The aspects of the existence of an individual are numerous, most of which are genetically determined and in the majority of cases, environment has a critical role in the completion of what nature has started. Personality and its changes over life span are a good example in such phenomena’s. Personality is defined as the distinguishing characteristics of an individual which differentiate that particular individual from others when displayed in a wide variety of situations and circumstances especially social ones. The foundation of personality development is laid during the initial years of a child’s life. The infancy stage is the first year of life. It occurs from one month to the end of the first year. This period is characterized by very rapid physical, psychological, and social growth eventually leading to development. It is during this stage that the infant begins to establish as a a dependent and self-aware being. A child crosses various such stages to reach youth. It is said that as the child grows up, the development of different expertise continues. During the school days, a child developed most of its characteristics.
The school days are the one of the most crucial times as it is a school that finally grooms a child into developing into a complete human being. To some extent, a child inherits its responsibility from its parents. But a school does play vital role in shaping the personality of children. Coming to the specific question of how to develop a child's personality, it is imperative to know about the main factors that constitute child’s personality. Broadly speaking these are: Child's physical traits, child's intellectual qualities, attitude, behavior pattern, feelings, aspirations, commitments and convictions.
Play is one of the important elements of child's personality development. It is a medium that provides the child an opportunity for fullest self -expression, freedom and pleasure. It is also a creative activity. It is helpful in developing habit of sharing cooperation, mixing up with others, being assertive and leadership quality. While talking about the development of a child's personality, one must mention the emotional development in the children. Emotions play a major and a very important role in this context. The development of various emotions in a child form part of the personality development. Teachers can encourage and imbibe the characteristics of social interaction among the children. History revealed that there are many teachers who had great influence over children and played a great role in giving them a particular direction in future life.
Role of Schools in the Personality Development of Children