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Being recognized and affirmed by a powerful adult can be life-changing for a young person.Being recognized and affirmed by a powerful adult can be life-changing for a young person.
Many of us have had the experience of being buoyed up by adult praise. There was a teacher, grandmother, coach—a trusted adult—who looked at us and communicated in some fashion, "I notice you for who you are, and who you are is worthy." That notion, often called unconditional positive regard, is a foundation of the work of psychologist Carl Rogers. Positive regard of your human existence is not an earned status. You don't have to dance a certain way, dress a certain way, talk a certain way, or do anything special to be special.
Brain research has made clear that humans are as much emotional creatures as cognitive ones. Learning is transactional—not just cognitively, but emotionally. Our thinking is inextricably laced with our feelings. Students—from kindergarteners to high schoolers—look to educators for unconditional acceptance. We hear all the time that our best teachers love their students, regardless of their age or achievement. They love their students before they try, before they achieve.
Neuroscience tells us that humans have mirror neurons, the capacity to engender in another person a strong feeling we ourselves are having. When I say "I believe in you," I'm not a statistician reciting data; I am working in a far deeper vein of human connectedness. My belief in students, my love for them, becomes part of the very wiring of their existence.
There is a spiritual aspect to teaching if you believe you have the ability to help all students experience their innate, best inner selves. As Deepak Chopra (2011) says, "Everyone has a purpose in life … a unique gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals."
Offering unconditional positive regard to students may become your favorite daily activity. And the power you have as a role model for others at school—whether you're the principal or one teacher among many—will ripple out to every corner of the building, leading to a culture that appreciates everyone.
To read Jeffrey Benson's article on the Educational Leadership book, please click here.
Online June 2016 | Volume 73
How to Be a Change Agent Pages 22-26
Online publication - Educational Leadership - How to Be a Change Agent
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