“ONE STEP AT A TIME”
by Kenny Gill, ©2019
(Aug. 19, 2019) — It is easier to deal with an active student who answers questions in class and is not afraid to air their opinions, but for a shy student, this may be a difficult person to handle as they rarely speak up or engage in the classroom or outdoor activities. They are often withdrawn and choose to be quiet most of the time.
In this article, we are going to see ideas that you can apply to help students who are shy overcome their shyness. Whether you are a shy student or a shy teacher, you will find the following ideas useful and practical.
Create Small Discussion Groups for Them
Successful academic experts at custom essay writing service are sure that the first thing you should do to get students to participate is to involve those students you consider as shy in small group participation.
You can encourage them to speak about themselves, e.g. what they like and what they may not like. Ask them to talk about their hobbies. Start there and they will soon start to be comfortable speaking before larger groups.
Be Always Understanding
Another way to encourage students to participate in class is to understand that a shy student or child is not shy because they choose to be. Some children are born that way and they have to be trained to learn to get out of their shyness.
Research indicates that is not a good thing to criticize a shy child or compare them with those who are more active. This will make them feel unworthy.
Change the Traditional Way of Asking Questions
You have been told that students should be encouraged to ask questions in class; this is a good thing but unfortunately, only active students take advantage of this opportunity and shy ones back off.
Shy students are often afraid to make mistakes. They easily get embarrassed and feel pain when they try and fail. So they prefer anonymity.
A good idea is to come up with ways to involve all students. Give them tests about what they have learned and let them give the answers in writing. This will help you make a better assessment of where their strengths and weaknesses are.
Once you know what the shy student’s strength is you can encourage them to talk about this. By getting it right it will make them develop confidence and self-esteem.
Give them a customized assignment
To have a better understanding of what is going on in the minds of shy students, let their teachers give them assignments that are customized for them. Let the teacher give these students tests and work that will help the teachers discover more about them. This is because shy students are most likely to express themselves on paper than in front of others. By giving them a custom assignment you will get to know how they can participate in class more.
When Meeting Strangers Do This
When you meet with someone and start a conversation, do not start by introducing the shy child or student to greet the person or people. First, strike a conversation with the person and then later introduce them. This way you give them time to become comfortable.
Allow Students to Move Around More Often
Some students learn better in certain ways. Some students have the ability to learn better by hearing their teacher talk while others have the ability to see images in order to learn. Some learn when they are in motion; that is, when they move around.
For shy students, less formal settings involving movements easily express what is in their minds. Movement makes them at ease. Using this tactic will help them to be less shy in school.
Appreciate and Reward Active Contribution
Don’t ignore the little steps the shy student makes. Commend them at every step they make. Remember, you are helping them to get out of their fears and comfort zones. This frequent encouragement gives them the confidence that they are on the right track and doing well.
Shy students often suffer from low self-esteem. If a shy student performs well in something, make it public to other students. This will help them realize that they are worthy.
Start with Small Groups
Large groups make shy students feel intimidating. Start them out with making them meet with other new people one at a time.
If you want them to perform in bigger groups make sure that they practice what they have to do or say many times until they get it right. Then you can let them speak before larger groups.
Small Challenges
“When you give them challenges, give them in small bits every day. Start with those which they can cope with,” said Christopher Mansfield, a content writer at https://perfectessay.com/. Remember the idea is to build their confidence one step at a time. Here you will need to be patient and understanding. Your goal with this student is to teach and guide them to not be shy in class.
Build a Trustful Relationship with Shy Students
Shy students don’t like to be in the spotlight. They are afraid that doing so will expose them to weakness so they prefer to hide in the shadows of others. Make sure that you help to bring them closer and formulate a gentle way of interacting with them. Place them with students who are likely to befriend them and not criticize them.
There are many ways to encourage students who are shy to learn to be less shy and gain confidence. Shy students are not less bright students. These students could be some of the brightest students. If you can help them overcome their shyness one step at a time, using the ideas named above, you will find it easier to help them.
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Author’s bio: Kenny Gill is a content manager and professional writer at Study Clerk company. He is familiar with corporate events, sports, and education. He is responsible for supporting internal communications needs for specific business functions, as well as writing, creating and editing various quality content. He performs a leading role in developing and creating good content, chiefly for different types of audiences.