Fostering Independence
“With our over-help, our over-protection, over-direction, hand-holding, we deprive our kids of the chance to build self-efficacy, which is a really fundamental tenet of the human psyche, far more important than that self-esteem they get every time we applaud. Self-efficacy is built when one sees that one’s own actions lead to outcomes. Not one’s parent’s actions on one’s behalf, but when one’s own actions lead to outcomes. So simply put, if our children are to develop self-efficacy, and they must, then they have to do a whole lot more of the thinking, planning, deciding, doing, hoping, coping, trial and error, dreaming, and experiencing of life, for themselves.”
Our faculty and staff value input and will team with parents in helping every child to have a successful school experience. It is important that children learn to be independent and self-reliant during the school hours when they are away from their families. While we welcome parents to observe and contribute to the classroom learning process, we also recognize that a parent’s prolonged time in the classroom, or on campus, on a consistent basis, can hinder their child’s ability to develop resilience and problem solving skills.
At TCS, we believe that fostering independence in our students early on will help them develop the skills necessary to become confident, self-sufficient adults.