A teacher can help students to develop healthy self-esteem by first understanding their needs. For example, the Urban Program Resource Network indicates that young students fare better emotionally if they compete against themselves, rather than against their classmates. A child could gain self-esteem if a teacher charts individual progress in reaching behavioral, academic or motor goals.
In the classroom, a teacher can help students interact with others more effectively by teaching them to control their anger and anxiety, according to Dr. Gary Low and his colleagues. Deep breathing techniques and muscle tightening and relaxing exercises can lessen apprehension and anger in students of all ages. Classroom discussions or role-playing activities about sharing, compromising or positively asserting rights can help students become more confident with their interpersonal skills.
Until age seven or eight, students focus primarily on their own needs. Gradually, they seek peer approval and extend their circle of friends. Teachers can help students gain social awareness through simulations and discussions that force students to consider other perspectives and develop empathy. With a broader social understanding, students learn to make decisions that benefit the group, rather than just themselves.
Encouraging students to follow through with their commitments and to manage their time can provide them with the strength to cope with other challenges. If teachers reward students with praise for keeping promises, such as changing their social or academic behavior, this reinforcement can lead to positive change.
Older students will profit from instructors who guide them through the steps of the Emotional Learning System that Dr. Gary Low and his colleagues explain. Students need to explore their emotional wellbeing, reflect upon their experiences, develop insight into their own behavior, learn techniques to improve behavior and apply this insight to themselves. Instructors can aid in this process by acting as positive role models, perhaps demonstrating techniques to diffuse negative behavior and lead effectively.