This idea was given to me years ago by a principal I worked for. I still think it’s one of the best ideas for classroom management and enhancing a child’s self-esteem.
This is how it worked: At the beginning of the year, my principal gave each of his teachers a little red plastic telephone. He explained that the telephones were to be used for positive reinforcement for good behavior. If, for example, a child went out of his way to befriend a new student in class, the teacher would place the little red telephone on his desk, and that child knew that his parents would receive a “good” phone call from the teacher that night.
My children were first graders and they loved receiving the “good” phone calls! The parents also loved receiving a positive phone call home. And I, as a teacher, loved to be the provider of good news.
One rule I attached to my red phone was that no bad comments were to be in the conversation. This, for me, was all about bragging on the child. If problems needed to be addressed with the parents in other areas, they were done at a different time and place.
Hope this idea helps build your children’s self-esteem!
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18 September 2008, 1:43 am
What an idea and I hope this idea helps
23 September 2008, 2:43 pm
This idea sounds very effective! Children love good compliments, and this method will help build their self-esteem. There are many children with low self-esteem and by building this it will help the children become more interactive with their peers and want to answer questions in class. Also, by building their self-esteem, their grades will improve and make learning more fun for the student.
Children need positive reinforcement to keep doing good things. If you never compliment them on what they are doing good and just scold them every time they do something bad they will not want to interact with their teacher or peers.