Full disclosure – I cry, not for the usual reasons though – mostly when I'm watching a movie (especially if it's based on a true story) when the characters find an inner strength that allows them to triumph. So lately, I've been wondering why this scenario affects me so profoundly. I don't know these people personally, but for some reason, I get completely invested in them and their story, more than what most people do from what I can gather.

I believe that it's just a huge part of who I am to want people to succeed; it's what I love most about being a teacher. Seeing the joy on a child's face when he or she understands a difficult concept after struggling with it or earns a certificate for passing a level here at Best Brains Bloomfield Hills fills me with happiness and to some effect gratitude. I recognize that I am truly blessed to witness children developing confidence in themselves and their abilities.

When we opened our learning center, my husband and I discussed what we thought the singlemost important quality is for a child to have to ameliorate his or her learning. In looking back throughout our combined fifty years of teaching, we decided that it was most important to develop a child's self-confidence to stimulate the most growth.

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To quote ee cummings, "Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder,spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit." When a child is learning,it's these qualities that will allow him or her to gain a deeper understanding of math or become a more fluent reader more quickly. Children with self-confidence are more likely to ask for, and therefore receive, math help or reading help. And, they're not afraid to ask deeper questions that will allow them to connect more fully with the material. Norman Vincent Peale noted that, "Action is a great restorer and builder of confidence. Inaction is not only the result, but the cause of fear."

So, how do we develop a child's self-confidence at Best Brains Bloomfield Hills? We start by giving a test to assess a child's strengths and weaknesses. By doing this, we can individualize instruction for him or her. Your child's first week with us is designed for him or her to be successful. We give plenty of positive feedback and compliments during that crucial first class! Week after week, your child is working with the same teacher; so, trust is established, and your child slowly begins to take small risks. Because our state-certified teachers are carefully chosen, they recognize the risk and shower children with praise for their thinking and courage.

As time progresses, we see a noticeable difference in children; they sit straighter, they lean forward, their eyes sparkle – in short, they are fully engaged in their learning. It's this engagement that makes the best learners, and our goal is to help your children be their best!