Positive Affirmation and Growth
Sometimes it takes the words of others to soothe our soul, and with this in mind we’ve created COS Classroom Quotes. Beautiful A3 posters designed with positive affirmations, for teachers to share with their students.
They’re intended as a simple resource that educators can print, laminate and display in classrooms to complement the Growth Mindset approach, that so many are embracing.
According to the Growth Mindset founders, this theory encourages students to:
“Tackle challenges because they understand that learning takes a lot of effort. They don’t give up when things get difficult, because they have strategies to persevere. They take risks, participate in class, and understand that mistakes are normal when people try hard things”
We’ve done a little online investigation into the psychology behind how positive affirmations can motivate. Psychologist and motivational expert Jonathan Fader says, “The message that someone else believes you can achieve what you want to achieve can be a powerful incentive to try harder. If your teacher, coach or mentor believes you can do something, you’re more likely to do it”.
Emile Coué was a French psychologist and regarded as the founding father of the self-affirmation theory. His well-known mantra Day by day, in every way, I am getting better and better was based on the idea that if you repeat a statement often enough, then it becomes true.
Children’s motivation levels can vary for a range of reasons and in relation to a multitude of circumstances. It’s true that positive words alone won’t ever be enough for some of the challenges they will face, but powerful quotes can inspire powerful action.
The biological theory behind positive affirmations
“Humans are aspirational. We want to look up to role models and leaders and their words/inspirational quotes affect us on a primal level” says Psychology expert, Scott Sobel. There is so much in the world beyond our control, but training young brains to think along the lines of “If you can’t change a situation, change your mind”, can be a valuable like skill for the road ahead of them.
The benefits of positive affirmations can include:
- Improving problem-solving and creativity under stress
- Supporting psychological wellbeing
- Increasing confidence
- Promoting self-compassion and pro-social behaviors
We hope COS Classroom Quotes will be an educational resource for your classroom and help students develop a mental library of affirmations, to guide them when they face hurdles.
To register for COS Classroom Quote posters, email us at: design@cos.net.au
