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for teachers !

Exploring the Power of Encouragement

Part 1

Veteran teacher, Anne Olwin, talks about the power of encouragement…

Whether you teach art, science or football... Whether your student is a preschooler or a graduate student... Whether you quietly influence one small life or speak into the lives of thousands... you will find principles for dynamic change in the lives of your students through an understanding of the power of encouragement.

The role of encouraging

At the age of 15, Chester Greenfield had his eureka moment. The grammar school dropout was testing a pair of new ice skates on a bitterly cold day in Maine. The bulky scarf with which he covered his ears left him frustrated, but the experience gave him an idea.

Fashioning two loops of wire, he solicited the help of his grandmother to cover them with fur. He had constructed the first earmuffs, an invention that became a successful business and netted him a fortune as he supplied them to the troops during World War 1.

Chester Greenfield’s grandmother took his idea seriously and helped him with it. How different the story might have been had she laughed at him, ignored his request, or pushed him away. He eventually received over 100 patents in his lifetime and is listed in the Smithsonian as one of America’s 15 outstanding inventors. God bless Grandma.

Encouragement plays a crucial role in building creativity in children. Without it, few children sustain a productive interest for long. Most give in to their natural human tendencies. They become unmotivated and fail to produce the fruit of creativity. They succumb to laziness, or worse. Highly creative people throughout history have had people behind them offering encouragement and support from the time they were young.

Principle 1: Listen to your student's ideas. Take them seriously.

Follow along as we explore more about this topic in Part 2.

For fabulous teaching art resources, check out the Anne's Quick Reference Guides.