One way to make a difference in a young girl's life is to praise her good behavior. Praise a young girl if she gets an answer right or follows the rules, when you see her do something nice for a classmate, or when you see her do something that is her own personal accomplishment, such as a forgetful child remembering to hand in homework. Praise will reinforce good behavior, boost self-esteem and motivate young girls. This is particularly important for girls starting at around age 11, when their self-esteem can become sabotaged by doubts, questions and conflicting messages from the media and even family members about what's truly important in a girl's life. Use your judgment to determine whether the praise should be mentioned in front of the class or in private.
Help young girls identify their strengths and appreciate the strengths in others. Child psychiatrist Bruce Perry advises that you come up with a class list of strengths and then work in teams to have girls develop their own lists. Perry says recognizing classmates' skills will make girls appreciate diversity and give them the courage to find and share their own unique passions. Perry says as a teacher you should praise a girl when she demonstrates her strength, which will make her feel valued and inspire her to continue developing that skill.
While character-building is traditionally a parent's job, developing character traits in school helps young girls tackle ethical and performance issues in the classroom. Help your students build character by teaching them about important traits such as honesty, courage, responsibility, self-respect and fairness. Infuse your daily lessons with information about these traits, or engage in a formal character education curriculum. If your school does not have one, consult character-building organizations such as the Character Education Partnership (character.org) for classroom lessons and school-wide character-building activities. Emphasize or study famous women who embodied these qualities, such as Susan B. Anthony, Eleanor Roosevelt, "Babe" Didrikson, Rosa Parks, Rachel Carson, Sandra Day O'Connor, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Have students suggest other women who belong on that list.
You may normally get to know a student so you can understand her learning style and help her do well in class. However, going a little further and taking the time to get to know more about the child will also make her feel valued, build her self-esteem, improve your relationship in class and provide her with confidence that she will take with her when she leaves your classroom. To do this, you must ask the child questions about her hobbies and interests, remember her birthday and give her a chance to express herself in class. This will make her feel that her actions matter to you. If she participates in a sport or a performance-based activity, attend one of the events to let her know you think her contributions are valuable.
Countless high-achieving elementary school girls reach middle school and undergo a transformation, where their enthusiasm for learning appears to decline, their grades drop, they participate less in class and their priorities and goals seem to change overnight. You can help restore a girl's passion for learning by making sure girls are called on just as often as boys and that girls in your class are encouraged to take leadership positions, even if it's just the leader of a science project or skit for history class. Too often, girls are subtly encouraged to be dependent on others because it is seen as more feminine, so be sure to promote independent thinking and speaking up in class. And consider sponsoring a club, such as "Women on Wednesdays," where girls can gather after school once a week to share ideas and concerns with other girls only.