I have been a teacher for over 60 years. I have taught every age from 5 to 65 spreading over all types from gypsies to debutants and have taught in England, Scotland, Trinidad and Anguilla.
I am the mother of four. I have been aware of an unfortunate trend in West Indian homes and schools where criticism is much more prevalent than praise. Mothers told me they didn’t praise their children because they’d only get a swelled head and become spoiled.
Has this attitude been passed on down the years? Have children proudly presented their mothers with their first baked cake and had it criticised for some fault in it, making them feel a failure, when a little praise and kind advice on what went wrong and how to put it right, could have brought a smile to the child’s face and the desire to try again?
It is very important that self-esteem comes from the right people like teachers and parents so that it isn’t sought from gangs? How about the little boy who hammered a boat together out of bits and pieces lying around? Was that you? Did you get praise for trying and later as a dad shown your son a better way to start and praise him for making a good job of it even if it wasn’t perfect? Perfection needs practice and enough praise to let the child know that his effort isn’t just a waste of time.
The teacher who can get the best out of a child praises whatever good is found in his or her work, and the desire to continue is fostered by a sense of pride. To have faults found at every step is crushing and no good will ever come of it. It makes a child or teenager want to find self-esteem elsewhere and we know where that leads – to drugs and crime. Think about it.

Iris Lewis, MA Hons, Art & Design, Diploma of Education

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