A psychologist has set up a method which is now applied by several schools. It is called positive education, which lies between authoritarianism and laxity. It favours the development of the child, which is why many schools have chosen to integrate positive education into the school. Therefore, teachers are invited to do so:
Encourage pupils
Students are different in nature, some have more difficulty than others in achieving goals. The teacher must therefore look at the students on a case-by-case basis in order to give them the support they need. Comparing students with each other has never been a solution, punishing a student because he or she is not like the others either. The teacher will have to allow the child to be himself and thus develop his self-confidence. To do this, she will need to discern the needs of each child and understand them.
Valuing students
It is important to make the child understand that everyone has a place in a group and that no member of the group should be neglected. In trying to understand the student, the teacher can enhance the student's skills by assigning a task that is within his or her reach, or give the student a responsibility where he or she can demonstrate his or her abilities. This is another way of developing the student's self-esteem. In order to ensure that the student will be able to carry out the task, the teacher will make sure to have a minimum of information about the student.
Combining firmness and benevolence
Positive parenting is about being caring and firm at the same time. Scolding a child tends to make him or her believe that he or she is unloved. Therefore, there must be an appropriate punishment consistent with the fault that has been committed. There is no need to punish in anger; the ideal would be to take a step back. The punishment will then be better accepted moreover if it has been established beforehand, i.e. even before the fault has been committed. The child must always feel that his teacher is benevolent despite the sanctions she may give. However, this benevolence must have limits which the teacher must enforce.
To facilitate positive education at school, communication and a climate of mutual trust must be established between the pupils and the teacher. Positive education plays an important role in a child's development because it allows him or her to grow up safely. The school should be a place where the child can be himself or herself and feel good about himself or herself and not a kind of correctional home. It is recommended that school principals train their teachers in these practices to promote positive education.
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