ABSTRACT
If we look back on our experiences as children, both at home and at
school, we can probably all remember times when our confidence in
ourselves was rocked by something our parents or a teacher said or did
and, conversely, times when we received praise or rewards which made
us feel better about ourselves. One of the authors can remember her
father trying to explain long division to her and becoming quite angry
when she did not grasp it immediately. Of course, there was no hope for
her from then onwards and she developed the idea that she could not do
long division. On the other hand, a teacher telling her that he loved to hear
her read Shakespeare was a great boost to her confidence and also made
her feel much more positive about the difficult language of Shakespeare.
