What does it mean to be resilient? For most people, learning how to overcome challenges is a trait that’s built over time. The formative years spent at an early learning center are a great starting point. Kids naturally absorb many of the social lessons learned while in classroom settings, and teachers play a strong role in helping them build resilience. Here are five ways instructors guide their students to persist and persevere.

How Teachers Help Students Become Resilient

1. Promote Independence

Resilience is loosely defined as an ability to bounce back in the face of difficulty. The best way to reach that point is to become more confident in oneself by practicing independence and being proactive, which teachers strongly stress in school programs. Both of these traits build confidence and promote an inner strength, helping kids understand they can always try again until they succeed.

2. Encourage Decisions

Making decisions in stressful moments is something all adults face at some point. Kids who recognize the importance of decision-making learn how to arrive at their own conclusions and determine the best possible choices. Even though their decisions are limited to the classroom setting, kids develop invaluable self-assurance and inner trust.

3. Teach Empathy

Empathy is the driving force behind self-esteem and resilience. Teachers encourage a healthy environment in which students in the early learning center appreciate one another. Connecting on a human level by sharing experiences, developing bonds, and expressing concerns help kids feel understood. The familiarity and connection initiate friendships and builds the emotional resilience necessary for a happy life.

4. Inspire Assertiveness

While it’s important for kids to follow instructions when they’re part of a school program, it’s equally vital for them to be assertive and take control of situations when it’s appropriate. This displays resilience because it helps them recognize there’s a solution to be found somewhere — they simply need to approach the situation at hand with a possible resolution.

5. Display Appreciation

Resilience comes from within, and a large part of that is dependent on the relationships kids form outside the home. Teachers provide children with care, compassion, and support, which helps them develop a sense of pride in themselves. When they recognize even those outside the home appreciate and value them for who they are, they feel capable of tackling anything life throws their way.

At Mendon Child Care Center in Monroe County, NY, students receive focused attention in a healthy environment that encourages personal growth, positivity, and resilience. The teachers lead students through a variety of school-age programs at this state-of-the-art early learning center, caring for children up to 8 years old. Visit their website or call (585) 624-2337 to learn more about their extensive preschool and pre-K programs.