This weeks reading, chapter 6, covered the idea of self-esteem. Self-esteem is the evaluation of our traits, abilities, and characteristics. It is how an individual percieves themself comparing to other people. As the book put it, it is the personal judgment of worthiness to being successful. The book discussed how a person's self-esteem can affect academic performance. Having a low self-esteem can influence how motivated a student is to learn. Easily motivated students, who will take on a tough task generally have higher self-esteems.
I can remember back to my high school days when I would see how self-esteem affects students everyday. As future educators we need to be as helpful as we can. Encouraging students and being positive to them can help them grow academically. Maybe one day a student of yours is having a bad day, and just taking a few minutes to speak with them can completely turn their day around. I am looking forward to becoming a high school teacher, I feel like I can relate to the students, and have a positive outlook that will be beneficial to my students.
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I think you bring up some good points about motivating students and being positive. I'm curious to know what subject and grade level you are teaching, and your opinion on group work or working in pairs. In such cases would you pair a highly motivated(high self-esteem) student with a low motivated (low motivated) student, why or why not?
ReplyDeleteI think this is such an important section of this course. I had a teacher at ASU (Dr. Drower SPE 416) that gave a wonderful example of self esteem and the affect it has on children.
ReplyDeleteShe said self esteem was like poker chips.
Each child has a "self esteem bank". Positive things and achievements put more poker chips into your bank. However, negative things and failures deduct chips from your bank.
Just like in poker, when you have more chips you will be able to take more risks. However, when you have less chips you are more hesitant and scared to loose the few chips you have.
I thought that was a brilliant analogy. I have certainly seen children in classrooms I have been in that have many chips in their bank. They are not afraid to speak in front of the class, share a story from the weekend, or even act out a readers theater! But then there are the kids with very few self esteem chips. They keep to themselves, do not volunteer answers...they are desperately wanting to hold on to the few chips they have. One wrong answer, one public mistake and they could "overdraft their account."
As teachers, we have the ability to show children they are valued. By setting up opportunities for success and celebrating each child's victories we are depositing many chips to their bank. Children will ultimately be happier and take more participation within the classroom.
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ReplyDeleteIn response to Kristen, I think that this analogy that your SPE416 teacher gave you is right on. As a teacher if we all read this analogy I think that we will all realize, that it is the students that have high self esteem and get lots of praise for their actions that tend to be more outgoing and willing to take risks. I feel that as future teachers we all need to make a point to recognize the strengths in all of our students so that each one can acheive in one way or another and be able to add "chips to their bank". I don't think that there is any teacher, that wants to have a child that is so shy and scared that all they do is sit in the corner quitely, and do just enough to get by.