Professor Sir Al Aynsley-Green likes teachers. A lot. The children’s commissioner for England, always an outspoken defender of children’s rights, is loud and clear in his praise. "The workforce in education is our most precious resource and it needs to be nurtured," he says.

But he is concerned at the numbers of unhappy children and schools’ ability to cope with them….

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In the article above the professor goes on to discuss many aspects of why the children are unhappy, including bullying and the stress of exams and the impact on a child who is a low achiever.

In my years as a School Psychologist and a practicing psychologist in the treament room I have seen many children suffer.  I’ve seen kids come in depressed and saddened because they simply didn’t understand the work.  Perhaps the teacher went to fast or perhaps a parent was down on them.  Whatever it was, it certainly took away the child’s sense of happiness and feel good about herself.

THE TRUTH, My Secret Diary, I’m Ten, I’m Smart and I Know Everything discusses the emotional effects of dismissing a child’s efforts.  I present The Truth so parents and teachers can see how amazingly large an impact they have on both their children’s development and actually how much their own development has been affected by what they experienced in the past.  We can all benefit by taking a concerned look at our school and how children are handled emotionally-both the talented and the less talented kids.

I congratulate the Children’s Commission in Great Britian for their efforts!  You can find the article at http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2037728,00.html      

Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein, Positive Psychologist, www.enchantedself.com