Publish at March 23 2020 Updated June 07 2022
To achieve, a person needs a healthy dose of self-confidence. He or she must be able to believe in his or her ability to overcome obstacles and to assert himself or herself in his or her values, emotions, etc. Yet, few people are able to build such self-confidence.
We are so quick to let ourselves be overwhelmed by both external and internal criticism. Thus, working on one's confidence is a constant work that is done in action. By learning, experimenting and even failing, we develop our self-image.
However, if this proves to be a personal effort, would it be possible for the school to facilitate this work on oneself by teaching children the importance of self-confidence? Especially since we know that part of academic success is based on this. Yet, very often, young people compare themselves too much to others and those with lower grades or fewer "likes" end up plunging into a negative spiral that can follow them for a long time. Can the educational environment help build self-esteem?
Some people believe this. Already, by setting up a caring environment. Building confidence comes in teaching attitude, among other things. Indeed, some educational professionals will get the message across that mistakes are normal stages of learning. A more constructive approach than associating fault with morality or lack of intelligence.
It also means accepting that some students will go at a slower pace than others. Rather than blaming them, it is better to focus on the successes and efforts made. This will give them confidence for the future and for working on their weaknesses.
Schools are setting up special activities to develop a sense of confidence. As part of the day of refusal of school failure in September 2019, students in STMG of the Fourier high school in Auxerre have decided to walk 30 kilometers to improve their self-esteem and believe that they can do it. In fact, they were the ones who chose this distance. They were also treated to a testimonial from a local athlete who walked 2,500 kilometers in one month to reach his home village in Morocco.
At Pont-l'Abbé, they organized a dance project so that their students with significant difficulties would stop being afraid of the judgment of others. A demanding exercise but one that seems to have paid off. In Quebec, a high school in Laval has set up a blog specifically for teenage girls. Called la deMOIs'aile, this writing exercise allows young girls to express themselves on their experiences as much about their body image as their daily lives, their school life, etc.
So, there seem to be multiple ways to try to boost confidence in students. It all starts with the idea of instilling in them emotional skills. This involves relating to the self (managing and recognizing emotions) and to others (interpersonal relationships). This teaching is an everyday one since each day is experienced differently by the students. This is why the teacher is a guide to help everyone recognize what they are feeling and pass on tips to calm down if it is not going well.
This can be done through different activities. For example, a resilience chart can be developed with each learner where they note the people who love them in their lives, exercises and experiences they enjoyed, inner strengths, and problems already solved in the past.
On this article from the Canopé network, different teachers gave accounts of experiments done with their students. The emotional approaches are diverse: relaxation, confidence exercises, drawing, theater, etc. So there is not just one but multiple methods to work on the emotional well-being of children and adolescents.
Illustration : Irina Murza on Unsplash
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