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Showing posts with label self esteem. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self esteem. Show all posts

Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers!

Did you ever just strike a pose and suddenly feel more confident?

Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers: Help your students (and yourself) find a posture that will help them build confidence and become more productive!

The other day I was watching old re-runs of Grey's Anatomy, when one of the doctors was standing in a pose similar to this little cutie.
Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers: Help your students (and yourself) find a posture that will help them build confidence and become more productive!

She took a strong stance: arms strong, chin up, strong chest, with a look of determination on her face. The doctor explained that there was a study showing that 5 minutes in this strong stance before a hard task, a person gains confidence and performs better. (I found a reference to this episode HERE.)

Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers: Help your students (and yourself) find a posture that will help them build confidence and become more productive!


After I saw that episode, I had to find out if it were a real thing, and I found a couple of articles about it: You can check these out:
I read about the advantages to a person's confidence, job performance, relationships, and a positive mindset!

Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers: Help your students (and yourself) find a posture that will help them build confidence and become more productive!
Well, now I can't wait to try it! But even more... I want to see how the children react to it! I can just imagine they'll be quite creative in their power poses! Plus, I'm thinking of all the times these power poses can be brought into the classroom! 

The first thing that comes to mind is testing... but my brain is racing with all sorts of other things: presentations, tough concepts, writing, science experiments, or even STEM projects!
Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers: Help your students (and yourself) find a posture that will help them build confidence and become more productive!

Plus, teachers could use a little superpower posing as well. How about a little power posing before that observation?

How do you think a power pose would help in the classroom?


Strike a Hero Pose for Super Powers: Help your students (and yourself) find a posture that will help them build confidence and become more productive!





How am I Doing?

Every "report card" time, kids will undoubtedly ask, "how am I doing?"

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

Of course, it's great that they care about their achievement, but seriously, they're in school every day doing the work. They're in class, participating and engaging in work all the time. So, shouldn't they already know how they're doing?

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!


What do you think? Yes, report cards are all about reporting to their parents. They have a right to know how their child is doing. They see the children through homework, encourage them to do well, and want to know about their child's successes! 

This post isn't about report cards and reporting to parents.

It's about giving feedback to the children every single day!

Brain research tells us that frequent feedback is essential to learning. 

A good place to start is making sure every child knows their strengths!

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!
 
I believe in encouraging children every time you see them doing something right. It could be ANYTHING they do well. Here are some examples:
  • staying organized
  • smiling at classmates
  • participating in group discussions
  • greeting classmates when they arrive
  • positive attitude
  • listening
  • following directions
  • getting to work right away
  • following rules
  • working independently
  • staying focused
  • helping classmates
  • helping teacher 
  • putting forth effort
  • showing growth

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

In fact, this information should be made public. Everyone in the class should know who is good at knowing math facts, and who is good at following directions. All students should know who they can turn to for figuring out an unknown word, solving a math problem, where to find extra supplies, or sketching a cat for their journal. This is all part of the teamwork. And I'm sure you'll agree, all children have strengths!

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

All children also have areas that need improvement, don't they? The only way they will improve in these areas is if they are aware of their weaknesses and put in the effort to improve them. I prefer to think of these as "skills the child is working on," rather than weaknesses. It's just a bit kinder!

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

Although the whole world should know the strengths of your students, the opposite is most definitely NOT true!

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

 

I schedule meetings with individuals every so often. How do I find the time? I meet with individuals instead of reading groups for a couple of days. (See THIS POST to see how I organize this!) I spend a few minutes with each child, and honestly, those few minutes make a world of difference and are totally worth missing a reading group or two!

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

I use a 2-1-1 strategy! I start with 2 statements about what the child is doing well. These can be about ANYTHING the child is doing in school, as long as it's honest praise. (See THIS POST about giving honest feedback!) 

After the happy celebration, I mention (carefully) one thing the child needs to work on. They usually know, and agree they need to work on this. 

Wanting to leave the conversation with a positive note, I'll mention one more thing the child does well. This doesn't have to be academic, just a little something to keep the conversation upbeat. Quite often, it's something like, "I'm glad you're in my class!"

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!

You've probably already spent a lot of time building relationships with your students, and these personal conversations should simply amplify these relationships. Of course, make sure it ends with a smile!

How do you keep the children informed about their progress?

Kids often ask, "How am I doing," especially around report card time. Here are some suggestions for making sure the children KNOW how they're doing!



Let Them Get BORED!

Do your children complain about being bored?

What do you do about it?


Well, studies show that the best thing we can do for the children is let them be bored!

Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!

Teachers know children are quick to say, "I'm bored," when what they mean is, "I don't feel like doing this work." These words can have a lot of power, and need to be taken in stride. Don't let "This is boring!" become an excuse to get out of work, or a way of getting someone to provide them with entertainment. 

Once you determine they are truly bored, here's some interesting information.


Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!
Yes, it's true. There is a whole lot of scientific evidence to prove that creative thinking happens when children (and adults) do their best thinking when they are bored. Let them get bored and enjoy watching how creative they can get!

Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!
I know what you're thinking: how can boredom build confidence? Well, when children learn to entertain themselves without another person telling them what to do, they gain confidence in themselves. They realize they can do it! They have the power!

Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!
This makes sense, doesn't it? Boredom is the problem. Children think of creative ways to solve that problem, as long as no one interferes to entertain them. You'll be amazed at how many problems children can solve when given the opportunity! Then, of course, their confidence will continue to grow!

Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!
Admit it, these times are quite stressful! Please don't add the pressure to constantly entertain your children. Take some time for yourself, and let the children entertain themselves. They'll come up with something! They'll be fine. Make sure you are fine as well. 

Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!
They are still kids! If they're not used to having to entertain themselves, expect a major whine-fest! It will take some time before they've figured it all out, but it's important that they do figure this out! 

In the meantime, wean them slowly into the world of creativity! Provide art materials, and give them some hints of what's available and what they could do. 

But watch them closely! 

Boredom can also be a sign of clinical depression. That's a serious situation. 
Special needs children may also need more guidance.

Honestly, you know your children best. Watch them closely, give them plenty of love, and encourage them to be creative.

Here's a blog post I wrote years ago that's very appropriate for this situation:  Lessons Learned

https://www.elementarymatters.com/2012/01/lessons-learned.html

Here's another related blog post that I wrote this week: Avoiding TOO MUCH Screen Time!

https://www.elementarymatters.com/2020/03/avoiding-too-much-screen-time.html

How do you help your students when they claim to be bored?


Let Them Get BORED! There is much scientific research that tells us that it's not such a bad thing to let children get bored, but it's actually good for them!

What Do You Love About Yourself?

What do you love about yourself?

What do you love about yourself? This blog post suggests asking children what they love about themselves, and gives some suggestions.


We often ask children what they love about people in their lives. What about themselves?

This is a fun idea for a morning meeting discussion topic, a writing prompt, a homework assignment, or just a casual question. It's a great idea to get the kids to search for their own personalities and build some self-esteem.

It's a good idea to start off by giving a good example. Get them to think about specific personality traits, and encourage the children to celebrate themselves!

What do I love about myself? 

Here are a few things:


1. I am a team player.
2. I always do my very best.
3. I am loyal and caring.
4. I am sensitive to the needs of others.
5. I am a survivor.

What do you love about yourself?


What do you love about yourself? This blog post suggests asking children what they love about themselves, and gives some suggestions.



Giving Feedback

I find it is important to give honest feedback to children.  
I won't tell a child he's doing a good job, unless I honestly feel it is a good job.  
I tell the truth.

How do you give feedback? This post explains the importance of giving honest feedback, and how it can be done quickly and easily.

I choose to be honest with children.They know how they're doing. If they're not putting in much effort, and you tell them they're doing a good job, isn't that giving them the wrong message? Isn't that telling them they don't need to try?



I've often found the best way to build self esteem is to give opportunities for the child to work. I'm sure most people, after completing a very difficult project, are beaming with pride. I remember caressing the cover of certain reports in college, simply because it was the result of a whole lot of hard work, and I felt proud that it was completed.



In every day work, I use a simple system. Since I work with young ones, they need feedback within a day if possible.  Since many are non readers or beginning readers, I need to make it simple to understand. I use highlighters and a traffic light system.


How do you give feedback? This post explains the importance of giving honest feedback, and how it can be done quickly and easily.
I'll highlight the child's name in one of these colors:



Green: Go! You're doing just what's expected of a second grader.



Yellow: Caution: There are some things you need to be careful about



Red: Stop! There's a problem here.



There is one more color I use: purple. Purple means "above and beyond the expectations of a second grader." Purple means they are royalty.



I'm very stingy with purple. They really have to go "above and beyond" to get it. And they should be extremely proud when they earn it.



These are the papers I usually show off to the whole class.  Not only do they get the feedback they need, they are now role models for the others. (Of course, it doesn't hurt that I bow to them, and refer to them as "kings and queens".)



And what about the kids who gets yellow or red?  Does this destroy their self esteem? Of course not! They know that if they didn't put in any effort, they won't get much in return.  They also know if they don't like what they got, they have the power to change that. I often remind them:  when the going gets tough, the tough get going!


Once in a while, I have to give myself a "red." 

If a good portion of the class aren't giving me what I want, that's a teacher problem! I tell them honestly that I goofed, apologize for not getting the ideas to them properly, and I promise to do better. (Being a role model matters!) 

I have another post about giving feedback here:


Quick, Easy, Honest Feedback: Here's an idea that will make your life easier, and give the kiddos the information they need to grow!

How do you give feedback?

How do you give feedback? This post explains the importance of giving honest feedback, and how it can be done quickly and easily.

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