Self-respect and self-confidence

The process of growing up is a dynamic period in which young people face a variety of problems and tasks. It is a period that makes it difficult for the young person to fully understand all the changes that occur in and around her, especially if viewed from the perspective of a modern society in which the status of young people is changing. It is therefore important to keep in mind that, aside from family, the school presents the main environment for socialization. Therefore, school as a social community, as a social space, must accept responsibility and its role in the development of its students and their growing up. In order for schools to help their students to grow into happy and good people who understand their role in society, they must teach and prepare the students how to confront their future using self-confidence and how to develop themselves as positive and responsible characters. 'Through a teacher who understands the soul, who understands people, the totality of social life affects the new generation struggling into life' (Steiner, 1995: 38). Building self-confidence must be more important than teaching the content of school subjects (Drayden and Vos, 2001).