students the chance to learn, to grow and to have the best education that we can offer them, personally and academically and to succeed in life as a strong person. So, do you want to be a teacher too?

References:

Anne Winslow, Mary. (2006, September 29). Self Esteem and Success. EzineArticles. retrieved January 10, 2007 from http://ezinearticles.com/?self-esteem-and-success&id=313552

Debord, Karen, PhD. ( ). Self-Esteem in Children. retrieved January 10, 2007 from http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/human/pubs/fcsw_506.pdf

Gross Davis, Barbara. (2002, April 11). Tools for Teaching: Motivating Students. retrieved January 10, 2007 from http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/motivate.html

Lumsden, Linda. Motivating Today's Students: The Same Old Stuff Just Doesn't Work. retrieved January 10, 2007 from http://eric.uoregonedu/publications/text/portraits1.2.html

Nave, Bill. (1990, December). Self-Esteem: The Key To Student Success. A Series of Solutions and Strategies Number 3. retrieved January 10, 2007 from http:///.ndpc-n.org/publica/solu_strat/SS03.pdf