Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/developing-strong-self-images-its-important-for-teachers-too!/5010460/
If our children are to approve of themselves, they must see that we approve of ourselves.- Maya Angelou
The articles in this Beginnings Workshop give us a clear picture of how children develop strong self-images.
As I considered the various elements discussed on these pages - the ways we learn about ourselves, especially identity development within a reference group and this group's relationship to the larger society (Francis Wardle); the role of competencies, discipline, and problem-solving skills (Jan Brown McCracken); and the role of praise in relation to self-esteem (Kathleen Grey) - I began applying them to thinking about teachers and how they develop their self-image.
First, I tried to picture caregivers and teachers I know who don't seem to have a positive self-image. With children, I see them acting out scripts, responses from their own childhood, or techniques they've been taught to use with children, techniques which don't reflect self-confidence or a genuine relationship with a child. With their co-workers, director, or parents, their speech is spotted with excuses, whining, and blaming. Their bodies reveal lowered heads, rounded shoulders, and a drag in their step. Out in the world, these teachers always preface a description of their job with ...