Developing Positive Self Esteem

Positive self esteem is so important when developing self confidence and a positive outlook on the world. Many people are living in situations that could lead to feeling negative or not valued. It is our job as teachers to help them see that they are valued and important and that they have much to contribute to the world around them.

Environment is not the only thing that can impact self esteem. Some people have many opportunities and resources available to them, but they don't see them in a positive light. We need to help them see that they have much to be thankful for and show them ways that they can be optimistic instead of pessimistic about their lives. This is an ongoing thing that we need to work on. These are two reminders for me that hang on the wall of my office at home.

Nobody knows what is going on in the thoughts and lives of others. We must try to help everyone to see that they are valuable members of our communities, classrooms, and families. Changing attitudes makes a world of difference.

Attitude Is Everything

Years ago I read a book about attitude being everything. That stuck with me. I even have a hat that says the same thing on it. I remember that being a motto that I took into my classroom and shared with my students. I began teaching lessons on optimism to them and I spent a great deal of time my first few weeks of school focusing on self esteem and acts of kindness. It was amazing to see how it transformed the atmosphere of my classroom.

Tigger and Eeyore were a great resource for teaching the difference between the two attitudes. Although Eeyore is a lovable creature, he see the world in a pessimistic way and finds it hard to find joy. Tigger, on the other hand is full of optimism and sees joy in most everything. We don't have to be bouncing off the walls to have a positive outlook on the world, but it is important to see the joy instead of all the negatives.

I created some task cards to help my students to think about how they could react either as an optimist or a pessimist in situations. We then discussed how that could change the way the day went. As they began to see the positive changes that could result, they started to look at life in a more positive manner.

I created these in 3 different themes so that they could be used in a variety of situations depending on who was using them. You can check the others out here.

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Thank you for stopping by. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I hope you have a positive year.