For the past couple of months, we have been writing about the importance of self-advocacy skills and how to help your children of all ages speak up for their needs. This month, we wanted to write about a very important component of self-advocacy: confidence. If people feel confident, they are more likely to raise their hand in class to ask a question, approach the teacher, or seek help from peers and other adults.
Social psychologist, Amy Cuddy, researches how body language affects perception and her report (“Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance”) written in conjunction with Dana Carney and Andy Yap, gives parents and teachers some practical implications for boosting students’ feelings of confidence both in the classroom and in life outside of school.
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