In the past few years we have found that kids are more reluctant to raise their hand.
Teachers get frustrated and annoyed with:
“I don’t know.”
(Shoulder Shrug)
“I’m not answering that.”
(Blank Stare)
“IDK.”
(Total Silence)
“Skip me.”
These are all ways to opt out.
But what if instead of letting kids refuse to participate or giving them a chance to “phone a friend” we better understood the reasons why we find ourselves in this spot in the first place.
I have spent a lot of time thinking about what causes this and here is what I have come up with…
3 reasons why students don’t feel comfortable sharing in class:
- Insecurity-who am I to my peers?
- Fear-what if I am wrong?
- Inadequacy-what if I’m not good enough?
What can we do to show kids that they are part of a loving and supportive classroom family?
Building a family-like culture is in the classroom could be our first step towards getting those hands up and those hearts open.
Do you agree?
With So Much Love,
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