Vice Principal & Wellbeing
with Mrs Naomi Corfield
Improving children's self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to an individual's belief in his or her capacity to execute the appropriate behaviours to achieve success. This is a difficult skill to develop and can be supported by the role models around us, our environment, positive self-talk and through celebrating achievements and setting future goals.
It is difficult for children to be kind to themselves when they are feeling unsure about their learning, friendships and sense of self. We can support them in this area by boosting their perception of themselves and embracing personal growth and development.
Provide positive attention - every kid always needs great attention no matter their age. They love when parents and carers are around them in day to day activities. Providing them with the attention they seek will make them believe that we will be with them for their all needs.
Always try to be positive around your child. Maybe you will have stress or personal issues but portray yourself as being calm and composed and make them feel comfortable. Always encourage them and tell them that nothing is impossible.
Listen to their problems with an open heart. Sometimes it isn't easy to listen without jumping in. Be patient and let your child tell you what is wrong or worrying them in their own words. Listen to what they have to say and help figure it out, together.
And finally ... be a good example. Be a good inspiration for them. Show them that hard work and dedication pays off. But that is also ok to make mistakes; this is how we learn and grow.
Below is a graphic of The Learning Pit which clearly and simply explains the path that we all follow when we are learning something new or attempting something challenging. Use this as a reminder that real learning and development happens when we are in the pit - when we are feeling wobbly about the new idea/task/learning. Once we have learnt the new skill, we feel success and this is a magnificent feeling and should be celebrated.
By understanding where we are in each stage of the learning pit, we develop a strong sense of self-efficacy, engage willingly in tasks, boost our resilience and become critical and creative thinkers.
As we approach Naplan week, it is important to assist our students to have a growth mindset and give everything a go. They need to feel empowered to try their very best and parents can help by using encouraging phrases and reminding them that when we feel wobbly, we can do our best learning. This feeling is nerves and these are turned into adrenaline which is like a super power!
