Self-Doubt is instilled in students by personal issues with family & friends, jealous co-workers, and people who will not hesitate to tell you "You can't do it!" All of this before they get to class and realize how long ago they were in high school, how poorly they did back then, and now in college, my friends are right, "I can't do this."
This is where the inspirational faculty member comes in with encouragement and providing the perfect atmosphere for learning, coaching and nurturing each student to a high level of success.
It's very rewarding to help an insecure student learn. With small steps and activities that are not too difficult, but challenging enough to require some thought, many slower learners can be motivated to succeed. Some students who are unsure how to study and learn will be motivated by each small accomplishment to achieve even more.
Carol, great exercise and thanks for sharing in the results.
James Jackson
George, do you share any statistics or common themes from prior student groups? For example, in one of my classes I share that students that complete ALL assignments, participate in class discussions and complete all course assessments average over 90% in course grades while those that do not complete all graded items average below 70%. Since I began this technique my students increased their completion rates and overall course grades,
James Jackson
Robert, great point. What techniques can you share about what you do to provide coaching and/or encouragement to your students? Thanks for anything you can share.
James Jackson
Sandra, practice can be a great technique towards building confidence. Be careful to assume practice is the only factor. Some students have deeper issues that will require more effort from the instructor than practice alone can overcome.
James Jackson
Sandra, great idea and technique. It is also good to have students reword questions or answers to ensure they have a proper understanding.
James Jackson
I teach Culinary and a very "matter of fact" approach to analyzing a student's production depersonalizes the process. They feel less threatened by the negative comments but can still feel good about whatever good results they acheived. I typically conclude the encounter with a figurative pat on the back. The "kick in the butt" approach may work on a football practice field well, but has limited use in a classroom kitchen. We always focus on the "takeaways" from each assignment to build on for next time. Todays production is always geared for the "next time".
I teach a class where the students are applying skills they have learned in a practical format. Many have never done the tasks asked of them, so there is a lot of self doubt. ED112 has made me aware of several techniques I use, and yet never knew what they were. Such as constructivism, I typically ask students what occupations they've had in the past, and help them relate their experience into the practical skills required in my class. Another technique is being well prepared for each class. It shows the students that I am confident in the subject I am teaching, which provides security for student learning. Having that security makes them more comfortable in doing new practical tasks and discovering new potentials.
I had a student recently who was very insecure about his cooking abilities and was always concerned with failing. We discussed how making mistakes could actually help him be a better cook when, through critique, he understood his mistakes and how to avoid them in the future. He became much more confident, less afraid to make mistakes and, as a result, a much better cook.
My name is Thomas, and of course, I used to be a self doubter, and have learned to become very confident, in everything I do, and I try to teach that to my stundents who fit this mold.I use real life examples where I struggled in class, and frequently doubted my own ability.
The key for me is being a content expert, then you know you can be confident if you know all you can about a subject, and have intelligent coversation about it.
I love seeing a student go from being the mouse to participating in every lesson and not intimidated by classmates. We start at the beginning by pairing up for 3 minutes (kinda like speed dating) and for 3 minutes these students share why they are here and something personal. It is lots of fun and by doing this during the first week several times (adding new topics each time) they become aquianted with each other and I have lots of success getting participation during class time.
Taking tests is a source of anxiety for almost everyone (myself included). I don't expect every student to get 100% on every quiz or test - in fact, I don't expect any student (even the best of them) to ace every quiz and test. And I stress this from day one. What's important is that they gain knowledge, because with knowledge comes confidence. I encourage them to study hard, pay attention, participate, do the work, and don't worry about a slip up here or there on a test. Almost inevitably, those who work hard end up doing well regardless of their test scores.
When students first start a course they fear taking the certification test, for example I instruct applications classes and as part of their program they can take the certifiation test for the course at the end of the qarter. When I first mention the certification test day one, they look at me like I am crazy and suggest that they would not be even interested in taking it. By the end of the course they are ready....when the come back to me with their certificate..their acheivement reinforces their confidence. Also, how about when you learn CPR, your fear is that you are not going to be able to do it right on a person...then one day you encounter that challenge, and you were able to save that person's life.
I found sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement and coaching to improve someones confidence.
A few years ago I had a student in one of my classes who was totally shut down. I began the challenge of opening her up to learning and participating by periodically making the general statement that EVERYONE sitting in class, after evaluating everyone's initial performance, was capable of earning a good grade.
I threw out softball questions and made sure I called on her (without shortchanging others).
I spoke to her frequently after class and asked her opinion about that day's class.
By the time she neared the end of our program, she was a frequent participant in class discussions and was unrecognizable with regard to self-confidence compared to our earlier time together.
She got a good job and visited me recently after gaining a promotion.
I teach Phlebotomy and every student has self doubt in their ability to stick needles and draw blood out of people's arms. Self Doubt only disappears after practice. I motivate them with the courage to poke the needle in the first time.
If the lightbulb does not come on, try having another student reword the info back to the class and even go to the board. Sometimes it just takes the student's lingo for it to click.
Theodore, creating small winning scenarios can be successful in any learning environment. Computer courses may be an easy example but all learning objectives can be achieved by strategically creating small wins for students and then building upon these lessons learned.
James Jackson
I sometimes teach, Introduction to Computers and Excel. I noticed with some of the older students that don’t have the computer background because they never has computer courses in school.They possess self-doubt about their ability to learn computers. I realize that computers are a hand-on subject, you have to actually work with the computer by doing things on the computer. As students do the hand-on activities with the computer they become more aware of how the computer works and they little by little gain confidence in their ability to learn the subject. It is nice to watch them gain confidence and kowledge about the subject.
