Battling rejection

How can we encourage students to speak their minds without fear of rejection?

Teachers have the difficult task of building the confidence of students. During discussion, there are active participants, and those who choose not to share their ideas for fear of asking the wrong question or being rejected.

Both parents and teachers should sit down and listen to what the children have to say on the matter. They should be able to trust the adults, which is a crucial component in family and classroom relationships. Patience is essential too, for we have to listen to them when they want to learn about something new, which can build their self-esteem.

Students should be able to do activities on their own, to build the self-confidence to ask questions and stay engaged in class.

We all know that education does not just happen in school, but in non-academic settings, where other children can really flourish. Some children do not find comfort in a classroom setting. A teacher in front of a blackboard is a scary scene for them.

Outside the school, let the children explore and establish communication with other people in different fields – waiters and waitresses, employees at the grocery, the clerk at a convenience store. This can build their self-confidence.

Encourage students to have conversations with their classmates, which generate the peer support they needs to ask a question in the next session.

Mistakes are normal, so don’t act like you are so superior that you don’t err. This will make them feel inferior. You should instead learn alongside the children.