Ways To Teach Students How To Ask For Help!
Do we ever wonder why students struggle to ask teachers for extra help? When raising their hand could bring help, why do they prefer sitting in silence. Failure in asking for help affects students’ academic growth, confidence and most importantly self-esteem. There are many reasons behind why students hesitate to ask for help, but there are numerous ways too that can teach students how to ask for help!
Teachers must help students become advocates for their own learning by teaching them how to ask for help.
5 Tips To Teach Students How To Ask For Help
1. Students must first recognize that they’re struggling
Most importantly, students must first introspect themselves to recognize that they are struggling. For this they need to be honest and self-aware. The concern is that many students feel they don’t need help. In some cases, students accept the fact that they are stuggling but feel embarrassed to ask for help. They perceive that if they ask for help, they might appear weak. The teachers must make students understand that asking for help is instead a sign of maturity and strength.
2. Empower kids with metacognitive skills
The strategy that works wonders in helping students acknowledge that it’s okay to struggle and ask for help is to strengthen their megacognitive skills.
Teachers must ask open-ended questions like – this assignment wasn’t possible without a lot of hard work. How did you execute it? How do you think about your progress in the class? what strategy would you like to share that helps you in your learning journey? This helps students guage their strength and progress. By such discussions they are able to identify areas where they might need help. Not only teachers but also parents must incorporate such megacognitive prompts.
3. It’s normal to ask for help
As elders we know it but we need to make students understand that it’s normal to seek help. You can do it by talking about it in class and providing relevant instances. In fact try sharing your own stories share about asking suppot or help from others.
If you share with your students what were you good or bad at in school, they will be able to relate to you. It’s a good practice to share your childhood strengths and weeknesses with your students and how you overcame them or whom did you ask for help. Sharing your own very human learning experiences with your students serves not just to illustrate how you sought help, it can also provide a valuable glimpse of the teacher.
4. To ask for help is universal
Consider inviting working professionals who work in your local community, into the classroom to discuss how asking for help benefits them in their jobs. Help your students understand that seeking help is the norm in the scientific, creative and professional world. It’s universal and okay to seek help. It’s completely fine to let down your guard and seek help at an early stage to thrive in life.
5. Offer personal approach to seek help
It’s very important and helpful if students know they have an option to reach out privately to seek help and support, for instance-by email. Although teachers share their email address with students, take a step further by clarifying with students that it’s also an option to reach out to you for help or support. You can certainly establish ground rules for your privacy and after school hours. Make sure you check your inbox regularly and respond to your student’s concerns.
After School Tutoring- Reasons why you need one
How To Help Kids Develop Their Writing Skills
https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-students-how-ask-help
https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/help-obstacles.html