Imagine a classroom full of learners who are not afraid of rejection or failure. Learners who are eager to learn and want to always be the best in what they do. Learners who practice healthy competition from a young age.
It makes us ask this question: whose responsibility is it to teach learners to be confident?
My observation has been that children become confident once they can perform tasks independently. Be it school work, hobbies or home chores. Parents, siblings and those around them, can all contribute to the development of confidence or the opposite, a low self-esteem in a learner’s life. A contribution to how they turn out, should be made by both words and actions.
Teaching children the importance of not being afraid to overcome challenges is important. According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), open and adult conversations with learners creates a comfortable space for them to express themselves and share their thoughts.
Adult conversations include sharing your emotions as an adult with your child or your learners. Teaching them that we all experience failure, sadness and excitement. Highlighting that it is the full circle of emotions and the importance of balancing your emotions.
In previous generations, adults used to create false scenarios when children asked uncomfortable questions, like babies coming from the sky or if you sleep with a boy you will fall pregnant, it was even taboo for a teenager to commit suicide, an act that claims most of our teenagers lives. Media 24 released an article during Mental Health Awareness month in 2023 which stated that 9% of teen deaths in South Africa are by suicide.
Do learners practice what they see or what you preach?
I believe in the saying, ‘monkey see monkey do’. Most of the time, language teachers speak the language when they engage with learners even when they reprimand them. This is where parents need to set an example to their children. A parent who never reads cannot expect their children to read and make it a norm.
According to Africa Check, 58% of South African households do not have books, which could explain why 8 out of 10 Grade 4 learners cannot read for meaning according to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 2021. Same applies to using strong language in front of children, they later say the same word that an adult used.
What makes and breaks a learner’s confidence?
Before learners are taught independence, parents should be independent, because children look up to their parents and practice what they do. Another important aspect of confidence is being able to articulate yourself and having an opinion. Before yelling at a learner for doing something that is against the school policy teachers need to treat learners like adults. For instance, if a learner is wearing a school t-shirt with sneakers, you must first ask why they did that and how they can correct it. Doing that teaches them a good manner of approach. This will help them apply their problem -solving skills to practical situations as well as academic ones..
Showing empathy to learners also makes them feel more heard, respected and comfortable which will ultimately lead to them developing confidence in class and outside of school.