Children are involved in assessing their own work and in setting goals for themselves. By giving children feedback rather than merely grading their papers, teachers foster insight, the habit of asking thoughtful questions. Constructive feedback helps children to honestly consider the quality of their work, think about what has been learned, and understand how they performed in relation to expectations. Children participate in developing standards for their work. Working hard and mastering something new is often frustrating for children.
Success requires independence, the ability to distance oneself from difficult feelings.
Teachers can prevent such excuse- making by discussing the characteristics of a good project from the outset. When children see models of excellent work and are given the chance to participate in establishing standards, they know how their efforts will be evaluated and are more easily able to overcome frustration. Children have many opportunities to work collaboratively. In classrooms where collaborative learning is encouraged, children practice making and sustaining fulfilling relationships with others. These relationships develop as children learn from each other while working with a partner or in small groups.