How can I help kids who are struggling without hurting their confidence?
When students get stuck on a problem, they get frustrated鈥攁nd teachers want to help them so they don鈥檛 give up. But some ways that help in the short term can have unintended consequences. Here鈥檚 something I wrote about the topic recently for as a :
鈥淚t鈥檚 not working! I鈥檓 just no good at science.鈥�
鈥淥h no!鈥� I thought. This reaction was exactly what I was trying to prevent. I was teaching 3rd through 5th graders about potential and kinetic energy, and they were using pipe insulation and other recyclables to build roller coasters for marbles.
I hurried over to the student鈥檚 table and lifted up the beginning of her roller coaster to give the marble more potential energy鈥攅nough to get it through the first and second loop. It worked! She was gleeful at the success, and I had time to move on and help the next student.
Ten years later, I now realize I had done the wrong thing.
Taking over for a struggling student alleviates frustration in the moment, but in the long run, it can be demotivating. In recent experimental , my colleagues and I found that when adults take over on a challenging task, children are more likely to quit sooner on the next one. Kids may interpret the help as proof that they aren鈥檛 capable or that an adult will always complete hard tasks for them, so putting in more effort isn鈥檛 worthwhile.
It鈥檚 natural to want to intervene when you see a child struggle. But taking over isn鈥檛 usually a good idea. Instead of overcoming challenges for the student, help them recognize the next possible steps that they can tackle on their own. There鈥檚 a world of difference between offering suggestions and doing it yourself.
顿辞苍鈥檛 jump in and fix kids鈥� problems before they鈥檝e put in a good effort first. And don鈥檛 intervene when they haven鈥檛 even asked for help.
Do give kids hints and more time to work through a problem. Ask, 鈥淲hat do you think would happen if you tried 鈥�" Have confidence in your students鈥� ability to learn, and they will become more confident themselves.
The opinions expressed in Ask a Psychologist: Helping Students Thrive Now are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of 91直播 in Education, or any of its publications.
