“If our goal is to help people make better choices, it helps to first create better feelings.”
Years ago, I worked hard on getting a merit bonus when it was offered. One of the things I believed was that if students had a better self-concept, they would be able to make better progress in their academic skills. At the beginning of the year, I had students complete a BASC (Behavior and Emotional Screening Test). That gave me a base level of how they were feeling about themselves. I also gave them an achievement test to determine where they were performing academically.
During the school year, I worked hard on improving their self-concept. We spent a lot of time discussing self-concept and what can be done to improve it. Students also did role-playing activities so they could learn how to respond to difficult situations. We also talked about alternative behaviors when dealing with situations that made them feel bad. Instituting a class motto went a long way to improving class morale and students’ self-concepts. Before each class and at the end of each class, students had to recite together the class motto: I am a Born Winner! Eventually, students started to believe in themselves and each other. Outside of class, students started encouraging each other also. .
As students started feeling stronger emotionally, they started having more confidence in learning new skills. They were learning to take risks in learning and not being crushed when they didn’t get it right at first. Mistakes were not as horrific or humiliating anymore. They became a little blip in the learning and with my help and encouragement, they were able to move on.
At the end of the year, I gave my students the BASC again and was able to show a huge improvement in their self-concept. Also, there was a large improvement in their academic scores also.
All of this encouraged me to continue these strategies every year. Years later, when I met up with a former student for lunch, she pulled a piece of paper out of her wallet to show me. On the paper was our class motto, “I am a Born Winner” that she carries with her all of the time. During tough times, she pulls it out to remind herself that she can face whatever difficulties she is going through at the time.
How do you help students have better feelings? Please share.
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