The Key To Helping Students Become Confident Learners

Often Schools put so much pressure on students, that they may develop anxiety and other problems, which makes ‘studying’ a scary aspect of their lives. Being burdened by heavy bags, textbooks, and homework causes stress and becomes quite unmanageable for some students. Apart from that, the pressure to perform and get good grades, and meet the undue expectations of parents, is another hurdle that adds to the emotional tension of the child.

Anxiety can result into feeling unusual physical symptoms, that may affect the learner’s ability to focus. Studying in general, requires concentration and a calm mind, but what happens when your mind is so preoccupied with worry?

According to research, you learn better, when you are happy. When one is happy certain chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin are released, and this generates a feel-good factor, which elevates the mood. The state of calm improves the student’s capacity to learn and also helps in retaining concepts in a better manner.

Through this Blog, we aim to cover some key tips that will help mold your child into a happy and confident learner, so that they can enjoy the process of studying, and not feel burdened by it.

Promote Positive Self-Talk

When the learner is constantly demotivated because of bad grades, he or she may feel terrible from the inside. Imagine your co-classmates doing well, and you are the only one struggling to cope. Instead of saying things like ‘why can’t you do well’, or ‘look how well your friends are doing’, change these negative connotations, into positive motivators. The easiest way to do this is by simply changing your dialogue and mentioning things like, ‘I understand that you find it difficult to study, but I know you have the potential to do better.’ Now, doesn’t that sound like an uplifting statement? Keep inspiring the student to practice positive self-talk with affirmations such as; ‘I can do it’, ‘I am good enough’, and ‘I can achieve anything, I set my mind to do’.

Celebrate Every Little Progress

‘Success is a series of small victories’ therefore, the mantra is to celebrate small milestones and keep kids motivated. Making mistakes is okay, and it is a part of learning. But there’s scope to do better and even 1% improvement, must be highlighted, to give someone a boost of confidence. We are all familiar with the story, where Albert Einstein had a slow start, but is today recognized as the world’s greatest physicist ever. Intrinsic and extrinsic motivators help schools and training centers in Dubai and other parts of the world, keep children on track and reflect upon their every stage of achievement.

Make Learning Hands-On

Pedagogy is the method of teaching a concept or subject and in IB schools across the world today, including those in GCC regions and UAE, the focus is on hands-on teaching-learning, to cover STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) topics. Educators, therefore, introduce modern teaching aids, such as progressive educational toys, like the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential kit. The module uses storytelling, through thematic concepts to solve complex problems and make learning interesting. The LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Essential kit is quite popular in the Middle East regions to promote 21st-century skills among kids.

Say No To Comparison

Comparing students on the basis of ranking in exams is not the most appropriate approach to dealing with learners. Comparing students in class leads to the child feeling insecure, and therefore lowering self-esteem, which further affects the child’s performance. Negative criticism may even lead to rivalry amongst students and kids may start detaching themselves from their own parents for this reason.