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The Power of Perseverance
■ POSITIVE PARENTING The power of perseverance
Empowerment is a word we are hearing more often and is quickly making its way into classrooms around the world. Empowerment is an essential ingredient in forming strong, confident children who are able to fully participate in the developmental process. In education, empowerment means handing over the decision-making to the child, therefore, allowing them to become in control of their own growth and learning.
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In my years in the classroom, I have come to understand that when working with children, social-emotional education is just as important as their cognitive development. The world we live in gains complexity every day. Teaching
By Ivis Mateos
children how to find their voice and use their interests and aspirations for learning gives them confidence in their own abilities. When a child feels confident, they are more likely to try new things, be open and adaptable to change, and become more independent in their day-to-day life.
As educators, it is our job to expose children to real-life situations. Children who encompass this awareness can gain power over their own lives. In the classroom, there are several ways we can empower children to learn by setting aside our preconceived notions about what or how the child should learn and instead understand that each child learns differently. This can be done by creating lessons that are more open-ended and asking guiding questions instead of questions which only have a “right” or “wrong” answer. We need to empower children by allowing them to fail and teaching them the meaning of resilience and the power of perseverance.
A teacher’s role in empowerment goes further than the lessons being taught. Essentially a teacher’s role is to be a facilitator throughout the learning process. Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmith (2015) have suggested, "The purpose of education is to engage students with their passions and growing sense of purpose, teach them critical skills needed for career and citizenship, and inspire them to do their very best to make their world better."
Giving children a voice and allowing them to find their own power of self is one of the first steps to empowering the children of today.
