Words do have effects and how we speak about ourselves and about others does matter. Certain verbal descriptions come to have a life of their own, and once uttered can become powerfully absorbed into children's understandings of themselves and others. Many descriptions involve some kind of evaluation or assessment of the person. Behind every evaluation lies an implicit standard of normality against which the measurement is being made. These standards are the cultural and social biases built into what is accepted as normal.
Many descriptions used in school have very positive effects.
From them, young people internalize positive stories of themselves that become long-lasting. They come to think of themselves as competent and enter with enthusiasm into interactions that recognize and foster their talents and abilities. However, many young people have encountered descriptions of themselves that are more problematic. These descriptions invite a negative internalized assessment. They specify a role to be played in a very restrictive story.