I believe that I should reward students who try hard, even if they are not doing well in school, because building their self-esteem is important.
Background
It is certainly true that students who are confident in their ability to do well in school achieve at higher levels than do students with the same ability who lack this sense of self-confidence. However, if students come to believe that they are achieving at high levels when they are not, this can lead to a belief that they need not work harder. Likewise, if low-achieving students realize that other higher-achieving students are receiving recognition similar to theirs, this may lead them to believe that less is expected of them than their classmates. High self-esteem does not, in itself, translate to high academic performance. But, when high self-esteem is derived from solid performance in school, this contributes to student engagement and effort to improve further.
Questions to Consider
- What do teachers need to keep in mind as they raise the learning expectations for students who are not as confident in their capabilities as learners?
- Under what circumstances might demanding more of students actually undermine their academic performance? Why might this happen?
To explore these and other questions, take a closer look at the resources below. At any time, add your comments to the Discussion by starting a new discussion or viewing an ongoing discussion.
- Sonia Nieto describes the importance of teachers to show caring for their students, particularly by holding high expectations for their learning:
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- Robert Slavin observes that high expectations for student learning need to be matched by high levels of support to achieve high goals:
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- Jeff Sapp argues that Rigor + Support = Success is a formula for enhancing student achievement.
