Once I recognized my students needs in my grade 3 classroom, I was able to intuitively work to help them see themselves as having inherent self-worth. Despite having no official teaching training, I had worked with children and youth for approximately 10 years, and used my experience to initiate a plan and method for classroom management based entirely upon a strong sense of self-worth and an understanding that the success of the class would increase the success of each individual student. I accomplished this through three methods:
- teaching my students the importance of both respecting and learning from one another,
- giving the children opportunities to play together as a class, and
- creating a weekly time of mutual sharing (talking circle), where the students could express the highs and lows of their week and receive encouragement from their fellow students.
In this environment, students were freed from the pitfalls of fixed-mindset thinking, and learning was pursued because learning was loved. As the year progressed, I was inspired by how much the classroom environment and student well-being contributed to overall learning, I worked hard to maintain an environment that encouraged learning and valued each individual.
NB:
It is important to teach self-worth authentically, that is, to have a philosophy you develop, or draw upon, that you truly believe, in order to create, develop, and maintain an environment where each student can grow freely, and where each accomplishment contributes to an overall sense of capacity. You may draw from personal faith, philosophy, or your own thinking, but it must be authentic.