If you know a teacher, then you know we wear many different hats throughout the school day. To me, it is one of the things that I love most about my job. We all have lessons to teach our students, and that is our main job. However, before, during and after the school day, we may take on duties related to clubs, sports teams, and other functions that are required to successfully facilitate a smooth-running school.
Of these many different hats that I wear, one of my favorite roles is mentor. As a mentor of the students I teach, I feel that I should always give my best to instill self-confidence, as well as motivate them. As someone who has seen the effects that this has on a person’s/student’s success (both personally and professionally), it is extremely important to me to develop these traits in my students.
Students with high self-confidence and motivation are able to do things like positively approach new situations, accept responsibility and communicate feelings throughout a variety of situations. All of these factors help students get to that important goal, which we as teachers strive so hard for: the ability to become a healthy, happy and successful adult. As a dedicated teacher who wants my community to be a better place, I thought it would be a good idea to share some information that could increase self-confidence and motivation of the children in your lives.
One of the ways I like to build confidence and motivation is through praise. Children look for praise from the people that they care about. In my own life, with my daughters and students, I can see the joy on their faces when I praise them for a job well done. I praise often because I know it makes them appreciate the effort they put in to whatever task they are doing, and in turn, should give them confidence in future efforts. As we all know, the more you try something, the better you will get at it. Praise also works as a motivator for the child who naturally wants to gain acceptance from others.
Another way I foster these traits is by challenging students. I feel that students who are challenged on a regular basis learn to experience both the joy of completing a difficult task, as well as learn to accept that new endeavors can sometimes be difficult and may take some time and practice.
By praising and challenging, I believe we can create a greater sense of self-confidence and motivation in our children. With these traits, they have a better chance to develop, grow and succeed into adulthood.
By Josh Philpot
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