Failing at school is painful. Attendance Can Help Students Trust and Learn

According to Cohen, these kinds of positive messages, when delivered in a credible way, “can really undo a lot of the damage from these past experiences that these kids come with.” When rebuilding trust with students is successful, the expectations of those students can be adjusted to show that they can succeed in their studies, Cohen said. This process can help open “students’ minds to a new way of looking at their educational experience,” he continued.

To increase fertility during adolescence

Feeling important at any age, but in youth, those feelings can grow. Sometimes, feedback from the student’s larger culture or community can cause feelings of inadequacy in your absence, according to Andrew Fuligni, executive director of the Center for the Developing Adolescent at UCLA.

Teens are building self-awareness, which involves discovering the things you’re good at, Fuligni said. If students are told that they are behind in a certain skill, it can damage their sense of belonging; feelings grow because young people tend to internalize the messages they hear.

Many students mistakenly believe that reading skills are more difficult than developing skills, Fuligni said. Creating a culture of growth in the classroom, especially “collaborative learning environments where children of different abilities work together to achieve excellence,” can help foster a sense of belonging in the background, Cohen added.

“Typically, corrections send a message that you need help and that message can be very intimidating,” Cohen said. It is often thought that “poor performance indicates low ability but this is not the case. Most of the time, it’s a lack of preparation,” he continued.

The role of teachers and adults

Adolescence is an important developmental period, when students are “trying to gain the credibility of institutions, and people like teachers,” Cohen said. For members of disadvantaged groups, “an additional question is ‘how will they treat people like me?’,” he said.

Young people are very used to finding out where they fit in and care deeply about social status, and that will not change in that age group. That means adults are responsible for controlling their reactions, and they can help late learners have a positive impact with small actions and affirming comments, according to Fuligni.

“Validating the contributions, ideas and values ​​of all our students can go a long way,” Fuligni said. When a student’s contributions and abilities are validated in these small ways, it develops a sense of trust and makes them realize that they are “valuable members of society.”

To see progress

According to Benison, who teaches students up to sixth grade, sharing learning progress with them can be a helpful way to boost their self-esteem, and build trust between student and teacher. Setting very clear goals and allowing students to see their success regularly helps students continue to build on their knowledge and skills, said Benison.

“I teach in such a way that they know that they are growing,” he continued. Benison does not share primary intake information with his students because he does not want students to define themselves with original data. But from time to time he tells them about the progress of the students.

When her students make mistakes, Benison notices and makes the necessary adjustments to incorporate that skill throughout the lesson until that learning is reinforced. According to Benison, allowing students to adjust their work, without the pressure of a grade, helps students see their own growth. In May of each year, Benison takes time to look back at the beginning of the year with each student to show them how much they have learned and grown.

“I know that when I teach them to read, I encourage them to do difficult things, I not only allow them to move forward, but I prepare them for their future,” said Benison.