Struggling Productively and Growing Students' Confidence

When I was younger, I always remember being kind of upset when I came to a teacher for help and they told me to keep trying or to ask my peers, because I just wanted their help and that was it. What I did not realize is that struggling a little bit would actually help me later on in my life, not only with building my confidence but also my perseverance and motivation. Letting students make mistakes and struggle through a problem is actually helping them rather than hindering them.

If teachers are always there to show students the answer or how to get to it, students will never learn how to work through a problem or come up with solutions on their own. This does not mean that teachers should be completely hands-off, but rather they can guide and even demonstrate. For example, using the strategy of "I do, we do, you do," can foster confidence and allow students to gain independence. In the first Keynote presentation, the example of kindergarten students learning how to zip up their jackets using this method, gave them the confidence to be able to do it on their own, and even help other classmates learn how to zip their jackets. I found this example really interesting as it shows just how important it is to help students grow their confidence from a young age, as it prepares them to approach new challenges as they get older. 

As students get older, we want them to become less reliant on teachers as a fallback when things get challenging. Instead, having teachers take a step back in some cases can help students develop critical transferable skills, like problem-solving, critical thinking, self-regulation, communication, and collaboration. These skills are crucial to everyday life, so providing a foundation to build those skills on is very important. I also think that letting students have a bit of time to struggle can prepare them for higher grade levels and the challenges that come with them. For example, in grade 3 students must complete EQAO testing, which does not allow teacher assistance, so having students work independently and problem solve actually has a practical benefit. 

In conclusion, it might seem cruel at first but, allowing students to have some time to struggle through a problem is actually one of the best ways to grow their independence and foster confidence for when they figure something out for themselves. Here is one way I like to think of it, teachers are not the ones who serve up success to their students, but instead teachers can provide the ingredients for success, and let students use them in their own way.

Julianna R@OTU