- posted: May 18, 2024
As a creative educator and entrepreneur, I have chosen to name my microschool Kreative Confidence. I strive to help students find creative ways to learn and help them gain confidence. However, being confident is not always easy and even I am constantly finding ways in which I need to grow in my confidence. Running a business can be scary and there are so many facets and angles to consider it can become very overwhelming fast. As i help my own learners with their confidence, I am also working to become more confident myself. Being confident does not mean you understand everything all the time or have to be prefect. One phrase I always say to my students is "Keep trying on". One thing we can count on in life is that it will be challenging and does require effort and hard work. Unfortunately as humans we do not always like to put in that effort and especially kids nowadays like to put in as little effort as possible. This does not mean they are not capable of hard work, it just means we need to find ways to help them gain some confidence in what they know to propel them forward and want to try a little harder the next time. Celebrating small moments of success goes a long way in helping students want to keep going. It is important to not criticize their work too much as many students often will shut down. For example, a young child washing the table or doing dishes may not complete the task perfectly, but if they put in some effort, encouraging them and making it a big deal will help them want to continue putting in effort. It is important to find ways to work along side them and show them correct ways and levels of effort by example rather than critiquing. Children learn so much just by watching the adults around them. Often, adults try to impact kids by lots of talking, nagging, explaining, critiquing, etc. However, kids need a clear expectation and example and will learn best by doing with as few words as possible. The old adage " a picture is worth a thousand words" is true here. Kids learn so much better with visual cues and pictures. If they make a mistake and do it imperfectly, that is the best way to help them grow their confidence. Most great inventors and successful innovators made several mistakes before they became successful. When a child is first learning to walk, they fall down plenty of times. However the child that learned to walk the quickest is encouraged to get back up and try again. We do not scold the child and say " You fell down, what an awful child you are you will never learn, just give up now". Building confidence is a daily mindset and skill and it is ok if some days we just do not feel confident. As long as we are continually trying and have a positive mindset that while we are not perfect and do not understand something that it does not mean that we will never feel confident in that skill. Some days I feel like I am not yet confident in many areas as an educator and entrepreneur; and some days my actions may not always be the best role model for my own kids and students. I always try to remind my students that mistakes are ok and that even I am still learning and everyday is a new day and an opportunity to be better than the person we were before and find ways to keep growing our confidence. Confidence is a lifelong journey! Confidence is often confused with perfection and many people do not feel confident because they may be critical of themselves . In a quick google search, the definition of confidence states "feeling sure of yourself and your abilities." Many people, and especially youth, have a difficult time feeling sure of themselves especially adolescents as they are worried about what others think a lot. Being confident though, is letting go of worries and what others around them may think and being the best you can be with what you know at the moment. As I wrap of my second full year as a microschool founder and entrepreneur, I have many areas I know that I can grow and improve and I know for a fact I have made many mistakes since I began this process, however I can confidently say that I have grown and have learned so much since the day I started this journey. I am excited that tomorrow brings new opportunities for growth to become even more confident in what I do and truly help make a difference in my students lives and help them be ok in their own skin and make mistakes and learn and grow from them. Keep trying on and move forward one moment at a time.
