Encourage Interaction With A More Self Confident Student
Why should I do it:
- Can improve the self concept and self confidence of an insecure student
- Can help students improve their connection to and rapport with other students and their association with their class and place in it
- Helps students to be more outgoing, expressive, and interactive
- Can increase participation and volunteering
- Can help students become more social and talkative
- Can improve students’ mood and attitude
- Provides students with a positive role model and correct behaviors to model and duplicate
When should I do it:
- When a student seems withdrawn, isolated, or insecure
- When students appear to have poor self confidence or self concept
- When a student rarely participates or volunteers
- With students who are not social or have difficulty talking to others
- With students that do not seem to have friends or significant connections with other students
- When a student seems to have trouble fitting in or finding their place within the class
- With students apologize excessively or are unsure of themselves
How do I do it:
- You can be subtle and suggest frequently that a certain student (who you know is confident) work with, play with, help, eat lunch with, assist, etc, a student who is less confident, isolated, withdrawn, shy, etc.
- You may be more formal with the intervention and speak with a confident student, asking them to interact more and help another specific student to “come out of their shell”, participate more, be more confident and out going, etc.
- You may or may not choose to explain this to the less confident student
- You may speak with the less confident, withdrawn, shy, etc, student explaining you would like them to try to work more often with another specific student (who you know is confident)
- When choosing partners for assignments or choosing groups for projects, make a point to place less confident students with more confident students
- Praise students frequently when they exhibit confidence
- You may consider giving rewards, a note home, etc. for students who exhibit certain behaviors that relay confidence, like sharing something with the class, volunteering a certain number of times, etc.