Self-esteem is a vital aspect of a child’s or an adolescent’s upbringing and education. Therefore, teachers must acknowledge their role in building confidence and encourage learners to grow both academically and emotionally throughout their school-going years.
In this post, we’ll discuss self-esteem, why it matters in the classroom, signs of low self-worth in learners, and practical strategies for teaching it in the classroom.
What is self esteem?
In the American Psychological Association (APA) ‘s primer on self-esteem, research scientist Amanda Dettmer defines it as “…the degree to which learners feel satisfied with themselves and feel valuable and worthy of respect.”
In a classroom context, this translates to being able to build healthy relationships with others, as well as with a teacher, and to learn and grow academically, while bouncing back from mistakes.
If we take a look at Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, children navigate the following stages of development during school-going years:
- Stage 3: From ages three to five, children learn to balance initiative and guilt. At this point, healthy self-worth is crucial because it helps children explore and exert their power while learning to collaborate with others and learn from their mistakes.
- Stage 4: Between the ages of six and eleven, children learn lessons in industry versus inferiority. Support is vital during this stage, as children begin to develop an understanding of their strengths. If they are not supported, they might feel a sense of worthlessness and inferiority.
- Stage 5: During the teenage years, adolescents navigate the identity versus confusion stage. A supportive environment can help teenagers develop a healthy sense of self-worth and express any concerns or confusion they may have.
Why self-esteem matters in the classroom
According to the APA primer, teaching self-esteem is vital in the classroom because it enables learners to take risks, learn, and recover from adversity.
If a learner has low self-worth, they will doubt their abilities, which can exacerbate it as they will be unwilling or hesitant to engage in activities or tasks that could lead to achievement (and boost their confidence).
As children and adolescents continue to develop their sense of self, teachers need to support and foster their self-worth and recognise when learners are struggling.
Signs of low self-esteem in learners
The APA primer lists several ways that low self-esteem may be present in learners, including the following:
- Making disparaging comments about themselves, for example, “I’m stupid”
- Taking the blame for things that are not their fault and trying to control others to alleviate feelings of helplessness
- Disengaging from tasks, giving up and avoiding risks
- Inability to tolerate typical levels of frustration
- Pretending not to care and being the “class clown”
- Being aggressive to hide a lack of confidence
Creating psychological safety in the classroom
According to Erasmus et al (2022), “…a positive classroom climate is one in which learners have high levels of satisfaction and cohesiveness, and low levels of friction, competitiveness and difficulty.” Teachers can support learners by developing effective strategies for building emotional literacy through socio-emotional learning.
According to Kim et al (2024), “Social-emotional skills, such as empathy, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making, are crucial for long-term academic and personal success.” Therefore, it’s vital to build a classroom culture that centres around these competencies.
In a South African context, where many people face poverty and social instability, classrooms can provide a crucially supportive environment for children who don’t have access to the same resources at home. Of course, teachers cannot replace a parent or caregiver. However, they can help children develop a growth mindset and build resilience through supporting their emotional and academic development.
Teacher support strategies for fostering self-esteem
Teachers play a pivotal role in building confidence. Some of the primary ways teachers can do this include giving genuine and specific feedback, setting realistic expectations and supporting autonomy.
The APA primer gives the following recommendations for teachers:
- Give specific and genuine praise for the outcome of a task (and not vague or general praise)
- Praise learners even for small amounts of progress
- Validate learners by displaying their work in the classroom and sharing their progress with their families
- Engage learners about their interests to validate them and recognise that not every learner is the same
- Set learners up for success by giving them tasks that they will excel at
- Share positive feedback with all learners, and don’t single out or compare achievements
- Be mindful of how the learning environment may affect learner engagement or performance, especially when switching from in-person to virtual learning.
In short: Teaching self-esteem helps learners take risks, recover from setbacks, and grow into confident individuals. With the right strategies, teachers can create classrooms that support not only academic performance but emotional resilience too.
If you’re interested in learning more about psychology in education, SACAP offers a variety of degree programmes and short online courses, including Enhancing Self-Esteem.
All of our courses provide practical insights into developmental psychology for teachers and mental health professionals, thereby supporting optimal emotional growth in youth.
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Postgraduate Certificate in Education in Senior Phase and Further Education and Training Teaching
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Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Majoring in Psychology and Counselling)
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Diploma in Counselling and Communication Skills
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Higher Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills
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