When adolescents sense that their mentors hold them in positive regard, they may internalize their positive appraisal, perhaps contributing to their own feelings of self-worth (Rhodes, Davis, Prescott, & Spencer, 2007, p. 145).
Throughout my graduate career at NYU, similar statements have been written and decorated on my notebooks, highlighted on textbooks and articles, and immortalized in essay compositions on instructional theory and methodology. It would be insensible and doltish, therefore, to ignore the importance positive reinforcement and “regard” can have on my students. If studies have shown that continuous downgrading remarks can have negative comments on a person’s well-being and self-esteem, then why aren’t educators focusing on doing the opposite to increase student’s well-being and self-worth?
The sad reality is that overcrowded classrooms in urban settings do not give the teacher the opportunity to bond with all of the students in an equal fashion. Some students get too much attention for the wrong reasons. It is easy to focus on disciplining a classroom as a means to keep the class on order and be able to get through the content within time. School policies and administrative expectations impede teachers to allocate time to get to know each and every one of their students. In addition, it becomes harder for some teachers to become models for the in-between students. Nevertheless, as the reading suggested, informal or natural mentors cannot be forced. These types of bonds revolve around trust, and teachers need to first and foremost establish a sense of trust in order to prompt the creation of natural mentors. Whether these come into fruition or not, teachers, myself included, need to move away from giving negative feedback and strive to increase positive feedback and remarks in and out of the classroom. The goal of each teacher, thus, should be to help students find their strengths, skills, and talents — to highlight the good, not the bad or the ugly.
I really enjoyed your post, Natalie! I think you make a really good point that though focusing not the negative in a classroom is not the best for students, it can be hard to avoid when a teacher is pressured to maintain order in their class. The goal of teachers should be, as you say, “to help students find their strengths, skills, and talents.” I think one way to do this could be to have students throughout the semester reflect on their performance. Ask them to write about what they enjoy in the class and an area in which they are still struggling. This will not only help the teacher to understand where students need more assistance, but the teacher could comment on the reflections and give feedback on what they too see as the student’s strengths. I know I find feedback really helpful and validating, so perhaps if teachers a couple times throughout the semester took the time to write a note to students in response to their reflections about what the teacher has seen them do well, it could help students “find their strengths, skills, and talents.”