Blog 9: Idenity/ Self esteem and emotions

Chapter 6 on Self -concept, Identity, and Motivation has so much to offer to me personally as a future educator. I had never thought about self esteem versus the self concept and the roles both play in children's lives. I especially found the text on emotions and emotional competence to be adequate in helping support children in the classroom.
Emotional competence according to the text can be identified as, "the understanding, expression, and regulation of emotions- in the classroom."(pg.349) Helping student positively express and understand their emotions in the classroom environment is so important to creating community and an effective learning environment. The text suggest that teachers should construct a caring, positive, and warm affective environment for students. Teachers also should act as good models for students and help support students in successfully expressing their emotions in appropriate ways. It is also important for teachers to give students opportunities for discussion and talking about emotions. Finally it suggests that teachers give students explicit steps, methods, and directions to handle stress and emotions. I was able to relate well to this chapter and it was important to me because students will come to the classroom will all kinds of experiences, baggage, and home life situations and in order to create community with students they must all feel safe, comfortable, and respected. If students can be taught effective skills with dealing with emotions it can help develop their self-esteem and concept of self. I am a firm believer in reflection and the text really supported reflection of self and others.
Another important connection I made with the text was a quote that stated, " Students with high perception of ability may approach learning tasks with confidence, and success on those tasks may bolster their confidence." I do believe that students attitudes, self esteem, and self concept play a role in students success in learning and tasks. In my own class I want to help students develop positive attitudes and ideas of self. I think self esteem is so important because people can be so hard on themselves and it is important to have a healthy and positive self evaluations of "self."